The Curator

The Sliding Door

Two rooms, one address, twelve years of two-stage hospitality.

The Curator helped write the playbook for Manila's speakeasy era. Opened in 2013 by David Ong and Jericson Co inside a tucked-away corner of the Prudential Building on Legazpi Street, it began as a coffee counter sharing space with a wine shop and deli — and quietly grew into one of Asia's most decorated bars.

The conceit is simple and seductive: walk into an unmarked storefront in Legazpi Village, order a pour-over at the bright front counter, then slip through a sliding door at the back into a dim, leather-and-wood cocktail room that operates on entirely different rules. There is no signage on the street; regulars say GPS is mandatory on a first visit.

Jericson Co's bar program has earned The Curator a spot on Asia's 50 Best Bars eight times since 2016, peaking at No. 33 in 2024 and re-entering the extended 51-100 list at 78 in 2025. The menu is structured around "curators" — real-world tastemakers, from Broadway composers to film auteurs — each given a bespoke cocktail with flavor map and dossier.

Beautifully Designed

What the rankings say. What the reviewers note.

Asia's 50 Best Bars writes that The Curator "majors in Filipino spirits" and praises its "beautifully designed menu centred around notable figures, with cocktails designed for each accompanied by descriptions and flavor maps." Tripadvisor headlines often understate the room — "another great Manila cocktail bar" — because the experience rewards quiet.

Visitors consistently describe the place as a speakeasy done with substance rather than theatre. Co-founder Jericson Co simply wanted, in his own paraphrased words, to make the best coffee and cocktails in Manila.

What to Order

Daytime: pour-over. Nighttime: a curator's drink.

Coffee program (daytime, ₱₱). The front counter is a serious third-wave operation: single-origin pour-overs sourced from across the Asian region, espresso and flat white pulled to specialty-café standard, plus cold brew and milk drinks. The roster rotates with seasonal beans; baristas will happily walk you through tasting notes if the room is quiet.

Cocktail program (evenings, ₱₱₱). Bar lead Jericson Co builds the list around "curators" — cultural figures who each get a bespoke drink with its own dossier and flavor map. The standout is First Refrain, a Lin-Manuel Miranda tribute blending whisky, chai-spiced vermouth and bitters. Fifth Gear, a gin-forward number, anchors the spirit-forward side, while tropical rum-based originals spotlight Philippine sugarcane. Expect heavy use of local distillates — lambanog, Don Papa, Filipino gins — alongside global classics executed with precision.

The room runs a busy schedule of international guest bartender takeovers, so the menu refreshes often. Coffees sit in the low-to-mid hundreds of pesos; cocktails typically land ₱500–₱750.

Atmosphere & Practicalities

Two rooms, two crowds, one of the city's most reliable transitions.

By day, the front room is bright, plant-flecked and laptop-friendly — a quiet corporate-Makati hideout for meetings and slow pour-overs. The transition begins around dusk: the espresso machine quiets, the lights dim, jazz and lo-fi take over the speakers, and the sliding door at the back of the café opens onto the cocktail room. That reveal is the whole pleasure of the place — a compact, low-ceilinged space of dark wood, brass fittings and worn leather where the bar pass becomes the stage.

The crowd shifts accordingly: suited Legazpi Village professionals during daylight, cocktail enthusiasts and visiting bartenders after 6 PM. No street signage; first-timers should GPS to the C. Palanca corner. Coffee is strictly walk-in. The bar accepts walk-ins but reservations are strongly recommended on Thursday–Saturday nights and during Asia's 50 Best season. Hours: café ~7am–6pm; bar 5:30pm–12:30am (Tue/Wed/Sun), 6pm–1am (Thu–Sat); closed Mondays.