First look: El Gato and Cattery, two new bars by the award-winning Fat Cat team

Signatures like Dark Matter aptly capture this narrative. The most potent cocktail of the bunch, it features tequila infused with ancho and guajillo chillies, tapuey steeped with cacao nibs, corn liqueur and amaro. A smooth blend of warm spice with an elegant and nutty finish, Dark Matter highlights the convergence of two cultures, inspired by the Mexican champurrado (made with corn) and the Filipino champorado (made with rice), hence the use of corn liqueur and tapuey.

Other drinks on the menu wink at familiar favourites, inspired by the couple’s enduring love for classic cocktails. Fashioned after the tiki Jungle Bird, the Jungle Boogie likewise uses Campari, pineapple juice and citrus, swapping the rum for bourbon before fat-washing it all in coconut milk to achieve a richer, smoother body, then finishing with asin tultul for a touch of local flair. Some, like the corn cocktail (simply identified by a corn emoji) are more novel: a highball of corn-based whiskey, homemade cream soda, corn milk foam and a dusting of crushed corn flakes.

Read more: The women of Bar Flora are changing the way Quezon City drinks

Beyond beverages, El Gato also offers three taquería staples—which, to my surprise, actually preceded the cocktails. Before opening Fat Cat, Fifi shares that the dream was really to open a taco shop; during the pandemic, she even started a birria business under the moniker La Pastora, named after her grandmother, Charito Pastor. “But we couldn’t find a space with a kitchen,” she recalls, leading them to open a cocktail bar instead. “When we knew we would have a kitchen in this new space, I thought, ‘Yay, finally, my taco shop is going to happen!’”

At El Gato, she revives her quesabirria: short plate and brisket in a rich chipotle-adobo sauce with guajillo and ancho chillies, cinnamon, herbs and gooey mozzarella cheese in a flour tortilla, served with a rich, reduced consommé. Also on the menu is a pared-back carnitas taco made with pork shoulder and jowl cooked in its own fat, served simply with fresh onions and tomato salsa in their housemade corn tortilla. Finally, those looking for something to share can tuck into their nachos, loaded with mozzarella, salsa, jalapeño, onions, cilantro and your choice of pork or beef.

Related: Late-night eats: 10 restaurants from the Tatler Best Philippines Guide 2025

While El Gato is still “on the softest of openings,” Ron discloses what’s in store. “We’re working with distributors to help conduct agave tastings and masterclasses,” he reveals. “For those who want to dabble with different expressions, we’ll be offering flights on the menu as well.” Fifi likewise shares that she plans to expand their food menu. Soon, they’ll host DJ nights, further distinguishing their sophomore operation from Fat Cat.

“The biggest difference I feel will be in energy,” Ron predicts. “Fat Cat will always be a jazz bar, which means it’s a little quieter. I envision El Gato to be a little more upbeat with jazzy-hip-hop-electronic beats.” Funnily enough, even Fat Cat regulars take on different personas at El Gato. “Kahit same people, iba ang personality pagdating dito,” Fifi observes. “They show a different side I’ve never seen before. They let loose, let their hair down, mas malakas yung boses. We didn’t expect that people would also adapt!”

See also: 7 regional sake styles in Japan, from Hokkaido to Niigata

El Gato is not the only new stop on what many have now dubbed the “cat pilgrimage.” To get to the cocktail bar upstairs, one must first pass through Cattery: an intimate, dimly lit live music venue inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Here, the couple is joined by other partners—some longtime friends like writer Pam Pastor, Fifi’s cousin; others, Fat Cat regulars who’ve formed lasting friendships over repeat visits, all of whom are fresh to the hospitality industry, much like the Cruzes when they first opened Fat Cat. Instead, they bring expertise from various fields, from HR to accounting.

“Cattery is really a gift to our community, to be able to explore different things we can do together,” Pastor explains. Expect everything from performances by local artists to stand-up comedy, trivia nights and even rockaoke, which they debuted on their opening night to raucous success. Unlike El Gato upstairs, Cattery is sparsely decorated, save for the shelves at the back of the room, where the team’s own mementoes are on display. In true Tiny Desk fashion, the idea is for guest acts to add their own little token after every performance, gradually transforming the space.

See also: Zero-proof drinks are big business: 8 celebrity-backed non-alcoholic beverages

Although Cattery’s signature cocktails are still in the works, guests can pick from their selection of classics, as well as indulgent deep-fried bar snacks like chicken karaage with Japanese mayo and chilli cheese poppers with housemade ranch. But it’s the two boozy slushies that have caught people’s attention: The Sweetest Thing, made with peach, amaretto and Hennessy; and Midnight City, the ideal after-hours pick-me-up with cold brew coffee, vodka, Kahlúa and Bailey’s.

It’s been just over two years since Ron and Fifi opened the doors to Fat Cat—a leap of faith which, they once admitted, they never thought would get very far. Uninspired and burnt out, they simply wished to create a space where they could hang out and reconnect with friends. At El Gato and Cattery, this sincere desire to host continues to form the backbone of their operations, albeit for a much larger and ever-growing circle of friends, old and new. That, more than anything else, may be the true secret to their success: the rare ability to build not just bars, but communities. Together, they’ve proven that bars aren’t just about cocktails or design—they’re about creating spaces where people can belong. El Gato and Cattery are simply the latest chapters in that ongoing story.

NOW READ

Luxury ingredients once worth more than gold—and who’s bringing them back

Flavours of My Youth: Yuichi Ito, the award-winning pizzaiolo behind Crosta Pizzeria

Design over drinks: beautiful bars worldwide every traveller should visit