Cover The Iron Fairies opens its doors in the Philippines, bringing the fantastical world to a new audience
The Iron Fairies opens its doors in the Philippines, bringing the fantastical world to a new audience
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The Iron Fairies Manila
When the sun sets and night falls over the city, The Iron Fairies come alive
Ashley Sutton dropped out of school at 14 and went to work in the iron ore mines of Western Australia. Underground, with little else to occupy his mind, he began sketching, imagining the mines around him as a world where fairies were forged from iron and fairy dust. The two lives—one industrial, one fantastical—ran in parallel before Sutton finally let them collapse into each other. What emerged was a new mythology entirely: solitary iron workers labouring beneath the earth, forging delicate fairies and releasing them into the world above.
That story became a trilogy of children’s books. Then it became a bar in Hong Kong, and several more across Asia. Now, it has arrived in BGC.
That is how The Iron Fairies, one of Asia’s most distinctive nightlife concepts, was born—not from a hospitality brief, but from a world of fantasy born from the mines, from one man’s unfettered imagination. Developed in partnership with hospitality figure Sandeep Sekhri and the Boutique Bars group, The Iron Fairies writes a new chapter of that world with every new city.
Read more: July 2026 Dining Radar: new restaurants, cafés and bars in Metro Manila
The Iron Fairies Manila’s cocktail list is a blend of signatures from Hong Kong and local exclusives
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The Iron Fairies Manila, now open in Bonifacio Global City, is modelled after the Hong Kong flagship, albeit twice the size. The space unfolds across a dark, industrial space where six private rooms lie concealed behind cast-iron furnaces, each one waiting to be discovered. Above, some 30,000 handcrafted butterflies hang suspended from the ceiling. Bottles of fairy dust line the bar walls, where a two-tonne bar sets the stage for an evening of liquid theatre.
If the design is the portal that transports you to this fantastical world, the entertainment is the enchantment that keeps you from finding the door again. Live bands and DJs perform nightly—not as backdrop, but as the main event, reshaping the room's energy across the course of an evening. The kind of night that starts with a drink and ends with you wondering where the hours went.
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Above Live music sets the scene for an immersive night of storytelling
Above DJs ramp up the energy and keeps the spirits high
Live music sets the scene for an immersive night of storytelling
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The drinks are what seal the spell. Sharing creative DNA with Maggie Choo’s and The Iron Fairies Hong Kong—two concepts also under the Boutique Bars family—the cocktail programme translates story to glass. Signatures from the Hong Kong original sit alongside Manila exclusives that root the mythology firmly in local soil: the Old Balete (gin, sugar, basil, absinthe, guava, tonic) and the Diwatang Maria (rum, pandan, ube, lime, cream, toasted marshmallow) are not concessions to local taste so much as proof that this world knows how to speak the language of the city it enters. The food follows the same spirit: sharing plates conceived for a long night, including crunchy chicharon bulaklak, beef patty melt sliders with Emmental and caramelised onions, and smoky char siu skewers, alongside a wine list the team is notably proud of.
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Midnight Butterfly: passionfruit, dark rum, ginger, lemon, and Aer
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Few spaces in this city command your full attention—where the design, the music, and the energy of the room conspire to keep you entirely present. The Iron Fairies Manila is one of them. Born from creativity and imagination rather than spectacle or trend, it is a nightlife destination that knows its audience: those who are not looking for the loudest room in BGC, but the most interesting one. Whether you secure a table by the action, settle into one of the private furnaces, or book out the venue and make this world yours alone, it is an invitation to disappear and surrender to another world entirely.
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Discover The Iron Fairies Manila and step into a world of immersive entertainment, theatrical design, and unforgettable evenings in the heart of BGC. For inquiries and reservations, contact +63 998 513 4766 via WhatsApp.
Credits
Photography: courtesy of The Iron Fairies Manila
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About
Lauren’s love for food came much later in life than one would expect— an obsession awakened in the streets of Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene. Armed with this newfound passion, she returned to the Philippines determined to discover the best eats in her home country, with a personal advocacy to champion local cuisines and homegrown talent. Nothing is off-limits; if it’s delicious, it’s worth celebrating.
Work
As Tatler Dining associate editor, Lauren covers all things food and drink, from listing the latest openings in our monthly Dining Radar to interviewing chefs and bartenders about the biggest obstacles crippling the industry today. Beyond the digital space, she also organises Tatler Dining’s tentpole events, including Off Menu and Tatler Dining Kitchen, as well as the annual Tatler Best Philippines awards night and guide launch, detailing the best restaurants in the country.
For leads and event invites, contact her via lauren@tatlerphilippines.com or follow her on Instagram at @laurengolangco.
Photo: Ralph Mendo
