Cover Ken Alonso of Proudly Promdi reveals his favourite restaurants, cafés and bars in Marikina City (Photo: courtesy of Proudly Promdi)
Ken Alonso of Proudly Promdi reveals his favourite restaurants, cafés and bars in Marikina City (Photo: courtesy of Proudly Promdi)
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Proudly Promdi’s Ken Alonso reveals where he eats, drinks and unwinds in Marikina—including the one fine dining restaurant that’s earned his recommendation
Marikina is fondly known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, a nickname that traces back to a shoemaking tradition dating to the 1800s and still enduring today. For Ken Alonso, founder of Proudly Promdi, it’s a city where craft comes first—from the generations of shoemakers Marikina is known for to the young creatives and artisans shaping its evolution.
“There’s a word I love that best describes Marikina,” explains Alonso. “It’s the word ‘probinsyudad’, which is a cross between province and city. It’s somehow slow but also progressive; it feels like a city where you can breathe and move around,” he continues. “People here have their own little world.”
Read more: September 2026 Dining Radar: new restaurants, cafés and bars in Metro Manila (and one in Davao)
Above Proudly Promdi’s travelling cocktail bar is bookable for private events (Photo: Proudly Promdi)
Above The tapuey spritz, one of the signature cocktails, highlights our indigenous rice wine (Photo: Miguel Nacianceno, courtesy of Proudly Promdi)
Proudly Promdi’s travelling cocktail bar is bookable for private events (Photo: Proudly Promdi)
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He knows the city well; he moved to Marikina from Quezon City in 2000 and has lived there ever since. It would be another 12 years before he founded Proudly Promdi, which first took shape as a single stall at a Christmas bazaar in 2012. What began as a single stall at a Christmas bazaar in 2012 has since grown into Proudly Promdi, a platform championing local wines and spirits. The business has since expanded from supplying restaurants and bars to an online store with a wider portfolio of Filipino spirits, bringing his advocacy straight to consumers. But Proudly Promdi’s experiential offerings are arguably its strongest, whether through its travelling cocktail bar cart, where Alonso serves up Filipino-inspired cocktails that showcase local spirits, or best yet, at their bar in Marikina. Found on the first floor of the Alonso family home, the bar is home to their HoHol nights (short for “Hang Out Hang Out Lang”), where Alonso hosts intimate groups for immersive tastings.
See also: 11 Philippine craft beer brands you should know—and where to find them
Above A HoHol night at Proudly Promdi in Marikina—a great way to learn more about local spirits or simply enjoy great cocktails in an immersive, intiate fashion (Photo: courtesy of Proudly Promdi)
A HoHol night at Proudly Promdi in Marikina—a great way to learn more about local spirits or simply enjoy great cocktails in an immersive, intiate fashion (Photo: courtesy of Proudly Promdi)
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He describes Marikina’s food and drink scene as a place where two generations are finally meeting in the middle. “There are more and more new concepts opening, but at the same time, there’s still very strong support for the ‘OG’ and neighbourhood favourites that have been here for decades,” he says. Spots that were once, in his words, “kept as local secrets” are now being reintroduced by a younger generation eager to share them beyond Marikina’s borders. “There’s a real sense of pride in our local F&B culture,” he adds, “and I think that’s helping create an environment where both heritage establishments and newer concepts can thrive alongside each other. But at the same time, it still feels quiet, simple and cosy. I think that’s what I like about Marikina—it’s growing, but it still has that neighbourhood feel and sense of community.”
Below, we see Marikina through Ken Alonso’s eyes, from the bakery that’s become a rainy day favourite, the bar he considers the best in the city and the one fine dining restaurant that’s earned his recommendation.
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Best place to go for breakfast/brunch?
We love Kuwa Bakery’s jalapeño cheddar sourdough! It’s nice to eat there when it’s raining in the morning. Genesis Pandesal for the best pandesal in the metro!
Best place to go for coffee and/or matcha?
Resonate Coffee—I am always proud to share this with people. Really good coffee (they roast their own beans) and really great people who are very supportive of the Marikina creative community.
Best place to go for date night?
Leo Sea House: a small and charming place where they serve a five- to six-course seafood-inspired menu. Also Digámo, the very exciting and new restaurant of chef Francis Lacson, with a very intentional and personal menu about the different influences in Filipino cuisine.
Related: Tatler’s Ultimate Guide: the 16 best brunch spots in Metro Manila
Where to get the best dessert in the neighbourhood?
Matteau’s Marikina, home to my favourite halo halo. Sobrang sulit, and they don’t scrimp on the ingredients! I also like Puno’s Ice Cream, a local ice creamery where they sell homemade ice cream and sherbet. Finally, Baked by Vada—she makes the best vanilla bean cream puff, which we always get for our HoHol nights.
Best fine dining experience?
Digámo by chef Francis Lacson. I think it’s really one of the very few fine dining restaurants in the city.
Best bar to unwind after a long day?
Bar By East, located in Lamp Quarters. They serve arguably the best cocktails in Marikina—served by a great team too!
A new find that’s impressed you in the neighbourhood?
Toyama Eatery has been our go-to place when we just want to eat out and treat ourselves to good food!
An underrated restaurant/café/bar that you think deserves more attention?
We go to Prefecture more often than we should, haha. We love their tempura, noodles and fried inoki. Affordable, too!
A nostalgic restaurant/café/bar institution that you still love?
Pares House—still my go-to place when I’m craving really good pares.
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What is one thing everyone must see or do when visiting the neighbourhood?
Do a food and coffee crawl! There is so much to visit in Marikina.
What’s one thing you wish the neighbourhood had more of—whether a cuisine, a format, or an F&B experience you think is still missing?
A really good deli, with cheese, cold cuts, etc. More speakeasy bar concepts!
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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
