Cover Amazon, a dish from Flow’s eight-course menu | Discover the new restaurants and bars on our radar this January 2026 (Photo: courtesy of Flow)
Amazon, a dish from Flow’s eight-course menu | Discover the new restaurants and bars on our radar this January 2026 (Photo: courtesy of Flow)
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From an impressive fine dining debut to a meticulously designed listening bar, here are the new restaurants and bars on our radar this January
Keep your finger on the pulse of the local dining scene with Tatler’s Dining Radar—our monthly round-up of the most exciting new restaurants, bars and cafés across the Philippines.
2026 kicks off with a vibrant mix of new restaurants to welcome the new year with tasty new eats. Three global brands land in Manila, serving up wonton noodles, chicken rice and contemporary Japanese plates. Chef Patrick Curitana of Los Tacos teams up with chef Ralph Sy of Scratch bakery and Toka Wine’s Butz Tenchavez, birthing a new concept that's part wine bar, part rotisserie house. BGC welcomes a new listening bar “by audiophiles, for audiophiles,” with a food programme by none other than chef Chele González.
All this and more in our January Dining Radar, below.
Read more: 2025 Dining Radar: The new restaurants, cafés and bars on our radar last year
1. Flow
Above Mountain and farmlands (Photo: courtesy of Flow)
Above Flow was designed by Nazareno Architecture + Design (Photo: courtesy of Flow)
Mountain and farmlands (Photo: courtesy of Flow)
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Location: Green Sun, Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City
After working in Lima, Peru, for five years under the famed chef Virgilio Martínez of Central, chef Kevin Uy returns to Manila with Flow, a tasting menu restaurant that bridges the culinary landscapes of Peru and the Philippines. Working alongside co-executive chef Gabriel Ong, whose background includes Alain Ducasse at Morpheus Macau and Amber Hong Kong, the kitchen delivers a tightly executed eight-course menu shaped by shared ingredients, techniques and a sense of place. This dialogue is expressed through dishes such as raw scallops with a creamy sea urchin emulsion, punctuated by blue spirulina granita and cassava crisps. Tender beef cheeks with a burnt coconut sauce, tri-coloured corn and tinigib marry the Andes with the mountainous landscapes of Mindanao in one thoughtful plate. The attention to detail, from bespoke tableware to the interiors by Nazareno Architecture + Design, further reinforces the narrative, making Flow one of the most impressive restaurant debuts in Manila.
2. Pluck
Location: Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City
Pluck is primed to be a new neighbourhood favourite, offering eclectic shareable plates alongside a hearty rotisserie menu and a thorough beverage programme. The kitchen is helmed by chefs Pat Curitana of Los Tacos and Ralph Sy of Scratch, with drinks curated by Toka Wine’s Butz Tenchavez. Set to open on January 9, guests can look forward to highlights like house-made flatbread with bonito butter, squash and squash flower fritto with miso aioli, radish-potato cake with nduja salsa and, of course, the signature koji-marinated rotisserie chicken served with charred cabbage, chimichurri and chicken jus. Want to end the meal on a sweet note? Sample the burnt honey panna cotta with granita or Pluck’s ice cream sandwich.
3. Mak’s Noodle
Location: SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
Mak’s Noodle brings one of Hong Kong’s most storied wonton noodle dishes to the Philippines, offering a focused, tradition-driven dining experience rooted in classic Cantonese craftsmanship. Founded by the Mak family, whose legacy traces back to Guangzhou in the 1920s and later shaped Hong Kong’s iconic wonton noodle culture, the brand is known for its meticulous attention to technique, from the balance of its broth to the texture of its bamboo egg noodles. Signature offerings centre on the house wonton noodle soup, featuring plump shrimp-filled wontons, springy noodles and a clear yet deeply savoury broth—best enjoyed simply, alongside a calming cup of Chinese tea that completes the experience.
4. Delina
Location: San Antonio Exchange, San Pedro, Laguna
Noodle Lab’s Nico and Ally Gonzales introduce their first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Delina, bringing their cult-favourite fresh pastas into a relaxed, all-day dining space that zones in on comforting Italian flavours. While pasta anchors the menu, the kitchen also offers a well-rounded selection of mains and shareable plates suited for both casual meals and celebratory gatherings. Highlights include the OG carbonara with guanciale and silky egg yolks, the indulgent 100-layer lasagna with parmesan foam, the dramatic egg yolk raviolo with a molten centre, and meatier standouts like the citrus-and-herb pork tenderloin served with parsley garlic rice fried in guanciale fat.
Tatler Tip: Don’t let its location daunt you—Delina is just 10 minutes away from Alabang, and 25 minutes away from Makati.
5. Chatterbox Café
Location: SM Aura, BGC, Taguig City
Another global brand making its Philippine debut, Chatterbox Café lands in Manila, bringing a refined take on Singaporean comfort food rooted in hawker culture but presented in a polished, restaurant-forward setting. Established in 1971, the concept is best known for its long-standing culinary traditions, particularly its signature Mandarin chicken rice, which has been preserved over decades with careful refinements. The menu offers a broad look at Singapore’s multicultural food landscape, with highlights including the iconic chicken rice served with house condiments, heritage noodle and rice dishes and refreshing beverages like the lychee pandan quencher, all enjoyed in a space designed for relaxed, unhurried dining.
6. Got Soul MNL
Location: Forbestown Road, BGC, Taguig City
Designed by audiophiles, for audiophiles, Got Soul MNL is Manila’s newest listening bar and community-driven music space. Founded by Montreal-based DJ Jojo Flores, the concept comes to life through an extensive creative collective including chef Chele González leading the food programme with chef Carlos Villaflor, Jason Soong and Manolet Dario overseeing music and sound, JP Enriquez heading the tequila programme, Cyril and Pierre Addison bringing their expertise in wine, and Benjo Marquez shaping the architecture and music alongside whisky and coffee offerings, while Dee Dario oversees day-to-day operations as general manager. The menu leans into comforting, unfussy plates grounded in Spanish-Filipino roots, best enjoyed with their cocktails and wine, all experienced through a meticulously engineered sound system.
Tatler Trivia: Got Soul’s sound system is anchored by vintage Altec Lansing A5 speakers with original Altec Lansing 1003B multi-cell horns, ensuring every track resonates with warmth, clarity, and intention.
Read more: From prediction to plate: How 2025’s food trends played out
7. Lazy Suzy
Location: The Podium Mall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Lazy Suzy opens at Podium Social as chef Patrick Go’s newest East Asian playground, offering a lively, flavour-driven menu that pulls from Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Filipino influences. Designed for sharing and exploration, the menu moves comfortably between small plates, larger mains, noodles, rice and dessert, with dishes that lean into contrasting textures and layered seasoning rather than strict tradition. Think prawn and corn toast with horseradish and bulldog sauce, smoked soy “Fly Rice” studded with caramelised maling, and an adventurous “lemon chicken” cake finished with yuzu ice cream and chicken-skin polvoron—a concept confident in both comfort and creativity.
8. Agni by Mantra
Above Lamb keema pao frrom Agni by Mantra at Comuna (Photo: courtesy of Agni by Mantra)
Above Agni by Mantra’s smoked butter chicken (Photo: courtesy of Agni by Mantra)
Lamb keema pao frrom Agni by Mantra at Comuna (Photo: courtesy of Agni by Mantra)
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Location: Comuna, Makati City
Agni by Mantra is the newest dining concept from Ranjit Chimni, the restaurateur behind Mantra Indian Kitchen & Bar. Named after the Hindi word for fire, Agni introduces modern Indian plates, leveraging contemporary executions to refine traditional techniques and authentic, regional flavours. “Mantra and Agni come from the same soul, but they serve different purposes,” says Chimni. “Mantra is about comfort, memory and familiarity. Agni is where ingredients, ideas and people evolve. It’s about intention, learning and progress with every service—staying true to authentic flavours while presenting them in a more thoughtful, modern way.” Early favourites include the butter-poached lobster with mango reduction and saffron rice, the meat-free jackfruit pepper roast, and the tender beef galouti kebab.
Tatler Trivia: Galouti means comes from the Hindi word “galawat”. Legend has it that beef galouti kebab was originally invented for a toothless king.
See also: Hot, cold and everything in between: why Asia loves eating in contrasts
9. Vara
Location: Karrivin Plaza, Makati City
Set within the Oppein showroom in Karrivin Plaza, Vara offers an experience where dining and design intertwine. The menu traverses various references to craft a distinct Asian fusion menu featuring dishes like stuffed mala wings with chicharon, beef tendon claypot rice with fried shokupan and crying tiger steak frites.
Tatler Tip: Vara After Hours returns on January 10 and 24, 10pm to 2am with tempting chef’s specials, exclusive cocktails and live music.
10. Omote
Location: 8 V. Ibanez Street, San Juan City
Omote arrives in San Juan, bringing its modern Japanese cuisine from Singapore to Metro Manila. Built on a philosophy of accessibility and innovation, the restaurant balances Japanese culinary fundamentals with bold, modern tweaks like nori tapas, foie gras kushiyaki and a spicy lobster chirashi. Just looking for the classics? They’ve got an extensive selection of sushi, sashimi, donburi and other favourites, too.
Related: Where to eat and drink in San Juan: 14 restaurants and bars to try
11. Singular
Location: The Palace, BGC, Taguig City
Singular introduces an untraditional approach to Spanish fine dining, blending elegance with a sense of discovery under the direction of the Bolero Group and chef Fernando Alcalá. Drawing from Spain’s diverse culinary regions, the menu reinterprets classic dishes through Moorish and Mediterranean influences that reflect the chef’s roots and contemporary perspective. Standout dishes include the sopa de puchero con caviar with Iberico pork custard and bellota ham broth, the cordero asado paired with grilled lettuce and fermented grapes and the mero asado served with creamy arroz de caldero, almonds and chicken jus.
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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
