SO LONG, farewell, and auf wiedersehen to 2019. We’ve come up with a list of where you can kiss this year goodbye, from the city’s most plush, most pumping places — and even right at home.
QUEZON CITY AND SAN JUAN
• Eastwood City — Headlining Eastwood-Quezon City New Year Countdown to 2020 are some of the biggest and brightest names in the music industry including Ben&Ben, James Reid’s Careless Music, Leanne & Naara, Meryl, and Amplified. Leading the countdown all the way to the early minutes of 2020 are Rico Blanco and Ebe Dancel. The Eastwood-Quezon City New Year Countdown to 2020 will also feature the New York City-inspired Dazzling Star Drop, a grand fireworks display at midnight. The celebration continues until the early hours of 2020 at the Afterparty at the Fuente Circle at Eastwood Citywalk 2 with DJs Nixdamnp, ToloMarvelous, DJ Euric and Jazz Zamora. The New Year Countdown is done in partnership with the Quezon City Government. Eastwood City is also offering a P50 flat-rate parking fee until 2 a.m. for revelers joining the celebrations, while several dining establishments across Eastwood Mall and Eastwood Citywalk are now accepting reservations. For details and restaurant reservations, call the Eastwood City Concierge at 709-9888 or 709-0888, 0917-8380111 or visit www.EastwoodNYE2020.com.
• Luxent — Luxent Hotel hails the arrival of 2020 with the Toast to 2020 New Year Countdown Party at the Vertigo Roof Deck Bar which features live entertainment, a fireworks display, and free-flowing cocktails. The rockin’ New Year’s party features DJ Patrick and DJ Jeff —and a view of the Quezon City skyline. Tickets are P488 per person. For reservations or inquiries, call 8863-7777.
• Marco Polo Ortigas Manila — The hotel will again hold its annual New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge, this year entitled “20|20.” Tickets are available at P1,850 per guest, inclusive of one Bottega Gold Prosecco as a welcome drink. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and crowd favourite the Real Groove Band will take the main stage beginning 9 p.m. Guests who wish to chill with the cool breeze facing the Rizal mountainside will be welcomed with tracks mastered by DJ Jade. Tables may be booked in advance for large groups. For more information and reservations, call 7720-7720 or restaurant.mnl@marcopolohotels.com.
MAKATI AND BGC
• Discovery Primea — New Year’s Eve at Primea starts with a dinner of Spanish fare including tapas, cocas, caldereta de mariscos, lengua estofado, and sweet endings such as churros con chocolate. Flame resturant offers a selection of modern Asian fare. The first seating from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 highlights a five-course menu with dishes such as lobster tartare, pan-seared Chilean sea bass, five spice duck leg confit, Wagyu beef rib eye, and chocolate tart for P5,500++ per person. The seven-course set menu for the second seating from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. highlights additional culinary creations such as scallops and truffle, steamed garlic river prawn, seared foie gras, grilled Australian rack of lamb, quesong puti mille-feuille, and the Oh Trio cream puffs for P7,000++ per person. For inquiries and reservations, call 7955-8888 or e-mail primea.restaurants@discovery.com.ph.
• New World Makati Hotel — the hotel’s annual New Year’s Eve Countdown Party will have guests singing along and partying to the music of the Brass Munkeys as they perform all-time favorites from the ’60s up to present-day chart toppers. The party continues as DJ Cam Abecina plays today’s latest and greatest hits. Guests who stay until the end of the program may win prizes such as overnight stays, dining experiences, and more, courtesy of the hotel. Free standing admission is at P2,988 per person. A 20% discount is applicable for children six to 12 years old. VIP tables are priced at P10,000 for three persons, P13,000 for four persons, and P32,000 for 10 persons, with a rate of P2,988 for each additional person. Children five years and below are free of charge. The Countdown to 2020 party will be held at the ballroom on Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. A buffet spread as Café 1228 highlights New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day including US Angus beef prime rib with three savory sauces, whole salmon in salt crust, herb and garlic roasted leg of lamb, fresh seafood including oysters, lobsters, scallops and prawns, curated cold cuts and cheeses, salads, soups, as well as Filipino and Asian favorites. The dessert station will feature marzipan stolen, banana walnut and Dundee cakes, chocolate macadamia tartlets, mixed fruit pavlova, bourbon balls, and a crepe, ice cream, and sherbet station, to name a few. New Year’s Eve dinner is priced at P2,988 and New Year’s Day lunch and dinner are P2,020 per person. The hotel’s Chinese restaurant, Jasmine, offers three set menus for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Happiness, Prosperity, and Auspicious set menus are priced at P1,960, P2,070, and P2,180 nett per person, respectively, for a minimum of two guests. Guests who avail of the New Year’s Eve room or dining experiences are eligible to join the hotel’s ongoing Holly Jolly Raffle, where they can win one of 25 experiences and prizes such as stays at New World hotels in Asia with premium airfare for two, two roundtrip tickets to Tokyo, Japan, Apple gadgets, as well as Belo Skin treatments. The promo runs until Dec. 31, and a minimum spend of P5,000 entitles the guest to one raffle ticket. For more information and reservations, call 8811-6888 or e-mail Reservations.manila@newworldhotels.com and FBReservations.manila@newworldhotels.com.
• Peninsula Manila — Dress to the nines for the splashiest New Year’s Eve party at the Pen that this year pays homage to Sir Elton John. The party starts at 9 p.m. to midnight for the countdown, but the band plays until 2 a.m.. Tickets are priced at P15,000 for adults and P7,500 for children under 12. One can also have a New Year’s Eve Party at Salon de Ning for P3,200 until 4 p.m., and the fee includes canapes and a select open bar. As for dining offerings on the 31st, Spices is open for lunch until 2:30 p.m., and open for dinner until 11 p.m. The à la carte lunch and dinner is priced at P2,300 for adults and P1,100 for children under 12. At Old Manila, lunch is until 2 p.m., and a six-course set dinner is offered until 11 p.m. at P9,500 with free-flowing drinks, and P7,000 without. The buffets at Escolta for brunch (until 3 p.m.) and dinner (until 11:30 p.m.) will range in price from P1,600 (children under 12 at lunchtime) to P6,000 (with free-flowing drinks at dinnertime). Prices drop a bit on the first day of the new decade, beginning with a breakfast buffet at the lobby, served from 6 to 11 a.m., priced at P950 for children under 12 and P1,800 for adults. The schedules and the prices for the restaurants remain the same, except for the New Year’s Day Roast at Escolta, served until 3 p.m., is priced at P4,500 with free-flowing sparkling wine and P1,600 for children under 12. The lobster and seafood dinner, served until 10 p.m., will be priced at P3,800 for adults and P1,900 for children under 12. Call 8887-2888 for reservations.
• The Palace — Doors at the club complex open at 11 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear their best white outfits to get free access to Xylo, Revel, Island, and B.A.D (but only until 1:30 a.m. for Xylo and Revel). Call the clubs at 0917-680-8888 or 0917-550-8888 for details.
BAY AREA AND BEYOND
• Marriott — The hotel is holding the Grand Countdown 2020 on Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Marriott Grand Ballroom. Enjoy premium cocktails, five-star dining, and spectacular performances during the party. Younger party goers will enjoy the Grand Countdown Kid’s Zone where they can do crafts, watch movies, make s’mores, and enjoy other kid-friendly activities. Ticket range in price from P15,000 to P20,000. A mass will also be hosted on New Year’s Eve at 6 p.m. at the Diplomatic Hall exclusive for the Grand Countdown Party attendees. The dinner and show starts at 7 p.m. For reservations, call 8988-9999 or visit www.manilamarriott.com.
• Crimson Hotel — Look back on the years that have passed with a 1990s-themed New Year’s Eve party at Crimson Hotel Filinvest City. The ticket prices are at P2,850 net for adults and P1,850 net for kids. Each includes a buffet dinner, live entertainment, 1990s New Year Treats, and a chance to win raffle prizes. Meanwhile, Café Eight’s Dinner Buffet is P1,740++ per person. Come down for another party with live DJ music at the hotel’s Gallery and enjoy unlimited drinks for P699 net per head. Then on Jan. 1, head to Café Eight for the New Year’s Day “Brunch” Buffet from noon to 3 p.m. for P1,460++ per person. For more information on New Year promos or reservations, visit www.crimsonhotel.com/manila/ or call 8863-2222.
• City of Dreams — To usher in the brand-new year, Nobu Manila offers a special eight-course Omakase (P6,999++) available from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1. On Dec. 31, a New Year’s Eve Countdown party at CenterPlay starts at 3 p.m. with flair bartending and performances from bands Higher Ground, MUB and Part 3, who perform up to midnight. Guests can reserve a seat or a table starting at P3,000, inclusive of a glass of Veuve Cliqout Rose and consumable snacks. The Garage is throwing a retro-themed New Year’s Eve party until 2 a.m. with its Good Old Days promotion. Guests are in for free flow drinks, with an alcoholic package (P2,588) which comes with draft beer, soda, wine, champagne and other premium liquor, or the non-alcoholic package (P1,888), which provides soda, iced tea, a selection of chilled juices or a glass of sparkling mocktail. Both packages include a platter of jalapeno poppers, seasoned buffalo fries and fried crispy nori. For kids, a package worth P1,288 includes free flowing iced tea, juices, a milk shake or a glass of sparkling mocktail as well as a platter of skin-on fries, mozzarella balls, and corn dogs. For inquiries, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com or visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com/i>.
• Diamond Hotel Philippines — The hotel’s New Year’s Eve Countdown Party kicks off with a Dinner Buffet at Corniche with a glass of cava, then enjoy upbeat music of Yellow Lane Band, Soul Republic, and J-Project at the Upper Lobby. Dance and be merry until the clock strikes midnight for P3,980 nett per person. Get a chance to win a two-night stay for two in Baguio with each ticket purchased. Those who prefer a more serene take on welcoming the New Year, Yurakuen’s Lunch and Dinner group set menus include a glass of red or white wine and entertainment by an acoustic duo during dinner. These sets are priced at P2,200 nett per person, with a special group set good for up to four persons at P8,380 nett and a special group set to accommodate up to six persons at P11,280 nett. The Lobby Lounge will open a Midnight Pica Pica Buffet from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., with seats available at the Second Floor Mezzanine for those who want to be closer to the Countdown Party at the Upper Lobby. The Midnight Pica Pica Buffet is priced at P1,280 nett per person. New Year’s Eve Lunch and Dinner Set Menus are offered at the Lobby Lounge as well at P1,880 nett per person with a glass of cava. One can cap the year with Bar27’s New Year’s Eve Bash — with a sky-high view, upbeat live music by the XZEL Band, and a range of tapas and cocktails, the party costs P1,380 nett per person (consumable). Book in advance or buy vouchers at onlineshopping.diamondhotel.com. For reservations, call 8528-3000 ext. 1121 or e-mail restaurant_rsvn@diamondhotel.com.
• New World Manila Bay — Dance the night away with a Sparkling New Year Countdown Party at The Lounge which includes entertainment via DJ Mia Fernandez. Tickets are priced at P600 per person inclusive of three rounds of drinks. For inquiries, call 8252-6888 or e-mail dining.manilabay@newworldhotels.com.
AT HOME
• Chef Laudico Guevarra’s Handaan Kahit Saan — Someone once said one should always welcome the New Year at home. Now it is possible thanks to Guevarra’s Handaan Kahit Saan party trays. Most of the dishes are available in two sizes, with servings good for 12-15 and six-eight persons. One on the menu is charcoal spit-roasted lechon (roast whole pig), pugon-roasted (wood fire stove-roasted) pork Bellychon, and pugon-roasted US Angus beef shortplate. Also available are kare-kare, kaldereta, and grilled beef tapa — all made with US Angus beef. Chicken options are tamarind and lemongrass-spiced roast chicken sinampalukan which is best served with kamote salad, and fried chicken adobo. For the noodles and pasta, choices are pansit bihon guisado, pansit canton guisado, palabok, and party spaghetti. For dessert, they have strawberry shortcake, Brazo de Calamansi, mocha cake, and Brigaderos. Guevarra’s Handaan Kahit Saan items can be picked up from Chef Laudico Guevarra’s at 387 P. Guevarra corner Argonne Streets, Addition Hills, San Juan or sent through the various delivery services available such as Grab and Lalamove. For orders and inquiries,call 8705-1811, 8705-1874, or 0917-311-2222.
