Let’s be honest. Manila doesn’t have the best Happy Hour game – especially after the world paralyzing pandemic. But even before 2020, Happy Hours just weren’t very enticing here in Manila (and if I am wrong, sound off in the FB comments). This all changed for me recently, when one of my favorite restaurants (and clients) in town, told me that they’d be running a very competitive Happy Hour weekdays from 3:00 – 5:00PM through the duration of 2020 with wines by the glass at Php 200. ‘WHAT?!’ I thought to myself, I had never seen such a deal bargain in this town for wine! This of course, would require further investigation.
Green Bar is the leading Vegan restaurant in town due to its success in elevating Vegan cuisine from its long imagined “uninteresting health food” reputation to truly enjoyable restaurant quality dining. This, along with the restaurant’s beautiful interior designs and tastefully curated music playlist (The Killer’s anyone?), build the pillars that lift up Green Bar as one of my favorite restaurants in Manila. The Green Bar Happy Hour consists of 4 drink options (3 different wines) and 5 different food options all Php 200 or less. The wines available by the glass are the District 7 Sauvignon Blanc, the District 7 Rose, and the Ryder Estate Merlot – all quality Vegan wines from The Wine Club.
At those prices, I was tempted to order one of everything, but was warned that would be an obscene amount of food and alcohol, so I decided to try the Nachos w/ Salsa, the Cheesy Potato Flatbread, and the Tempeh BLT Wrap paired with a glass of the District 7 Rose and Sauvignon Blanc. It sounds like a lot for just my wife and I, but I honestly thought (at these prices) the food portions would be scaled down to a “bar bites” size. Oh how wrong I was.
The Nachos arrived first and to my surprise they were GIANT! How is this possibly 100 pesos per order? And of course, it is delicious as Green Bar has an unparalleled ability to mimic “cheesiness” without the cheese which pairs incredibly well with the off-dry passion fruit and acidity of the District 7 Rose. 300 pesos in and I was already sufficiently stuffed – but there was more on the way!
The Tempeh BLT Wrap and Cheesy Potato Flatbread followed soon after with the District 7 Sauvignon Blanc. It can’t be overstated how well the fresh acidity of both the District 7 Rose and Sauvignon Blanc work with Green Bar’s proprietary vegan cheese – which is liberally applied on both the Nachos and Cheesy Flatbread. Not only does the vegan cheese replicate the taste of real cheese, it also contains the features that make wine and cheese pairings work. This is a huge accomplishment and a testament to Vegan Cuisine’s recent and significant evolution in the culinary world.
Two glasses of wine and three food orders (which we could not finish) ended up costing us 800 pesos. I am a pretty big eater. It usually costs over 800 pesos in just food to satiate my seemingly endless hunger. Yet without compromising quality, Green Bar is able to fill me to the brim and enjoy 2 different wines for just 800 pesos. Best deal in town, bar none!
So next time you are in Legaspi Village on a weekday afternoon, make sure you pop by Green Bar. They have a beautiful space with lively and relevant music and a deal to absolutely die for. Kudos to the Green Bar team. I will certainly be back soon.
Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram (Green Bar & @greenbar_cafe) for more Happy Hour deals & dining goodness.
Michael W. Reyes,
General Manager, The Wine Club Ph
