Christmas Party Venue in Manila for a Barkada of Ten

For a Christmas party venue in Manila that fits a barkada of ten, the firmest bookings are in Cubao: Vikings Luxury Buffet takes reservations for dinner, and Paeng's Gateway Bowl accepts group reservations for lanes afterwards. BGC, Makati and the Pasay Bay Area each have tables that take big groups, but holding one for ten needs a phone call.

Book now

Tables for ten are easiest to get when you ask early, so October is the month to settle the date and call. Every venue below suits a group. Only three take reservations by name, and all three are in Cubao. For the rest, a table that suits a group is not a table held for ten. Call.

Cubao: dinner and games in one walk

Cubao is the area live today, and the walk from Ali Mall to the Gateway malls is about 8 minutes.

Dinner, ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head.

• Vikings Luxury Buffet: an international buffet with a carving station. It takes reservations. Dinner runs 5:30 PM to 10 PM, and lunch 11 AM to 2:30 PM for a daytime party.
• Romantic Baboy: unlimited Korean barbecue in Ali Mall.
• Dookki: unlimited cook-it-yourself tteokbokki and Korean hotpot.
• World Kitchens: a food hall of 15 show kitchens, so nobody has to agree on a cuisine. From Monday to Thursday it closes between 3 PM and 5:30 PM.

Dinner, under ₱500 a head. Food Express is a food court where a group can walk in.

Dinner, ₱1,500 and up. Food Exchange Manila is Novotel's international buffet, and diners get three hours of free parking. Its dinner is listed Monday to Thursday only, so check a weekend date.

Games after. Paeng's Gateway Bowl has 24 lanes and six billiard tables, stays open until midnight and costs under ₱500 a head. Timezone Gateway 2 has arcade games, short-lane bowling and private karaoke rooms, and takes party bookings; it keeps mall hours, to 9 PM and to 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. It is the pick when the group wants a private karaoke room.

BGC and Makati: sharing plates and paella

In BGC, three tables that take big groups cost ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head.

• Bolero: Spanish food in large sharing portions, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
• COCHI: modern Filipino cooking, also with a Bib Gourmand.
• Locavore: a Filipino restaurant with indoor and alfresco tables at Forbes Town, Michelin Selected.

A typical BGC night runs about ₱1,200 to ₱3,000 a head, so set the group's expectations there.

Makati has three more.

• Manam at the Triangle: Filipino comfort food with twists, with a Bib Gourmand, at ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head. It is at Ayala Triangle, where the gardens hold a lights show every December. The park is free.
• Pablo Bistro: tapas, paella and sangria until midnight, in Salcedo, at ₱1,500 and up a head. The late close suits a party that starts after work.
• People's Palace: a Thai restaurant with a vegetarian menu, near Greenbelt Park, at ₱1,500 and up a head. Choose it when the barkada includes people who do not eat meat.

Pasay Bay Area: a buffet or a private room

• Cabalen: a Filipino buffet with kare-kare in SM MOA, at ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head.
• China Blue by Jereme Leung: Chinese fine dining with bay views and private rooms at the Conrad, at ₱1,500 and up a head. A private room is the answer when the party includes an exchange gift and a speech.
• Crystal Dragon: Cantonese family set menus at City of Dreams, in Entertainment City, Parañaque. A festive set for four to six has been priced at ₱36,000++, so ten people means two sets.

Budget per head, and what to ask

• Under ₱500: the Cubao food court, then bowling.
• ₱500 to ₱1,500: the buffets and food hall in Cubao; the three BGC tables; the Ayala Triangle table; the MOA buffet.
• ₱1,500 and up: the Novotel buffet; paella or Thai in Makati; the private room or the set menus by the bay.

These are rough tiers per person, not quotes. Ask for the December rate when you call.

Five questions for the call:

1. Can a table for ten be held on the date, and for how long?
2. Is there a deposit, and by when?
3. Is December a set menu or the regular one?
4. Can the group bring a cake, and is there a fee?
5. Can the bill be split?

Let the planner settle it

For Cubao, the planner takes the headcount, up to 15, and builds the night around it; the barkada night out guide explains how. The organiser's playbook is in the Barkada Captain, and more large tables are in Gateway Mall 2 restaurants that seat a big group. See the areas page for what is live.