Locavore BGC: A Filipino Group Dinner at Forbes Town

Locavore is a Filipino restaurant at Forbes Town in BGC with indoor and alfresco tables. It is Michelin Selected, it takes big groups, and it runs ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head. That makes it a sound first call for a barkada dinner, and for visitors who have asked for Filipino food on their one free night in Manila.

The restaurant at a glance

• What: a Filipino restaurant, Michelin Selected.
• Where: Forbes Town, BGC.
• Tables: indoor and alfresco.
• Groups: it takes big groups.
• Cost: ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head.

Why it suits a group with visitors

Three things matter when the table includes people from out of town.

It is Filipino food with outside recognition. Michelin Selected is a line a host can repeat to a guest who has never eaten Filipino food and wants some assurance.

It has a place name everyone can use. "Forbes Town" is something eight people can each type into a ride app and all arrive at.

It has two kinds of table. Alfresco suits a dry evening and a talkative group. Indoor is the answer to rain, heat and a tita who would rather sit inside.

Booking for a group

Ask these in one message when you book:

1. Can the full head count sit at one table, or at two side by side?
2. Indoor or alfresco, and can it be switched on the day if it rains?
3. Is a deposit or a set menu required for a group of this size?
4. How long is the table held if people run late?
5. Can dietary needs be handled? List them: allergies, no pork, vegetarian.
6. Can the bill be split, or is it one bill per table?

Send the head count as it really is, then confirm it the day before.

On ordering: ask how the portions work for a group, and for visitors, have one person who knows the cuisine order for everyone. It is quicker, and it saves a guest from choosing blind.

The budget

At ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head:

• Six people: ₱3,000 to ₱9,000.
• Eight people: ₱4,000 to ₱12,000.
• Ten people: ₱5,000 to ₱15,000.

These are ranges, not quotes. Agree before the night whether the bill is split evenly or the hosts are treating the visitors, and say so in the group chat.

If it is full: the other two group tables

Two more BGC restaurants take big groups, at the same price and with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

• COCHI does modern Filipino cooking. It is the nearest substitute for a group that asked for Filipino food.
• Bolero serves Spanish food in large sharing portions. It changes the cuisine but keeps the format of plates in the middle.

Use the map link on each name to see where it sits before sending the group there. All the BGC restaurants are sorted in BGC restaurants by occasion.

Before and after dinner

Before, for visitors: a free walk. The ArtBGC murals run on two mapped routes of 10 and 12 works between Burgos Circle and Serendra, outdoors and free. Some pieces have been decommissioned. It is an easy hour for guests who want to see something of the area.

After: a show. Brick Wall Comedy Club at Uptown Parade is the home base of Comedy Manila, with stand-up, open mics and trivia nights, ₱500 to ₱1,500 a head. Ask about seats together, and ask which language a given show is in before bringing visitors. More in comedy night in BGC.

After: a late one. BGC bars close at 1am or 2am, and the clubs at The Palace in Uptown run to 4am. A hidden-door bar may not seat a full group, so call ahead or split into smaller tables. The levels are in bars in BGC by budget.

After, for two who peel off: The Peak, the rooftop bar on floors 60 to 62 of the Grand Hyatt, billed as the country's highest. It is ₱1,500 and up a head, and it is the stop a visitor is likely to ask about.

If it rains. Rain is the weak point of BGC because the High Street spine is open-air. For this dinner the fix is simple: book indoor tables, or ask whether an alfresco booking can move inside. Drop the mural walk if it is wet.

For the general method of getting a group fed and moved, see the barkada night out guide. For a celebration, there is a birthday in BGC for ten.

The planner covers Cubao now and BGC is next. See which areas are live.

The planner covers Cubao now. BGC is next, and this post is written from the same kind of checked list.