Review: Sidebar Ortigas

A homey interior greeted us when we walked in. Sidebar is strategically designed with a huge glass at the left side which makes this quaint place look spacious. A lot of books and shelves can be seen in the whole store which kind of reminds me of a coffee shop/cafe setting rather than a bar/lounge. They have an area for a DJ which I can imagine people flocking in having a good time.

We were introduced, their line of cocktail drinks, carefully created by John Ray, the bartender who willingly posed and explained to us each drink. 

As for me, I prefer drinking cocktails or mixed drinks rater than beer or wine. Somehow the infusion of flavors tickle my taste buds which makes the alcohol bearable. Here are some of the things we tried:

The martini was okay and very affordable for a cocktail drink. A martini is composed of gin and vermouth with a garnish of olives. John Ray used a local gin for this martini, but you can request for labeled ones or even top shelf liqueurs.

Manhattan came out a bit strong. This was my least favorite drink that night. The flavor came out a bit weird for me.

This is a good drink for people who don’t drink but are in a situation that needed a drink. The liquor flavor is mild because of the sour mix added. This came out like a juice for me.

This drink has a martini base with an additional flavor of lychee. I prefer the lychee martini over the traditional martini because of it.

Mojito is my favorite drink. I like my mojito either with a strong mint flavor or downed with soda. But either way, this mojito was a let down. It’s neither of both and tasted a bit weird for my liking. I could have requested for more mint leaves, I guess.

This drink is a mix of bourbon and honey. I prefer clear or light colored drinks than dark ones like this. The pronounce flavor of dark drinks are too overwhelming for my taste. This drink is somewhat overwhelming, and the honey did not mask the robust flavor of bourbon.

This drink is not for the faint of heart nor stomach. The drink is quite strong because of the tequila base. extra careful is needed if you order this one. Downing a glass or two might have some after effects.

This drink is interesting because of the colors the drink exudes. The blue and red colors makes the drink more fun. Sadly, the taste would have been more fun if they added a bit of citrus or zesty flavor to the drink.

To go along with the drinks, we were served some of their best seller dishes. Here are a few things we tried that night:

Salbacho Pizza was savoryingly good, prefect match for beer and cocktail drinks. It has a pronounced pepperoni taste which will surely fill you up, prepping you for a night o drinks and fun.

This was my favorite. It was yummy and delicious. The flavor of adobo seeped down the chicken meat which will make you use your fingers and eat it eagerly with  your hands.

The Nachos were hefty and tasted like a normal Nachos. This is good for sharing and a pica-pica while having a round of drinks.

The chicken skewers were delicious but the serving was a bit small for its prize. I liked the diced mangoes in wine vinegar which somehow tasted like buro or nilasing na mangga.

If you are around Ortigas area and looking for a relaxing place to unwind and drink, Sidebar would be a best pick. The quiet and homey interior will surely make you forget all the stress and burden one might have.

Thank you Aldous for inviting me at Sidebar. It was a fun  night of eating and drinking with fellow food bloggers.

Sidebar
El Pueblo Ortigas Pasig City
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