Monopole, C. Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati
When first cheersing at Monopole, a luxury wine bar in Makati, you might hear a brassy, gong-like sound in place of a clink. Zalto, the Austrian company that hand-blows all their glasses, cools them over a period of 24 hours, making them sturdier than most. This quality reflects in the rest of the 47-square meter space, seemingly monolithic with its marble surfaces, copper light fixtures, and a floor-to-ceiling wine storage kept at a consistently cold temperature, as is the whole room. Bring a jacket.
A changing art exhibit from the partners' personal collections.
"Blue Eyes" by Patricia Eustaquio
Flow armchairs from MDF Italia
Granite and carrara, Monopole's version of black and white.
Seats 15.
The wine selection.
Everything from grower champagnes to vintage Bordeaux first growths...
... to Burgundy grand crus and classic Napa bottlings.
Spirits will not be served at Monopole.
Tom Dixon copper pendant lights cast a warm glow.
So far, the wine staff has counted 8 broken glasses, at least one of them from overenthusiastic clinking.
Zalto glasses have flatter bottoms and more flexible stems than most.
Vessels of clarity
Come at 5 p.m. when they open, for a spot at the carrara marble bar.
Bar stools by Fredericia (low stools by Mater)
Monopole roughly means "monopoly." In the region of Burgundy, the term denotes a single vineyard, from which comes a single label from a specific producer.
Photographs by Yayay de Castro
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
