Brian Kennett
Amateur Chef and Boozy Traveling Foodie Extraordinaire
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Review: incredible food and atmosphere in Taguig, BGC - Manila
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Review: If you thought Manila nights were all about coffee house crooners or being packed like sardines into rooftop bars with one limp mojito, guess again. Tipsy Pig Gastrobar in Manila is the city’s reigning king of the hip, the bacon-obsessed, and those who think last call should come with a DJ spinning ‘til sunrise. Wedged into the rather gorgeous Taguig with well-maintained parks, green spaces, and pedestrian-friendly streets, it’s uber-cool and so inviting.
Tipsy Pig is the place to be when the Metro’s heat calls for something cold, the kitchen cranks out pork with zero apology, and the crowd is a heady shuffle of local style, ex-pat cool, and the occasional fat white beardy bloke on the prowl for extra crispy pork. Tonight I was blessed to be accompanied by the ever so wonderful Yza and hubby Francis, Jam and my colleague Matt. What a totally fun evening we had over seriously delicious no-frills gastropub fair. Memories were made. Thank you sincerely to my awesome hosts.
Step inside and the vibe hits like a highball to the forehead: dark woods, Edison bulbs, tabletops in perpetual “almost sticky” flux, and enough booze options to make you rethink tomorrow’s plans. It’s loud in the best possible way: even at the outdoor seating where we were. As the night goes on, up goes the volume and the intesity of the DJ (who change frequently as the day reaches an end, and the moring starts to creep in).
DJs ride the decks until 3am, crowding the air with thumping basslines and enough energy to turn a table for two into a private nightclub. And it’s not just noise for noise’s sake—each night draws in Manila’s night owls: couples stoking the fire, gangs of Kaibigans living out the mantra of “just one more San Miguel” for three more rounds, and the girls in spandex, don’t forget the girls in spandex: it was like being on the set of Olivia Newton-John’s video shoot for “Let’s Get Physical”. Yes, it is addictive here
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Review: Table of Contents
Cool and Hip: Tipsy Pig Taguig’s Crowd, Beats, and Bar Chow
There’s real joy in the mayhem here. Indoors is intimate yet lively; outside, the seats fill early if there’s even a hint of breeze and live music. On weekdays, the pace is chill—on weekends, something resembling a Mexican border crossing sets in by 9pm.
The menu? Bar food on a mission. Pork powers most of the hits—their pork gets the kind of slow treatment that turns skin into glass and meat into butter. Chicken skin tacos exist (yes, we went there), and it’s the sort of snack that makes you grateful for San Miguel. The star of the show for me was Pritsy Pig, which is their take on crispy duck pancakes, kill the duck, add in crispy pork belly: HEAVENLY!!! Gluten-free warriors beware: this is Manila pub grub on steroids, and yes I will be stealing a few ideas for The Kapre Restaurant and Bar on Bohol...
Why Tipsy Pig Gastrobar Taguig Nails the Hipster Gastropub Formula
Well #1 they do let fat, white, beardy, tattoo’d blokes in wearing a jacket with button hole. Isn’t that a definition of hipster? Hipster means someone who dresses and acts differently, in a “cool” way – OK minus the “cool” in my case…
But, it’s easy to see why Tipsy Pig has become a favourite for Manila’s party set—not just because of DJs spinning until the dawn, but because it hits the right notes with quality food, cold drinks, fair prices, and a “come as you are” attitude that sidesteps the fuss of Manila’s more uptight venues. You’re as likely to see a date night in progress as a team plotting a GenAI strategy.
The menu seasons Filipino classics with a tipsy twist, and there’s something about the happy collision of old-school Pinoy comfort with bar food bravado here. Did I mention they know their cocktails: Jam went for a Lavendar which I am certain was made from our BFFs Ube Cream. Order something from the bar team and prepare to come back again for round two (or four). Dessert? If you can manage it after all that, apparently the lava cake is rumoured to fix even Manila traffic gripes.
A quick apology for the photos. Not so good tonight as I only had iPhone and nothing else and it was quite dimly lit. But they are my photos. Yes I ate here and the blog is an honest review of an excellent gastrobar. Just sayin’.
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Review: what did we eat today...?
CHICKEN SKIN NACHOS @ PHP330
Crispy fried chicken skins served with different dipping sauces like sinamak, ranch dressing, salsa fresca and chipotle aioli. Ding dong. Who doesn’t like chicken skin deep-fried? If you don’t I suggest there is seriously wrong and you should visit a Dr. This was stellar. A crunch you could hear in Cebu, with delicious little dippy sauces. What a start.
CHICKEN SKEWERS @ PHP439
Spice marinated chicken skewers, garlic sauce and cucumber salad. Really nice. I loved the char, and the so juicy in middle. Matt ate these so fast I thought he was practicing his sword swallowing act to start with, but no… One bite, and all gone…
TIPSY SISIG @ PHP470
Bagnet, calamansi aioli, poached egg and chicharon. The Filipino Food Icon. The dish I always judge a Filipino restaurant on. OK for a start it did not arrive sizzling, oh dear, not so good. Plus it’s a mayo version, which is not my favourite thing on the planet. Plus, totally uniquely, it has a poached egg not raw egg – perhaps why the sizzling ain’t needed: no egg to cook…?
But, put all that aside. This was an absolute cracker. DING DONG Tipsy Pig, great job. One of the best Sisig I have had, and I have had a lot. Totally umami, flavour bombs everywhere, textures smashing you in the face with every bite. Calamansi aioli = pure genius. For this sisig alone it’s a 9.5/10. Loved it.
STEAK FRIES @ PHP 629
Crispy potato fries, usda roast beef, house blend steak gravy, and green onions. If you like savoury, with a hint of the Philippine’s iconic Magi Sauce (AKA MSG), get this dish in your life. Seriously good beer food. Salty and savoury and begging for one more San Miguel with every bite.
OVEN BAKED MUSSELS @ PHP 460
Mussels in mornay, mozzarella, garlic and fresh parsley. Look at those beautiful little things. Well that was all I could do for about 10 seconds cos then Yza and Jam set to the task and devoured this plate – it was like watching a single dish two-person Boodle Fight… Please keep hands well back and stay seated, would have been a warning to you if you were there.
TIPSY GAMBAS @ PHP590
Shrimp sauteed in olive oil, fresh garlic slivers and egg. Again clearly a favourite for our Pinoy guests who despatched this dish with clinical precision. Like the best plastic surgeons, they removed those prawn skins in the blink of an eye and gorged on these sweet and savoury little beauties like it was the last remaining dish of it on planet earth. Clearly this Gambas gets the vote of Yza and Jam, and I have to say it was a stunner.
PRITSY PIG @ PHP 869
6 hour braised pork belly and fried till crispy, pita wrap, cucumber sticks, onion leeks, cilantro, garlic confit and served with 5 different sauces (hoisin, honey mustard, garlic aioli, chili garlic and lechon sauce).
Stop the piggy jeepney folks. This dish is seriously something unique. It is genius in design and I am so jealous I didn’t come up with the idea. This is the Pinoy version of Crispy Peking Duck Pancakes. Pig angels came floating down from the pork heavens to strum their harps as I took a first bite and floated off into a porky hoi sin bliss… This is the stuff of legends. This will be on the menu at The Kapre Restaurant and Bar in Bohol – haha…
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Menu
Voice of the Restaurant: Tipsy Pig Gastropub PH
“Where people love to eat, drink, get Tipsy, and repeat.🐷🍽️🍻🎶.”
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Review Final Thoughts: Why You Don’t Want to Miss Tipsy Pig Taguig
Manila’s gastrobar scene has its big names, but Tipsy Pig is a breed apart—the sort of cool hangout where the lines between dinner, party, and afterparty get gloriously blurred by 2am. DJs keep the music bouncing until the city’s other lights go out, and the staff seem to thrive on mayhem, pulling off table service with the kind of humour and pep that keeps spirits (and glasses) high. The pork is legendary, the beer is frosty, and nowhere else in the city quite matches that early-2000s music-video-meets-pork-on-a-Friday-vibe.
You just want a place to drink and eat with friends and a gaggle of strangers, well, Tipsy Pig delivers that in spades. It’s cool but not cold, vibey but not “too cool,” and whether you come for bar chow, those DJ sets, or endless San Miguels, you’ll almost certainly end up staying past your bedtime. Pro tip: make a booking at weekends (you might need to ask Yza and Jam to help) if you want prime position for the party. Eat, drink, dance, and repeat—a mantra that never looked or tasted this good anywhere else in Manila. I love the Philippines: ENJOY!!! Salamat!!!
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Opening Hours
- Mon – Sun: 07:00am to 03:00am
- Yes, you read that right, it it not a typo…
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Address
Is Tipsy Pig Gastropub Halal?
It is categorically not halal. Have you checked the booze and pork on the menu… Not even a whiff of Halal. It’s pork heaven, dripping with San Miguel and Cocktails.
What is the Tipsy Pig Gastropub Dress Code?
Casual all the way, hey it’s a Filipino family restaurant no airs nor graces here, folks. Everyone in shorts and sandals, and sh!t tonnes of spandex as there’s a gym above. That was definitely not me, as last time I wore black spandex I looked like a blown up inner tube.
I have to say as the night wore on, the kids departed and the DJ upped a notch, dresses got shorter, lower cut, with higher heels, and very poky out bits and bobs. You know what I mean, right… Hey, it is still Manila.
Tipsy Pig Gastropub Reservation (do not rely on this)
Tipsy Pig Gastrobar Contact Details
Let’s just say I think the Tipsy Pig Gastrobar is shy, or just totally happy with walk-ins, hey they’re nearly open 24×7. Perhaps that’s it? I had to give up in the end trying via Instagram, but Jam and Yza came to the rescue. If you ping a message in Instagram they send you a “booking form” (but they totally ignored me after I completed it).
- Tipsy Pig Gastrobar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tipsypigph
- Tipsy Pig Gastropub Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipsypig_ph/
- Tipsy Pig Gastropub eMail: tipsypig.salesmarketing@gmail.com