White Moon Bar at H2O Hotel along Manila Bay

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the relaunching of White Moon Bar by Hotel H2O.

To be honest, although I had never been to White Moon Bar before, I did not have high expectations because of the location of the hotel. Hotel H2O is located somewhere behind the Quirino Grandstand, a little past the Manila Hotel.

WHITE MOON BAR SURPRISE

However, when I arrived at White Moon Bar, I was amazed at how nice it looked! It looked like it came straight off the pages of a travel magazine.

White Moon Bar is located on the second floor balcony of Hotel H2O, facing Manila Bay.

The decor was very Mediterranean, with cabanas, cozy daybeds and warm lights that just transport you to some faraway sea side. I didn’t expect to find such a nice place in Metro Manila, and near Luneta, no less!

It was breezy and we had the whole Manila Bay in front of us, and a view of the Star City / SM MoA area to the left of the horizon. I arrived in the evening, but was told that the sunset view was very beautiful.

Also, and this surprised me – there was no smell from Manila Bay. I enjoyed the night. It is a good place to de-stress or “hide away”, and yet it is not too far, especially for those working or living nearby. I consider it now as one of those “secret places” in Manila where you can take visitors to enjoy the view or use as a sanctuary for yourself.

The food during the event was provided by Makan-Makan Asian Food Village just behind the bar. Music is Cafe del Mar, Ibiza and Buddha Bar chill-out music mixed by their in-house DJ.

There are, however, a few things to take note of. First, you have to go through the Manila Ocean Park to get to White Moon Bar. There are parking slots available inside Manila Ocean Park, but since I took an Uber, I don’t know the details of the parking rates. My Uber just dropped me off at the outside gate where the guard house was, so I had to walk inside. Since Manila Ocean Park is open to the public, expect a lot of people there milling around outside the hotel. But, hey, that could just add to the “secretness” of the place since the outside seems so plebeian.

Also, the bar is open air. While the sea breeze provides some cooling, people who prefer air-conditioned venues might find it a bit humid.

Reasons to visit White Moon Bar:

• beautiful decor
• nice view of Manila Bay sunset
• “secret” sanctuary where you want to de-stress

White Moon Bar by Hotel H2O
2nd floor, Hotel H2O
Manila Ocean Park Complex, behind Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, Manila
Open daily from 4 PM to 2 AM, Friday to Saturday; 4 PM to 12 MN, Sunday to Thursday
For reservations or inquiries: 0917 – 585-4835 ; 238-6100 or email [email protected].