O Bar

“Being one of the pioneers of Malate, O Bar is still frequented by the supporters of its original location. It offers the best drag entertainment and affordable door charge and drinks! Crowds are mostly groups and clannish, but when the alcohol sinks in, everybody’s welcoming!“

“I really enjoyed the shows at this club!“

“Truly reminds me of RuPaul's drag race lip sync for your life segment in a most entertaining, fabulous and exciting display. I really love the spirit and energy amongst the crowd and the performers as well. The highlight was definitely the boys of O Bar. One in particular, AKI. guess i got the name correctly. they were all absolute stunning and inviting. I would definitely go back when I visit Manila again.“

“I've been to many gay bars in my lifetime and this one is not a gay bar. It's a bar that caters to the wanna b's and the call centre workers spending their cash to try to fit into the in-crowd. I simply will not patronize a bar that looks at the cash flowing out of your wallet and changes their price on their drinks according to how drunk they think you are. Sorry to say but this guy can notice the scum bag tactics bartenders use to make money. Oh, and the signalling to the other bartender to figure out what to charge next - oh that was so obvious.

So I take it that it's ok for people to walk by you and knock your drinks off your hand and then you should just say, ok thank you. Maybe you're one of those that like to smoke up before you go out because it seems that everyone in there is either high as a kite or as ignorant as you are. “

“Awesome and fun place! I had so much fun here! For those complaining go here past 12 midnight and on Friday and Saturdays as the crowds are best during these day and time.“

“Overhyped online reviews and feedback from other people. Personally, this is a bar you can forget. Gay oldies pretending to be owners turned out to be frontliners of a military officials. So much drama once they're drunk and tend to harras other club goers. People just go here to flaunt or look for other guys to hook up with, nothing more.“

“Not really a gay place rathen than a place with some gay performances. I havent seen so many girls in a gay bar before or so many chinese guys with their wifes. It seems its a very popular scene amongst the straight people of Manila. The show was ok but not thrilled. If you have less expectations you might like it.“

“Will cost you 500 pesos for cheap thrills and cheap music. Good thing the drag queens and gogo boys are great. But the rest needs a lot of improvement.“

“Just chill and life will be better, if meditation won't work, please jerk off before going out - might help...“

“I've been here on a Thursday night and all I can say is that I had a really great time. I've seen some reviews about the over crowded area but that's probably during a Saturday night? what would you expect? I really enjoyed the drag show that was really well rehearsed and was really entertaining. The male dancers were friendly and will have some conversation with you when they approached your table. The service was excellent since there were always some crew around when you need them and most importantly prompt and will give you your change back down to the last penny. The facilities were clean especially the toilet and floor but then again that's a Thursday night. I would like to go back here on a Friday and Saturday night just to compare the situation. who wants to come with me. :)“

“Wow, there seem to be a lot of people complaining about not having a "VIP" experience, I'm a westerner and have been all over Asia and all I can say is chill out and reset your expectations because you aren't going to get the red carpet and people kissing your a** just because you throw around a few $$!! This place is what it is. Go there and don't spend the evening with your calculator counting 10 or 100 pesos here and there.

My experience was I got served drinks at my table whenever I needed them, very attentive and helpful, unless you are being obviously ripped off then rounding up the bill and giving the staff something extra is pretty normal. You have a good night and so do they.

Anyway the dancing show here was simply amazing - far better than Bangkok or similar when I was there - the guys danced very well rehearsed routines for over 4 hours and they did it extremely well. Drag shows normally I hate - these were different and very professional. The guys were hot. The guys in the crowd were very friendly.

Come and drink and be friendly to everyone and you'll probably have a great night.

Just a note about the area - this place wasn't easy to find, it's in what is an industrial park and also feels somewhat "edgy" (not so safe), just my impression - just be aware of your surroundings.

To find it walk down Doña Julia Vargas Avenue from the intersection with Meralco Avenue - there's a burger place on this junction, keep it to your left (not up the hill where the KTV and other bars are). The road is empty and dark, industrial buildings and what looks like a water tower on your left - wasteland on your right, slightly downhill.

After about 100m turn left into the industrial park and walk between the buildings, the bar is at the end about 50m on your right. It's not where google maps or other websites show it I think it moved a row or two further down away from "home depot".“

“I went to visit Obar for the first time and coming from Canada I decided to email a request if they had vip lounges and asked what the rate was. I was never answered. You would think that management would be attentive to such queries as to some this means that who ever will take advantage of this will spend the money at the bar. The problem is that the bar has a poor business model, upon arriving I had asked if there was vip lounges and was told there are no more vip lounges yet I see a whole ton of room above the bar. What the staff didn't notice is that for some patrons requesting such a lounge means they don't want to deal with lines and they will spend the money. The staff was rude to me in fact many has pushed me aside, having spent approximately 800 pesos for drinks and most were premium drinks I was still made to feel inferior to many of the patrons. Being pushed and bumped aside yet you chose to spend money should indicate to the staff if they were attentive enough to notice this. Not only did this bother me but the changes in pricing of the drinks I have ordered. I ordered grey goose and tonic and 5 drinks at a time for 5 people, and a few rounds. The bar tender was attentive but quickly learned that I would be spending money and then they altered the price slightly so I wouldn't notice, but I have and I have noticed one bar tender who I gave more than enough for a drink yet comes back to me saying that I was short, I had asked him after am I still short I'd throw in an extra 500 pesos if I was. As far as the bar catering to their friends they forget to notice that most patrons will opt for a lower level and not try to feel important to others because they have paid a huge price difference to be in the VIp lounge which upon entering I was told to be 13,000 pesos because they were full, which in fact was BS. I sure hope the other bars look at this twisted business model, as if this keeps up us foreigners will not even bother to spend our hard earned money at this bar. “

“Wonderful shows. The staff is professional and caring. The crowd damnd cute Philippinos, very nice and easy going Philippino's. It is like heaven to be there, thank you OBar for not being a Americans/Europeean gay hore house, thank you for being on the Philippino natural basis. A special thank to your head waiter or facility on site manager or whatever title he might have. A very cute guy that has followed OBar all the way from Malate.“

“Not friendly crowd. Take me one hour by taxi from Malati to O bar in Ortigas it cost me 360 Philippine pesos, that performance they call girls to dance with them doesn't seem a gay bar“

“OBar's current new cover charge rate is 400 (for Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays). It is inclusive of 3 stubs for local beers/sodas/juices or a cocktail drink (which would already cost you all 3stubs)“

“I'm a local (Filipino) and a frequent going to this bar. First and foremost, it has recently transferred to a bigger venue to accommodate the number of patrons/customers going there every weekend. They've transferred to a bigger location but it is still at Ortigas Home Depot (along Doña Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas, Pasig City). The new place is not only bigger but it is also cleaner, with more staff to accomodate their customers.

Obar features 3 alternating show entertainments, Poi Dancers using various new techniques such as LED flagellates; Go-go's; and (my favorite) Drag Queen impersonators who lip syncs to both old and current songs/performances, and dresses very similarly to the performers they are impersonating.

The place is usually most-packed during Saturdays followed by Fridays, then Sundays (Yes, even on Sundays). People usually start coming in at 11/11:30pm, while it usually starts getting packed at around 12:30am. Obar I think has around 6 VIP lounges located at the sides of the bar, and (reserved) cocktail tables at the center area. If you intend to book a table/an area, I suggest you come earlier or at least call them beforehand.

Lastly, I've read some really negative comments here regarding Obar and all I could say is some are really inaccurate. I'd suggest that you go & try to check Obar at FB and googling more about it to get a better grasp of the place and be more familiar to it prior to your visit. :)

***Btw, Yes, their service can sometimes be slow, but I guess this is mainly because of the influx of people especially when it is really packed-- which for me is quite understandable to an extent.“

“Avoid at all times. The place is a rip off they want 650 peso before you get in the door and have to buy a minimum of outrageously priced drinks. The staff are rude! Don't go there!!!“

“Yuck! What's with the sound system? God awful music too. This must be Manila's obligatory tacky drag queen show bar. But it's not even campy or kitschy. Everything is just executed horribly. Do not go here.“

“Non traditional bar that entertains customers not by encouraging them to dance but to have fun with the crowd and specially the performers. O bar goes to life at midnight and people who go to this place are hard to ignore due to their appealing looks.“

“I am the Operations Manager of O bar and would like to apologize to Ken if he got a rude reception. However, I must point out that we have never had women at our reception counters. For the past 9 years our receptionists have always been male.“