Located at the heart of Metro Manila’s premier business district, Makati, is Ayala Center, a mecca of pure shopping, dining and entertainment experience. Ayala Center is a sprawling shopping area consisting of two major developments - Glorietta and Greenbelt. Glorietta itself has four wings - G1, G2, G3, and G4 (G is for Glorietta) and is appropriately shaped like an octopus (well, quadropus in this case). This is where the not-so-expensive shops are located. On the other hand, Greenbelt is a more recent development (except for GB1), where the high-end stores (particulary in GB4) and the exciting restarants are.
My top 5 favorite stores in Ayala Center: 1) Hobbes in GB3 - for the youngsters and “young once,” a treasure trove of toys and knick knacks. 2) Powerbooks in GB4 - simply love their selection 3) Tower Records in G3 - for music lovers 4) Mercury Drug in G3 - conveniently located for those last minute purchases of medicines, tolietries and even groceries 5) Rustans Dept Store - for “pricey” shopping experience My top 5 favorite restaurants: 1) Max Brenner - move over, Bizu; the bald man’s chocolate creations are exquisite and divine. 2) Sugi - for Japanese 3) Sentro - Filipino favorites with a twist 4) Good Earth - Chinese staples with a twist 5) Luk Yuen - affordable, quality Chinese food
In this shoppers’ mecca, almost anything and everything! Top 5 things to do besides shopping and dining: 1) Catch the latest art flicks (vs commercial films) in Ayala Center’s comfortably furnished cinemas. 2) Get a special spa treatment. 3) Learn more about Philippines history and culture in the adjacent Ayala Museum. 4) Get a strategic seat in the many cafés and people watch. 5) Recharge those batteries amidst Greenbelt’s wonderful gardens - for free!