Most budget-conscious Filipinos opt to satisfy their retail and culinary needs at bargain places, but there’s nothing wrong with the occasional splurge at a high-end mall. These days, various developers are bringing in more world-class shops, knowing that there is a market for such prestigious brands.
Not all who frequent malls are out to burn a hole in their pockets, though. There’s a reason why it’s called “retail therapy,” after all. People don’t go to malls just to shop and dine; sometimes it’s as simple as taking a stroll while enjoying the air-conditioned halls and pining for those shoes on display in your favorite store. And if your stroll happened to take place along the halls of one of these luxury malls and you end up buying a little something, would that be such a bad thing?
Here are our top picks in no particular order:
1. Estancia Mall, Pasig City
The 30,000-square-meter Estancia Mall is located in Pasig’s Capitol Commons, an area famous for the restaurant-laden Gastro Strip. Luxury lifestyle stores covering everything from apparel to home accents include Sinequanone, Eden Park, Isaac Mizrahi, Cortefiel, and Vince Camuto for fashion, and West End and PB Teen (the adolescent-inclined version of Pottery Barn) for home furnishing. If you’re looking beyond the usual burger or pizza for something a bit more refined for your next meal, you can whet your appetite at restaurants like The Wholesome Table, Highlands Prime Steakhouse, and Florabel.
2. Power Plant Mall, Makati City
On the site of a decommissioned thermal power plant, the Lopez Group of Companies built an establishment that’s just as powerful, but in an entirely different way. The 41,000-square-meter Power Plant Mall is called home by some of the most well-known and high-end names in retail and food. Boutiques that are sure to placate your yearning for all things first-rate include clothing and accessory brands Evita Peroni, Hackett London, DKNY, Michael Kors, and Dame & Dapper, as well as specialty stores Craftsmith and Gourdo’s. And restaurants like Mamou Too!, Cantinetta, Hatch 22, and Draft Gastropub will make sure you get the fuel you need to keep shopping.
3. The Podium, Mandaluyong City
Found along ADB Avenue in Ortigas Center, The Podium complex is a joint venture between SM Group’s BDO Unibank and Singapore’s Keppel Land Ltd. Currently, 36,000 square meters of leasable mall space belongs to The Podium Mall, which hosts a large collection of luxury brands from clothing (such as Penguin, Calvin Klein, and Dorothy Perkins) and accessories (Diamant) to gadgets (Power Mac Center and Digital Walker). To satisfy your taste for first-rate dining, you can stop by restaurants like House of Wagyu Stone Grill, The Blackboard by Chef Michel, Terry’s Bistro, and Borough by Il Ponticello. And with news that investors are planning to increase the mall’s leasable space to 50,000 sqm as part of a Php15 billion expansion plan for the entire complex, you can expect even more high-end stores to set up shop in the mall soon.
Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
4. Century City Mall, Makati City
A 17,000-square-meter boutique mall and lifestyle center, Century City Mall is the self-proclaimed “mall of modern Makati” with a contemporary retail design incorporated with sustainable features. International brands like Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Banana Republic are yours for the taking (or ogling) at 158 Designers’ Boulevard, while staving off your hunger is possible at restaurants like Lartizan, Early Bird Breakfast Club, YUMI, and Azzurro Restaurante Mediterraneo. But aside from high-class shopping havens and restaurants, Century City Mall also boasts the world-class Premier Cinema, three cinemas each built with leather seats, fully digitized projection, and Dolby Atmos 7.1 surround sound.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
5. Newport Mall, Pasay City
Newport Mall is the Mediterranean-themed shopping center located in Resorts World Manila. Aside from its indoor piazza and glass skylight, the mall is also known for housing high-end shops like bag and shoe brands Bulgari and Salvarotte Ferragamo, timepiece carriers Tudor and Rolex, and jewelry store Charriol. When the dinner bell chimes, mall-goers craving Asian cuisine can head to Johnny Chow or Ikkoryu f*ckuoka Ramen, while those with a hankering for Italian can sample the dishes of Parmigiano Ristorante Italiano.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
6. Greenbelt, Makati City
Spanning 250,000 square meters, the mall has enclosed and open-air sections featuring a menagerie of classy retail shops and restaurants. For health and beauty supplies, drop by stores like L’Occitane, Kiehl’s, and Lancôme. If you’re looking to replenish your wardrobe and just any brand won’t do, you can head to boutiques like Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Prada. Greenbelt also has a wide expanse of high-end gastronomic offerings, and with the price to boot. Depending on where your stomach wants to go, you can take a culinary trip around the world through restaurants like Bizu, Chateau 1771, Carmelo’s Wagyu Steaks, and Sala Bistro.
7. SM Aura Premier, Taguig City
SM Aura prides itself in offering only the best; in fact, its name is a combination of the elements of gold (Au) and radium (Ra) to mean “luxury and elegance that emanates from within.” And as if to drive the point home on how upscale the mall is, event organizers of SM Aura’s opening invited Hollywood actress Sarah Jessica Parker to the mall’s inauguration in 2013. Not that the mall needed help in that department; the brands populating SM Aura already speak of its swanky nature. Its clothing brands include Bershka, Stefanel, River Island, Stradivarius, Joseph, and J. Lindeberg, while beauty needs are supplemented by the likes of Clinique and Laneige. When you’re done shopping, treat yourself to the fusion offerings of The Food Hall by Todd English, Asian meals in Coca Restaurant, and Mexican specialties of Andale by Agave.
8. Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City
Shangri-La calls itself “the country’s most established upscale shopping and lifestyle destination.” Within the walls of this 175,000-square-meter mall are some of the world’s most prominent fashion and specialty brands like Alexander McQueen, BCBG Max Azria, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, and Herve Leger. Top-notch dining can be expected when done at one of Shangri-La Plaza’s exceptional restaurants, which include Corazon, Chops Chicago Steakhouse, P.F. Chang's, and TWG. As a lifestyle mall, Shangri-La also enhances mall-goers’ experience by bringing in special events not found in many locations, like the Cine Europa and the annual International Silent Film Festival.
9. Lucky Chinatown Mall, Manila
Lucky Chinatown Mall is part of Megaworld’s aim to revitalize the leisure scene of Binondo, Manila. Gracing the 108,000-square-meter mall are brands like Beauty Bar, Clarks, Levi’s, Pedro, and Aldo. Lucky Chinatown Mall also has a wealth of Asian restaurants to choose from, including Tao Yuan Restaurant, Healthy Shabu Shabu, King Chef Sea Food, and UCC. And bringing in a touch of the old Binondo market scene is the Chinatown Walk, an open-air section of the mall with hanging lanterns and vendors selling Chinese delicacies.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
10. Eastwood Mall, Quezon City
Located in the Philippines’ very first township, Eastwood Mall is known for its sleek and modern design and its wide selection of local and international shops and dining options. Stores like Aerosoles, Charles David, Lacoste, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, MAC, La Senza, Nine West, Otter Box, and Samsonite are open to cater to your luxury needs. Filipino food fanatics can get their fix at Crisostomo, while those seeking European flavors can head to Cyma or Italianni’s. Green Pastures is another great food option, especially for health buffs. After a long day of shopping, visitors can relax at the mall’s open park, which features a musical garden and a man-made lagoon.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Special mention: SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall, Mandaluyong City
Mega Fashion Hall may not be a stand-alone mall, but it did transform its parent property SM Megamall into a shopping center that caters to a crowd with a more sophisticated taste. The elite five-level, 86,000-square-meter extension carries several high-end brands, including fashion labels Vero Moda, Nao de Brasil, Savile Row, and a four-level H&M, as well as home furnishing brand Crate and Barrel. Food in this hall is also top-notch, ranging from Asian (such as the world-famous Ippudo and dimsum expert Tim Ho Wan) to European (the Italian-American Linguini Fini and Spanish Alqueria Ristorante y Chocolateria).
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Sources: spot.ph, iwandered.net, chuvaness.com, megastyle.ph, rwmanila.com, ayalamalls.com.ph, sm-aura.com, sm-megamall.com, wikipedia.org, centurycitymall.com.ph, megaworldlifestylemalls.com
