Our first taste of the Ibiza Beach Club experience at Mövenpick Hotel in Mactan still remains memorable. That was a few years ago when it opened as an additional feature beside the Manny O. kiosk of a resto, with an ideal open-air party site of wooden decks and sunbathing nets perched above the sea while overlooking a picturesque white-sand beach.
Manny Osmeña always comes up with even more venturesome follow-ups, so it isn’t much of a surprise that he’s rather boldly transported the zesty lifestyle offering to Bonifacio Global Center in Taguig, specifically on the sixth floor of W City Centre at 7th Avenue corner 30th Street.
Invited to an exclusive sneak preview plus food tasting billed as “The First Look” on April Fool’s Day, we came away impressed with more than just a glimpse into something that goes beyond fool’s gold. Why, we even found ourselves enjoying a post-prandial smoke right beside a Jacuzzi on a balcony that overlooked BGC’s high-rises. No sandy beach was in sight, but the Jacuzzi’s blue-to-purple-lit contents were suggestive enough of pleasurable blue waters.
Telltale was the signature energy and vibe brought over from Cebu, permeating the 4,000-sqm, 1,000-seater flagship restaurant for urbanites. Over a fortnight later, it formally opened on Easter Sunday, April 16, spelling a hip-and-happening dining and entertainment venue. Going by what we savored, through taste and sight as well as auditory delight, it certainly takes the dining experience to a higher level.
On an imposing stage facing premium dining couches are showcased nightly performances by the Ibiza Beach Club Show Team, a 20-member ensemble of budding Filipino artists. Featured are 45-minute visual treats with live singing and dancing to retro pop, disco and Latin music, as well as Broadway and movie musical sequences. A show band, featured artists and DJs also take turns on the Centre Stage.
The bespoke entertainment is provided by the IBC Performing Arts Academy Inc. (IBCPAAI) led by Ibiza Beach Club Inc. entertainment director Francisco Beltran; company manager Ayam Eckstein of Repertory Philippines, Trumpets Playshop and Stages Productions; production manager Randy Salvador and lead choreographer Arnold Trinidad of Nine Works Theatrical; and Elisa Aurelio, a graduate of FIDM in Los Angeles, as the academy’s costume designer.
On our “First Look” night, we enjoyed the presentation billed “At The Movies,” with a troupe of energetic dancers essaying a medley of excerpts recalling Burlesque, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Dirty Dancing, Beauty and the Beast, and other Broadway musicals that became equally popular movies.
The upscale entertainment went well with the first glass of champagne and hors d’oeuvres that included pitted black olives, spicy Ibiza chips, and crab and truffle ravioli. And as we moved on to doubles of Macallan 12 single malt, servers went around with long skewers, from which chunks of the Balearic dinner — a signature 15-course parade of grilled meat and seafood choices — were stripped off and onto diners’ plates.
The servings started with chicken, crispy pork belly and beef short ribs, then went on to include filet mignon, Angus rib-eye steak, baby back ribs, New Zealand lamb done three ways, tiger prawns, cuttlefish, salmon, buttery rock lobsters and ostrich meat.
All of these grilled specialties had been basted with Balearic sauces and marinades, with a twist of Asian sensibilities as carried over from the original Ibiza Beach Club in Cebu. The culinary repertoire also includes servings of salad, Pao de Quejo or cheese bread and various side dishes, ending with grilled Queen Piña for dessert.
The Balearic-inspired dinner is offered at an introductory price of P2,500, with an additional P600 for an unlimited serving of award-winning Manny O. wines.
Alternative choices are a la carte and tapas menus featuring house-prepared charcuterie, bruschettas, jamon Serrano, gambas, imported cheeses, a selection of salads and starters, the Eivissa paella, seafood marinara, premium steaks and the Manny O. Signature Wagyu Burger, best paired with featured wines or signature cocktails, such as the Ibiza Sour. Cakes, pastries and Mövenpick ice cream from Switzerland round off the feast.
The core idea for Ibiza Beach Club was to emulate the vibe of Eivissa, and to provide the best of both worlds in dining and entertainment. It’s a brand unique to the Philippines, a registered trademark conceived and established by award-winning vintner, entrepreneur, and prominent tourism player Manny Osmeña, chairman of the Manny O. Group.
During that soft opening, Manny O. also took to the stage to introduce his latest baby’s features, but not before crediting his daughter Meg for all the creative support and coordination.
Among the details he pointed out were the ironwood floorboards studded with marine-grade stainless-steel screws — as a unique feature of the hangar-like setting with stylized sections. Then there’s “the Ferrari of sound equipment in the industry” — D & B Audiotechnik, which powers Ibiza BGC.
Also detailed were the power-lunch options of Early and Late Seating Special Lunch Sets, complete with selections from the salad bar, soup, a side dish, and an entrée from the five choices of grilled items from the Balearic selection. Either set is priced at P500, while the Premium Seating Set for those coming in at noon is priced at P1,000, with the entrée upgraded to include a choice of one of the six premium meats and seafood from the Balearic grill.
But we suppose that it’s in the evenings when the Ibiza vibe is best at play, and an appetite for both good food and quality entertainment is satiated — Manny O. style.
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For inquiries and advance bookings, call 755-1777 or 0917-633-7499 or email cs.bgc@ibizabeachclub.global.