Music is practically everywhere these days—blaring from people’s phones during the daily doomscroll, playing in the backdrop at commercial establishments. But for those willing to truly listen, there are listening bars.
Equipped with high-end or custom sound systems, these places draw the attention back to the music, while serving drinks (food too, sometimes) to complete the experience.
The idea is by no means new. Japan has, since the 1920s, had ongaku kissa (”music cafés”) with high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) sound systems, where visitors could immerse themselves in collections of vinyls over coffee.
The rest of the world has since caught on and listening bars have proliferated in other countries, especially in recent years. Manila, of course, is no exception.
Turn Up the Volume: The Listening Bars Redefining Manila’s Nightlife
Tucked in Makati’s Pililia street is Mono by Phono, which evokes different moods through the range of genres they cover—from IDM to ambient music to psychedelic rock and more—played through their Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 speakers.
Meanwhile, Fat Cat in Makati Cinema Square is all about jazz on vinyl, with playful libations to match. Rows of records join liquor bottles behind the bar, and vintage Klipschorns stand amidst the shop’s quirky, cat-themed interiors.
Sibling bars 78-53-86 (in Katipunan and Greenhills) and 78-45-33 (in Salcedo Village) likewise focus on jazz. Each outpost has its own craft cocktail menu and collection of records; the Salcedo location hosts live performances, too.
Cubao Expo’s Good Vibrations Records doubles as a record store and listening café focused on coffee and matcha. The shop also hosts vinyl listening sessions and listening parties.
33rpm, the upstairs sibling of Katipunan’s Flatsix Café, serves Japanese-style nibbles and tipples to complement their wide-ranging vinyl library.
BGC’s GotSoul MNL is decked with two sound systems—a contemporary quadraphonic setup, and one featuring vintage Altec Lansing A5s. They also have a Spanish-Filipino dining menu covering lunch, dinner, and even weekend brunch, by chefs Chele Gonzalez (who returns to his DJ roots here) and Carlos Villaflor.
Hooga on Jupiter Street is powered by Fyne Audio speakers and Rega turntables. In between listening sessions, visitors can fill up on a full meal—apps, mains, dessert, and wine included.
Salcedo Village’s Sabi Sounds makes a case for grooving to vinyl tunes and live DJ sets with a sweet scoop in hand. Apart from serving its own small plates and tipples, the “Melbourne-style” listening café shares its home with Kariton Gelato.
In the Age of Infinite Streaming, People Just Want to Listen Again
This renaissance of listening bars is notable considering music is easily accessible to most everyone now, thanks to on-demand streaming services that let people play their favorite songs at a touch of a finger.
But this typically comes at the expense of sound quality, with many streaming services (as well as most bluetooth earphones and speakers) using audio compression to save on bandwidth.
By relying on analog or lossless audio formats, and utilizing high-end speakers, speaker arrays, amplifiers, turntables, and so on, listening bars provide a richer listening experience for its guests. Simultaneously, they encourage focused, intentional listening, minus the overstimulation brought on by modern phones.
“People are finally starting to actually listen,” says Mono by Phono’s Matthew Rodriguez. “[They] want connection, and music heads are looking for spaces where the sound is actually treated with respect.
The rise of listening bars is also consistent with that of other third spaces, as more young adults seek avenues for community and social connection.
“It’s all about the communities building around these spaces. It’s deeply important for the culture because it creates a hub for subcultures that otherwise wouldn’t have a dedicated home.”
Frequently Asked Questions
A listening bar is a venue built around high-quality music playback, often using hi-fi sound systems, vinyl records, and curated playlists.
Listening bars offer superior sound quality, intentional listening experiences, and a sense of community that many people feel is missing in the streaming era.
Unlike traditional bars where music is often background noise, listening bars place music at the center of the experience.
Not always. Many feature vinyl collections, but some also use digital lossless audio and other high-quality formats.
Popular options include Mono by Phono, Fat Cat, GotSoul MNL, Hooga, Good Vibrations Records, Sabi Sounds, and 78-53-86.
Listening bars typically use premium speakers, turntables, amplifiers, and acoustically optimized setups that deliver richer sound.
An ongaku kissa is a Japanese music café where guests gather to listen to records through high-fidelity sound systems.
