It was the middle of a hot October weekday when I found myself walking along H.V. Dela Costa Street in Makati. Out of nowhere, I heard someone call out my name. It was Arcadius Ryback.
We parked ourselves on the sidewalk and had a chat. At the time, he was working on a bar concept that had yet to materialize. But even then, it already sounded different from anything else in the city.
His vision was simple, yet ambitious: to build a cocktail program focusing on local Philippine ingredients. He wanted to explore what the country had to offer—from native fruits and herbs to local spirits and produce.
I left that conversation thinking how exciting it would be to see the concept come to reality. Months later, that idea would become Toma Toma.
From Hong Kong to Makati: The Seven-Year Journey Behind Toma Toma
The name of the cocktail salon is, by itself, an invitation—less of a command, more of a friendly request. For Arcadius Ryback though, it means a lot more than that—it is a profession of love to Philippine ingredients and hospitality immortalized by a place where world-class bartending meets a distinctly local point of view.
The concept, however, wasn’t always called Toma Toma, he confessed. Ryback originally envisioned a place named Elements, centered on the Filipino barbecue lifestyle: fire for food and water for drinks. But as the idea evolved, so did the name. Toma Toma felt warmer, more familiar, and more reflective of the communal spirit he wanted to create.
His vision had been brewing for years. It took nearly seven years for the concept to come to life, starting from his time in Hong Kong, where he served as Director of Bars at Rosewood Hong Kong. The pandemic gave him the pause to revisit his novel idea.
His belief in local culture runs deep. While fulfilling university education in Poland, he recalls questioning why the citizens often looked to the US for validation.
“We have so much to offer here. Why do we have to be shy about that?” he says. “Maybe it’s a similar situation in the Philippines. We just need to show people what we have.”
When Ryback moved to the Philippines four years ago, he did not rush into creating a space rooted in place. Instead, he did his homework and learned the culture, studying ingredients, and staging pop-ups to better understand the country he hoped to represent through cocktails. Doing the beverage program for Aya greatly helped as it gave him the opportunity to put to practice something he has long thought of.
Pampanga, where he lives, was initially his preferred location, but practical considerations eventually led him to Makati.
Toma Toma Invites Guests to Drink Deeply of the Philippines
At Toma Toma, local ingredients may be the stars of the show but Filipino fabrics, materials and craftsmanship have also been woven into various details as evidenced by the staff uniform, the Cadiz shell chandeliers, and the wall of textiles (each representing a major island region) right by the entry.
The space also doubles as a learning hub. At the back of the hall hides a private room that can not only host more intimate gatherings but also hold mixology classes, which is in line with Ryback’s desire to nurture young bartenders and foster the progress of the country’s cocktail scene.
His menu lists seasonal cocktails that champion produce, each named after its featured ingredient. There’s a guyabano cocktail with condensed milk lambanog, coconut vinegar and tultul salt, as well as a kamias concoction seasoned with Sagada pine needles, gin and siling haba lambanog.
Toma Toma’s classic cocktails rely on Laguna stingless bee honey for natural sweetness, while their iced tea is an ode to Pampanga’s Yakut, a tropical-tasting sweet drink found mostly on street food hubs.
To match the libations, chef Stephan Duhesme developed a menu composed of skewers and small plates—asado fried chicken, prawn lumpia, grilled eggplant and ensaladang zucchini—and bigger portions like pompano with brown butter and striploin with bistek sauce for sharing.
In the end, Toma Toma is more than a bar. It is Ryback’s belief that Filipino ingredients deserve the global spotlight—and that hospitality, at its best, is an invitation to gather, linger, and feel very much at home.
Toma Toma is located at Green Sun, 2285 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati
Frequently Asked Questions
Toma Toma is a cocktail salon in Makati that focuses on Philippine ingredients, local spirits, and Filipino hospitality.
Toma Toma was founded by bartender and hospitality professional Arcadius Ryback.
Toma Toma is located at Green Sun, 2285 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati.
Signature cocktails feature ingredients such as guyabano, lambanog, coconut vinegar, tultul salt, and Sagada pine needles.
Yes. The menu includes skewers, small plates, and shareable dishes designed to complement the cocktails.
No. It also serves as an educational space with mixology classes and events for aspiring bartenders.
