“We all like wine. That’s the starting point,” said Bill Yuen, one of the minds behind Dominion Cellar.
Built by the same couple—Bill and his wife Roxanne—that brought Japan’s Pizza Studio Tamaki to the Philippines, the multi-story establishment along Jupiter St. Makati is a wine destination that combines a retail shop, casual dining area, restaurant, bar, and private members’ club under one roof.
Perfect hub for wine lovers
On the ground floor, you’ll find the wine shop, deli, and bistro. The second floor houses the main dining room—a 48-seater, chef-driven concept—as well as the bar. The private lounge is on the third floor, along with 128 temperature-controlled wine lockers which members can use. Small lockers can hold 126 bottles while the big ones can keep 550.
It’s a service they launched just recently but 60% of the lockers have already been taken. Members get their own lockers plus get lounge access, a 10% discount on wines, and priority booking.
There are private rooms on all three floors. “We wanted to have spaces for all types of events and celebrations,” said Yuen. There are 16,000 wines to choose from at Dominion Cellar. There’s something for everyone—not just seasoned connoisseurs. “We have a lot of entry-level, day-to-day wine daily wine smelters. We also have a lot of wine tasting events. And we can always recommend wines for you,” said Yuen.
A pairing for drinkers and non-drinkers
Even people who don’t drink wine–or don’t drink, period—have plenty to enjoy at Dominion Cellar. The food, of course, but also Saicho, the non-alcoholic single-origin sparkling tea. “It’s the world’s best sparkling tea. It’s being served in over 120 Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. It pairs well with food.”
In charge of the food are executive chef Carlos Garcia and head chef Jorn Fonseca, who are known for their work at Black Pig in Alabang.”The bistro menu is mainly focused on pairing for wines. We have small plates, we have charcuterie, we have classic dishes. We also have a lot of steaks—Mayura, Wagyu, and Angus from the US, Australia and Japan,” said Fonseca.
The bistro’s pastas, which are made fresh, have been popular. Also a customer favorite are the potato chips, which are sliced and fried to order and served with onion aioli, silky egg yolk cream and jamon Serrano. “The Spanish Caesar salad is also a hit. We use anchoas, boquerones, Manchego, guanciale.”
With their array of offerings, you wouldn’t mistake Dominion as mainly a wine bar, especially with heavy hitting plates like butter poached Salmon Piperade, Lamb Ribs, Prawns and Chistorra Rice, Cochinillo de Segovia with fries, and a 20-day aged and air-dried Peking Duck can be served two ways.
It might be called a cellar, but it houses more than just fine wine.
Dominion Cellar is located at 38 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati City.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ground floor contains a wine shop, deli, and bistro; the second floor houses a 48-seater dining room and a bar; and the third floor features a private lounge and temperature-controlled wine lockers.
Members get lounge access, priority booking, and a 10% discount on wines; their lockers can hold either 126 bottles (small) or 550 bottles (big).
Executive chef Carlos Garcia and head chef Jorn Fonseca oversee the menu, which includes popular items like fresh pasta, hand-sliced potato chips with jamon Serrano, and a Spanish Caesar salad.
Yes, they serve Saicho, a non-alcoholic single-origin sparkling tea that is served in over 120 Michelin-starred restaurants globally and pairs well with food.
It is located at 38 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati City, and offers a selection of 16,000 different wines ranging from entry-level to connoisseur-grade.
