Top Cocktail Bars in Baguio for a Properly Made Drink

The Baguio Cocktail Scene, As I Actually Drink It

If you are hunting for the top cocktail bars in Baguio, you should know that the city did not really have a serious cocktail identity until around 2015. Before that, Session Road and the bohemian blocks of the Maharlika area were all San Mig Light buckets and karaoke rooms. What changed was a wave of homegrown bartenders who trained in Manila, Singapore, and Iloilo, then came back home craving something better than the usual sweet-and-fruity Filipino cocktail template. Now you can order a proper stirred Negroni at elevation, with pine trees visible from the window, and it is honestly a little absurd how good it is.

This guide comes from someone who has bounced between these bars on slow Wednesdays and packed Saturdays, who has ordered the same drink at three different places to compare, and who has definitely taken one too many jeepney rides up and down Session Road at midnight. A few of these spots lean into the heritage of Baguio, the cordillera ingredients, the Benguet coffee, the strawberry harvests, and others are pure neighborhood hangouts that happen to make a very good Martini. Here is where I actually go.

1. The Brick Coffee and Cocktails, Upper Mabini Street

You will find The Brick on the quieter stretch of Upper Mabini, just past the Benguet State University crowd and a short walk from Burnham Park's west entrance. It started as a specialty coffee bar in 2017, then gradually added a serious cocktail program once the owner, a former Makati bar manager, returned to his hometown. The space is warm and loud in the right way, with brick walls, mismatched wooden chairs, and a playlist that swings between OPM classics and neo-soul depending on who is working.

The Vibe? A living room that grew up and got a liquor license.
The Bill? Around 350 to 550 pesos per cocktail, with coffee-based drinks slightly cheaper.
The Standout? Order the Benguet Brew, a cold-brew coffee cocktail with local muscovado syrup and a float of cream that tastes like a grown-up iced coffee with a kick.
The Catch? Seating is limited, and on Friday nights the small room fills up fast with the BSU crowd, so expect to stand or share a table.

What most tourists miss is the back corner near the window, where there is a single two-person table that catches the afternoon sun through a mango tree. I have done some of my best writing there, and the staff will leave you alone for hours if you order a second round. The Brick also works with nearby Tublay farms for some of its herbs, which is a nice nod to the cordillera agricultural backbone that defines life outside the city center.

2. Oh My Gulay, Session Road Near the Top

Oh My Gulay sits a few steps above the main Session Road drag, up a short stairwell you have probably walked past a hundred times without realizing there is a full vegetarian restaurant and bar above it. The building is the old La Azotea, a multi-level wooden structure that has housed artists, small galleries, and writers for decades, and the cocktail program lives on the top floor with a wraparound view of the city rooftops and the surrounding pine canopy. The drinks are fruit-forward, often incorporating local strawberries, calamansi, and even tamarind from La Union.

The Vibe? A treehouse for adults, covered in living plants and old art.
The Bill? Cocktails run 280 to 420 pesos, which is on the friendlier side of the Baguio price spectrum.
The Standout? The Strawberry Fields, a muddled strawberry and basil number with a splash of gin and a black pepper rim that sounds gimmicky but actually balances beautifully.
The Catch? The top floor closes earlier than you expect, usually around 9:30 or 10 PM on weekdays, and the stairs are not friendly after two drinks.

If you go, ask the bartender about the rotating art wall. Every few months they hand the space over to a different cordillera artist, and the pieces are usually for sale. I picked up a small acrylic of the Sto. Tomas mountain range there in 2022 for a price that felt almost embarrassing. It also helps to know that Oh My Gulay is one of the original bohemian institutions in this part of Session Road, and the building itself is a quiet piece of Baguio's art colony history.

3. The Forest House, Camp John Hay

The Forest House sits inside Camp John Hay, the former American rest-and-recreation base that the Philippine government converted into a pine-shaded commercial and residential zone in the 1990s. The bar and restaurant occupy a wooden building that feels like it belongs in a fairy tale, surrounded by tall Benguet pines and the kind of cool mountain air that makes you want to order something brown and stirred. It is the most touristy pick on this list, and I am including it anyway because the cocktail work is genuinely solid.

The Vibe? A log cabin in the woods that learned how to make a proper Old Fashioned.
The Bill? Expect 380 to 600 pesos per drink, slightly higher than Session Road spots because of the John Hay premium.
The Standout? The Pine-Infused Gin and Tonic, made with a locally foraged pine tip syrup that tastes like Christmas in a glass.
The Catch? Parking inside Camp John Hay costs extra, and the gate can be slow to let you out past 9 PM.

Most visitors come for the food, which leans into American-Asian comfort, and skip the bar entirely. That is a mistake. The bartenders here are some of the few in Baguio who actually batch their own bitters, and they will talk your ear off about it if you sit at the counter. If you are visiting during the Panagbenga Festival in February, book ahead, because the entire Camp John Hay area becomes a logistical maze.

4. Arca Yard, Cabinet Hill

Arca Yard is the newer kid on the block, located on Cabinet Hill just outside the main Session Road bustle, in what used to be a small workers' compound. The owners converted several shipping containers and a low concrete building into a courtyard with a coffee bar up front, a restaurant in the middle, and a proper cocktail bar tucked in the back. It opened around 2022 and has already become one of the most-photographed corners of Baguio, though the cocktails are not just for show.

The Vibe? Industrial courtyard energy with mountain weather and serious drinks.
The Bill? Cocktails are 380 to 520 pesos, and the kitchen stays open until about 10 PM.
The Standout? The Ube Negroni, a wild riff that swaps Campari for a roasted ube liqueur and adds a touch of local honey. It sounds strange. It works.
The Catch? The back bar has no heating, and on a foggy August night you will feel it.

The insider move here is to arrive around 4:30 PM, order a coffee at the front counter, and stay for the sunset over the cordillera. Once the cocktail bar opens, slide to the back and ask for the off-menu Smoky Highball, made with a smoked Benguet black tea infusion. The staff will know what you mean. Arca Yard also regularly hosts small acoustic sets on weekends, usually cordillera folk musicians who play for tips and stay for drinks.

5. The Balajadia Kitchenette and Bar, Trancoville

The Balajadia sits on a residential corner in Trancoville, a low-key neighborhood just past the Baguio Cathedral, and it operates as both a family-style kitchenette and a neighborhood cocktail bar. The owner is a former chemical engineer who decided to chase a dream of running a small bar in his hometown, and the resulting space is part living room, part laboratory, with shelves of homemade syrups, tinctures, and cordillera herbs in labeled bottles. This is the kind of place you only find if someone tells you about it.

The Vibe? A friend's house, if your friend happened to own a centrifuge and a serious bar setup.
The Bill? Drinks are 320 to 480 pesos, and the bar often runs a two-for-one deal on Thursdays.
The Standout? The Cordillera Sour, a whiskey sour variation made with yakon syrup and a torched local citrus that arrives looking like a small piece of edible art.
The Catch? The space only seats about 14 people, and there is no real sign outside, so you have to be looking for it.

The local tip is to message ahead on their Instagram before you go, because opening hours fluctuate based on whether the owner has catering gigs that day. I have shown up twice to a locked door, and both times the neighbors waved me down the street to where the bar had temporarily moved for a private event. The Balajadia also sources almost everything from within a 30-kilometer radius of Baguio, which makes it one of the most authentically local craft cocktail bars Baguio has to offer.

6. Hill Station, Casa Vallejo

Hill Station occupies the ground floor of Casa Vallejo, one of the oldest buildings in Baguio, perched on Upper Session Road just across from the Baguio Cathedral. The building dates back to 1909 and has hosted journalists, teachers, and writers throughout its long life, and the restaurant and bar keep that energy alive with leather chairs, low lighting, and a sense of history in the walls. It is more of a dinner-and-drinks spot than a dedicated cocktail destination, but the bar program punches well above its weight.

The Vibe? A 1920s hotel lounge that took a quick detour into modern mixology.
The Bill? Cocktails sit around 420 to 580 pesos, with a few premium pours going higher.
The Standout? The Benguet Boulevardier, a house take on the classic with a local coffee liqueur and a touch of burnt orange.
The Catch? The dining room gets loud on weekends, and it can be hard to flag down a bartender once the floor fills.

If you sit at the bar on a quiet weekday evening, ask about the old house rules from when the building was the original Mount Santo Tomas Hotel. There is a small plaque near the entrance that most people walk past, and the bartenders will point it out if you show genuine interest. Hill Station also books visiting mixologists from Manila and Singapore a few times a year, so it is worth following their socials to catch a guest shift. As one of the best cocktail bars in Baguio for atmosphere alone, it deserves a slot on any serious bar crawl.

7. The Yoghurt House and Bar, Legarda Road

The Yoghurt House on Legarda Road has been a Baguio institution since the 1980s, long before the city had any cocktail scene to speak of. What most newcomers do not know is that the back half of the building has, over the last few years, been converted into a small but mighty cocktail bar that keeps the homey yogurt-shop energy out front and the serious drink program in the rear. The bar seats maybe eight, and the bartender knows the regulars by name.

The Vibe? A yogurt shop from your childhood that grew a secret bar in the back.
The Bill? Drinks are 250 to 400 pesos, easily the most accessible price point on this list.
The Standout? The Strawberry Yogurt Martini, a playful mix of local strawberry yogurt, vodka, and a splash of cream that is unironically delicious after a long Session Road walk.
The Catch? It closes early, often by 9 PM, and the front-of-house staff sometimes forget to mention the bar even exists.

The insider move here is to order the yogurt with your cocktail. The kitchen still makes the original house yogurt, and the bartender will happily muddle a fresh batch into a riff on a Whiskey Flip if you ask nicely. The Yoghurt House also sits on the older commercial stretch of Legarda, near antique shops and small art galleries, which makes it a great pre-dinner stop on a walking tour of the heritage side of Baguio.

8. Cafe by the Ruins, Shuntug Road

Cafe by the Ruins is one of those places that every Baguio local has a memory attached to, and it sits just off Shuntug Road, a few blocks from the Baguio General Hospital. The original structure was a bombed-out building from World War II that the founders turned into a garden restaurant in 1988, and the bar in the back corner has quietly become a destination in its own right. The cocktails lean herbal and earthy, leaning into the same cordillera-foraged sensibility that defines the kitchen.

The Vibe? A ruined stone building, reborn as a leafy restaurant with a thoughtful little bar.
The Bill? Cocktails are 320 to 480 pesos, and the menu changes seasonally.
The Standout? The Pinikpikan Fizz, a savory-leaning gin fizz named after the traditional cordillera chicken dish, with lemongrass, ginger, and a salted rim.
The Catch? The garden tables can get cold once the fog rolls in around 7 PM, so bring a light jacket even in summer.

The local tip is to ask for the seasonal off-menu cocktail sheet, which the bar team prints only when they have enough fresh foraged ingredients to make it worthwhile. Last year I had a dandelion and honey drink that I have not been able to find anywhere else in the Philippines. Cafe by the Ruins also hosts occasional poetry nights and cordillera acoustic sessions, and the walls still carry the same spirit of slow, deliberate Baguio that the city was known for before mass tourism.

When to Go and What to Know Before You Bar Hop in Baguio

Baguio's cocktail scene runs on a slightly different clock than Manila's. Most of the craft cocktail bars Baguio has to offer open around 4 or 5 PM, peak between 7 and 10 PM, and wind down by midnight on weekdays or 1 AM on weekends. The dry season from November to May is the easiest time to visit, both for weather and for bar availability, because the rainy months from June to October push a few of the smaller bars into unpredictable schedules.

Getting around at night is straightforward but takes some planning. Jeepneys stop running around 9 PM in most parts of the city, and Grab is available but surge-priced during weekends. If you are bar hopping between Session Road, Camp John Hay, and Cabinet Hill, a single booked Grab for the night is often cheaper than three separate rides. Walking between Oh My Gulay, Hill Station, and the Yoghout House is doable if you do not mind uphill stretches, and the cool weather makes it far more pleasant than walking the same distances in Manila.

Dress code is casual almost everywhere, but I would skip the full beachwear look. A light jacket is non-negotiable once the sun goes down, even in April. Tipping is appreciated but not expected, and rounding up to the nearest 50 pesos is the local norm. If you are visiting during the Panagbenga Festival in February, book any of these bars at least two weeks ahead, because the entire city fills up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the tap water in Baguio safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?

Baguio's tap water comes from the Buklod and Sto. Tomas watershed systems and is generally considered safer than tap water in most Philippine lowland cities, but it is not recommended for direct drinking. Most locals boil it first or use a filter pitcher, and every bar on this list serves filtered or bottled water for cocktails. Ice in established bars is almost always made from purified water, but at smaller carinderias you should still ask. A standard 5-gallon refill of purified water costs around 35 to 50 pesos, and most sari-sari stores stock it.

Is Baguio expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

A mid-tier traveler can expect to spend around 2,500 to 4,000 pesos per day in Baguio, not including accommodation. A reasonable breakdown looks like this: 600 to 900 pesos on meals, 800 to 1,200 pesos on two to three cocktails, 200 to 300 pesos on jeepney or Grab rides, and 300 to 500 pesos on entrance fees, snacks, and small purchases. Lodging in the city center runs from 1,500 to 3,500 pesos per night for a decent mid-range hotel, and staying slightly outside Session Road, like in Trancoville or Cabinet Hill, can drop that by 30 to 40 percent.

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Baguio?

Baguio is one of the easier cities in the Philippines for plant-based eating because of the high concentration of cordillera vegetable farms and a long-standing bohemian, health-conscious community. Oh My Gulay on Session Road is fully vegetarian with many vegan options, and Arca Yard has a dedicated plant-based section. Most cocktail bars Baguio lists can also accommodate, with at least two to three vegan or vegetarian small plates on offer. Vegan-friendly restaurants cluster around Upper Session Road, Legarda, and the Maharlika area, and ingredient labels are usually clear.

Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Baguio?

There are no strict dress codes at any of the bars covered in this guide, but casual-smart is the safest baseline, especially at Hill Station and the Forest House. Avoid wearing sleeveless tops inside the older establishments out of respect for the heritage buildings. When visiting cordillera-owned venues like the Balajadia or Cafe by the Ruins, it is polite to greet staff in Tagalog or Ilocano before launching into English. Tipping 10 percent is appreciated but not mandatory, and most locals round up to the nearest 50 pesos for good service.

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Baguio is famous for?

The single must-try local specialty is strawberry taho, a soft silken tofu dessert topped with fresh Baguio strawberries and a caramelized brown sugar syrup, usually sold by street vendors near Burnham Park and the public market for around 40 to 60 pesos per cup. On the cocktail side, the closest equivalent is any drink that uses Benguet-grown strawberries, which are harvested from November to April and end up in everything from the Strawberry Fields at Oh My Gulay to the Strawberry Yogurt Martini at the Yoghurt House. If you visit outside strawberry season, look for drinks built on Benguet coffee or tamarind from neighboring La Union instead.