Gilarmi Cocktail Lounge, the lobby lounge of Discovery Primea, is one of the best hotel lounges in Manila.
Usually, hotel lounges are just token spots for guests to hang out in and not really places to come looking for quality. But we were surprised by how good the quality of the comfort food was paired with gin and tonic or cocktails.
Here’s what we love at Gilarmi Lounge.
Gilarmi Lounge
Ground Floor, Discovery Primea Hotel
6749 Ayala Avenue, Urdaneta, Makati City
Operating Hours: 7 AM to 11 PM daily
Telephone: +63 2 955 8888 / +63 2 988 2988 /
Mobile: +63 917 679 4567
Email: dp.rsvn@discovery.com.ph
Facebook: Discovery Primea
Twitter: @DiscoveryPrimea
Instagram: @discoveryprimea
Website: https://www.discoveryprimea.com/the-gilarmi-lounge/
Discovery Primea Series
• DISCOVERY PRIMEA Experience: Guide to Lovin’ Every Minute of it!
• FLAME Restaurant: The Best of Modern Asian Dining
• TAPENADE: The Best of TAPENADE Restaurant
• GILARMI: One of the Best Hotel Lounges in Manila
First Things First
Its name is a tribute to the Gilarmi Apartments, Asia’s first serviced apartment located where Discovery Primea now stands. Gilarmi is named after its owner Virgilio Hilario’s son Gil and wife Armi Kuusela, who won the first Miss Universe Pageant in 1952.
Gilarmi Lounge Menu: Brick Oven Pizza, Pasta, Sandwich & Burger, Gilarmi’s Pica-Pica | Soups, Classic Salads, Gilarmi’s Pica-Pica
I loved the high-ceiling ambiance, the comfortable chairs and the view of Ayala Avenue’s street life.
Guyabano-Tarragon Mojito (₱360). An interesting twist. Bacardi Silver Rum, Sugar, Lime, Soda, Guyabano, Tarragon.
Drinks Menu: Non-Alcoholic, Liqueurs | Other Spirits | Signature Cocktail, Gin Menu, Fruit Smoothies
Start with a cocktail, get comfortable and enjoy the night away.
Soup
French Onion Soup (₱395). Gruyere Crust.
Sometimes you just love a hot and proper French Onion soup with real onion taste and melted stretch of gruyere in every bite.
Clam Chowder (₱350). Bacon, Spring Onion.
The chowder is velvety rich and we had to fight over this soup as we scraped the insides of the bread.
Pica-Pica
Camaron Rebusado (₱525). Sweet and Sour Sauce.
The boys loved this crusty shrimp dipped in sweet and sour sauce.
Gambas al Ajillo (₱525). Garlic, White Wine, EVOO.
We prefer our shrimp with just garlic, olive oil and a bit of chili.
Gin Program
Gilarmi is now known for its Gin-All-You-Can Daily Happy Hour (4.00-9.00pm)…
…with a wide selection of standard (₱450++) and premium gins (₱800++).
Most people prefer gin because it has less sugar than wine, beer or other spirits.
Go for the premium gins for a better experience, and experiment on a different one each time.
This is how much a shot of gin would typically cost: Gilpin, Gin Raw, and Alkkemist – ₱900; Apoteca – ₱1,200; Nikka Coffey Gin – ₱1,600; and JCB – ₱2,500.
You can download a Ginventory App to give you suggestions on the type of gin and the perfect tonic and garnish to match.
Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Handcrafted Gin (₱400/glass).
I tried this handcrafted gin because of its Rhubarb & Ginger flavor.
Original Yuzu Ocha Premium Tonic Water (₱325).
Pair with a premium tonic plus grape and lemon garnish.
Pizza & Pasta
Quattro Formaggi (₱590). Crema, Mozzarella, Blue Cheese, “Parmigiano-Reggianno” & Davao Ricotta.
They have one of the best pizzas in the metro in terms of crust and quality of toppings.
(The younger ones did not like the blue cheese flavor though.)
Bucatini alla Carbonara (₱550). Pancetta, Parmesan, Organnic Eggs, Cream.
The fat tube absorbed most of the creamy sauce. Best to eat each pasta with a bit of bacon and parmesan. A bit heavy too.
Sandwiches & Burgers
Club Sandwich (₱425). Creamy Chicken Salad, Bacon, Fried Egg, Tomato and Romaine Lettuce.
This simple club sandwich was so good we had to fight over each slice.
Gilarmi Burger (₱695). Bacon, Fried Egg, Cheese, Onion Rings, BBQ Dressing.
You have to press it together so that you can bite into each element of this burger. The patty itself was quite good.
Acai Berry Blast (₱350). Acai berry, blueberry, mango, strawberry.
We had to order the fruit shakes last because we always want the boys to enjoy the food first or else they get full easily with the drink.
Desserts
Gianduja Cake (₱480). Chocolate-hazelnut mousse, crunchy praline and salted caramel banana.
Amazing not-too-sweet combination, and you can really taste the chocolate with just the right texture.
Manchego Cheesecake (₱420). Fresh berries and coulis.
Loved the flavor of Manchego. Best to eat it with the berries to cut through the cheesiness.
Hazelnut Ice Cream (₱180).
It’s one big scoop of our all-time favorite ice cream flavor—hazelnut.
Final Thoughts
We loved each and every comfort food we ordered, and we had to fight over everything one as we shared among ourselves. I had a perception before that Gilarmi was only for the adult bar crowd, but the service was kid-friendly and cool for families.
You’ll see a lot of people meeting here and enjoying their gin during happy hour. Budget ₱1,000 – ₱1,500 with drinks.
This is a fitting tribute to the heritage of the Gilarmi Apartments. Now I know why most people want to hang out or meet here.
Gilarmi Lounge
Ground Floor, Discovery Primea Hotel
6749 Ayala Avenue, Urdaneta, Makati City
Operating Hours: 7 AM to 11 PM daily
Telephone: +63 2 955 8888 / +63 2 988 2988 /
Mobile: +63 917 679 4567
Email: dp.rsvn@discovery.com.ph
Facebook: Discovery Primea
Twitter: @DiscoveryPrimea
Instagram: @discoveryprimea
Website: https://www.discoveryprimea.com/the-gilarmi-lounge/
Discovery Primea Series
• DISCOVERY PRIMEA Experience: Guide to Lovin’ Every Minute of it!
• FLAME Restaurant: The Best of Modern Asian Dining
• TAPENADE: The Best of TAPENADE Restaurant
• GILARMI: One of the Best Hotel Lounges in Manila
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Discovery Primea. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights.
P.S. They also serve Filipino comfort food, but we prefer the western comfort food dishes.