"Jazz in the sky, anyone?"
There was a time when fabled international men and women of mystery shared noble attributes. They embodied elan, impeccable taste, extreme discretion (regarding money as well as sexual conquests), and general good-natured bonhomie. To hear those who knew them, and like them, tell it, like Louie Ysmael and Bobby Ongpin, they were captivating one-person shows, room-holders who, when they had everyone’s attention, often put others before them. And wherever they rested their polo and crash helmets, they left apocryphal stories behind, repeated in private clubs and lawn parties, tall tales that separated them from the wolf pack.
The Top of the Alpha by Louie Y is Manila’s premier destination for those personalities and apocryphal tales. The Top, as it is also known, is renowned for hosting the most high-class, glitzy venues in the country, with a capacity of 200 people partying in this intimate club atmosphere.
The Top of the Alpha is a sophisticated destination situated within the premises of the glamorous five-star serviced residences, The Alpha Suites, and the exclusive members-only, The City Club. It is the top location for luxury guests and private members to indulge in its vibrant personality reminiscent of the style and atmosphere of clubs from the iconic playgrounds of Europe, like the once rarefied fishing village of Saint-Tropez, and in North America.
The venue features a magnificent view from every part of the penthouse of the Alphaland Corporate Tower in Makati. It has an L-shaped music lounge where well-known jazz bands perform on a daily basis, a Tabacalera Cigar Divan featuring the country’s finest hand-rolled cigars and single-malt Scotch and Cognac pairings, and an open-air wraparound terrace for dining and lounging with a spectacular view of the metropolis. It also has three beautifully designed private rooms featuring large TV monitors where you can view the live bands or your choice of music in a plush, private setting.
The Top of the Alpha also boasts of a collection of fine wines and spirits, as well as handcrafted cocktails prepared by expert mixologists.
This iconic nightclub is famed for hosting the highest jazz bar and lounge in the country and, if I’m not mistaken, Southeast Asia. “Jazz in the sky,” as I would coin it.
In its cozy atmosphere, the Top offers guests the opportunity to enjoy a unique selection of live jazz music performed by the country’s best artists accompanied with a live instrumental band. The Top features all genres of jazz, performed live by Manila’s finest jazz bands and talents, such as three-time Aliw awardee Romy Posadas, versatile, multi-awarded singer Kat Agarrado, legendary keyboardist Henry Katindig, contemporary jazz band Kiss the Bride, jazz maven Emcy Corteza, bossa nova songbird Eileen Sison, jazz latin swing band The Brass Munkeys, jazz connoisseurs Elian and Ines Habayeb’s Music and Wine Strictly Jazz nights, and many others.
Unfortunately, Saint-Tropez now acts as a bellwether of what’s been lost. In most clubs around the world, it’s now all about liquor-brand-and-celebrity-endorsed private parties, pop-up clubs and techno-Gaga spectacle, and whirling choppers hitting the beaches of the Riviera and Boracay with the subtlety of a Michael Bay blood and bombs movie. Baggy shorts, t-shirts, and backward ball caps are the uniform of choice worn now by the new players, even at once-chic seaside spots like Club 55 and La Voile Rouge.
You won’t find those at The Top of the Alpha. This is the destination where the country’s and the world’s wealthy and powerful, where the sophisticated and those with taste, where true gentlemen and ladies gather in this barn to experience the lascivious rhythms of the Manila nightlife.
Forgive the tasteless, for they know not what they do.
The Top of the Alpha by Louie Y is at the 34th Floor, Alphaland Corporate Tower, 7232 Ayala Avenue Ext., Makati City. For inquiries and reservations, contact +63.917.109.7449 or +63.2.901.2758 from 12 noon to 10 pm. Email unwind@topofthealpha.com.
eric.jurado@gmail.com
