Step Aboard a Galleon on Your Next SM Mall of Asia Date

This Buwan ng Wika, take your gala to the max and skip the usual dinner-and-movie routine. Wondering how to plan a date in Manila that feels different? SM Mall of Asia has a day mapped out around history, heritage, and food.

Start at Museo del Galeón, then work through four restaurants, each with its own Filipino spin. It is an easy pick for things to do in SM this month, and a good excuse to stay indoors while feeling like you went somewhere.

Step Into Philippine History at Museo del Galeón

Make Museo del Galeón the first stop of your date and discover one of the most fascinating chapters in Philippine history: the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.

For more than 250 years, galleons sailed across the Pacific between Manila and Acapulco, connecting the Philippines with Mexico and creating one of the world's earliest sustained maritime trade routes. Goods such as silk, spices, porcelain, and silver made their way across the ocean, but the trade also brought people, ideas, traditions, and cultures into contact.

Today, Museo del Galeón, which is open from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Wednesdays to Sundays, brings this history to life through an immersive museum experience at the SM Mall of Asia Complex.

A full-scale galleon under a sky full of stars, right in the middle of the SM Mall of Asia. With statues, stories, and centuries of Filipino heritage, history has never looked this good on a date.

The highlight is the Galeón Espíritu Santo, a full-scale representation of a 17th-century galleon. Rather than simply looking at artifacts behind glass, visitors can step aboard and get a sense of the scale and environment of the vessels that once made these long Pacific crossings.

A cannon that once defended a galleon. Manuscripts older than most countries, expect all these and more when you go and visit Museo del Galeón.

Entry to the museum costs PHP 675 for adults (PHP 375, if you’re below 18). Inside, exhibits explore the different facets of the galleon trade and the Philippines' place in this global network. You'll find stories about maritime travel, trade, shipbuilding, and the cultural exchanges that happened along the route, giving you plenty to talk about.

Don't be surprised if "Where would you go if you could travel anywhere?" becomes your next question to each other.

It is a fitting way to open Buwan ng Wika, since Filipino culture has always grown through contact with the wider world. If you are scouting things to do in Manila indoors this month, the date only gets better from here, through heritage and food that feel distinctly Filipino.

What's Happening at Museo del Galeón This August

Buwan ng Wika means the museum is packing the month with extra reasons to visit, whether it is your first time or your fifth:

• 10% off tickets all August long for guests who show up in full traditional Filipino attire.
• A map-reading workshop for kids ages 7 to 12, on August 9 from 2:30 to 4:30 PM.
• Extended Friday hours, open until 8 PM instead of the usual 7 PM.
• A history quiz from Wednesday to Friday, where answering a random question correctly can win you prizes, including free museum admission.
• A public lecture on "The Presa: Spanish Colonial Dam Building in the Philippines, 1699-1898," on August 23 from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, led by Edgar Allan Sembrano, a heritage and culture writer for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Daily Tribune and author of Dispatches: Contestations and Celebrations on the Filipino Heritage Consciousness.
• A history-themed trivia night on August 29 at 7 PM, with curated cocktails and maritime stories to go with it.
• Free guided tours at 10:10 AM and 4:10 PM every Saturday and Sunday.
• Free entry for August babies, when accompanied by two full-paying companions.

It is worth checking the museum's schedule before you go, since a workshop, lecture, or trivia night might end up being the highlight of your date.

Have a History-Rich Meal at The Aristocrat

Keep the history theme going at The Aristocrat, a Filipino institution founded in 1936 and even recognized as a historic site by the National Historical Commission.

Char-grilled chicken barbecue over golden java rice and the legendary Lumpiang Shanghai, both recipes 
The Aristocrat has perfected since 1936. Some classics never need updating.

Start with the restaurant's famous Chicken Barbecue, served with java rice, atchara, and a peanut sauce unchanged for decades. Try the Lumpiang Shanghai, considered its most iconic dish, or order the Crispy Pata for something heartier. Leave room for halo-halo to close things out on a familiar note.

Go on a Filipino Food Trip at Cabalen

If your idea of a great date involves trying as many Filipino dishes as possible, make Cabalen your next stop.

Its buffet spread lets you sample a wide range of Filipino flavors in one sitting, making it a great choice for couples who can't agree on what to order—or simply want to try everything.

A clay pot of rich, peanutty Kare-Kare and a bold, spicy plate of Bopis, just a taste of what Cabalen's generous buffet spread has to offer.

Start with Kare-Kare, Cabalen's signature dish, featuring tender meat and vegetables in a rich peanut sauce served with sautéed bagoong. Other Filipino favorites on the menu include Dinuguan, Bopis, Lechon Paksiw, and Pritchon Kawali.

The best part? You don't have to settle on just one favorite.

Take turns building your plates and try something neither of you has ordered before. It's basically a Filipino food tour without having to leave the mall.

Have a Classic Manila Date at Café Adriatico

For a more laid-back meal, settle into Café Adriatico, a Manila dining institution with more than four decades of history.

The restaurant was founded by Larry J. Cruz and became known for helping establish bistro culture in the Philippines, combining Filipino and international dishes with the old-world charm that made its original Malate location a landmark. Today, the brand continues that legacy at its SM Mall of Asia branch.

The kind of meal that made Café Adriatico a Manila institution. Share Lola Ising's Adobo Rice and the restaurant's famous Pancit Palabok for a classic, laid-back date, no rushing required.

For a date, share a few of its Filipino favorites, such as Lola Ising's Adobo Rice, Spareribs Adobo Rice, or Our Famous Pancit Palabok. If you're saving room for dessert, the Halo-Halo Special is an easy way to end the meal on a distinctly Filipino note.

The menu also gives you plenty of options for sharing, so order a few dishes for the table and make the meal part of the experience.

End Your Date With a Cup of Local Coffee at Bo's Coffee

After all that history and food, wind down with coffee at Bo's Coffee.

As a homegrown Filipino coffee brand, Bo's Coffee makes a fitting final stop for a date centered on local culture. Instead of rushing off after dinner, grab a drink, find a comfortable spot, and take some time to talk about your favorite parts of the day.

Every good date ends with a good coffee. Wind down with the Cold White Brew or the Froccino Mocha and talk about the parts of the day you liked best.

For a classic coffee fix, go for its Cold White Brew, which the brand describes as its best-selling signature drink. If you're in the mood for something richer and more indulgent, the Froccino Mocha is another popular choice.

And because the best dates usually end with another date being planned, this is the perfect time to ask the important question:

“So, where are we going next?”

Make Your Next Date a Filipino Story

This Buwan ng Wika, make it more than a meal or a movie. The galleon, The Aristocrat, Cabalen, Café Adriatico, and Bo's Coffee make for one of the better indoor date ideas Metro Manila has to offer, and a good way to learn a little more about the Philippines, and each other.

Check SM's ongoing mall promos and mall deals if you are planning around this season's sale promos, and if you carry an SM Advantage Card, SMAC card benefits go a long way here too.

Go all out and make it a date worth remembering at SM Mall of Asia.

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