Part brunch, part pool party, part exercise in abandoning your plans for the rest of the day. Pink flamingos included — naturally.
There are two kinds of Sunday afternoons.
The first involves productivity, errands, and ambitious plans that inevitably end with you wondering where the weekend went.
The second involves finding yourself floating past a giant inflatable flamingo at Fairmont Makati, frozen mango margarita in hand, while questioning why you’re suddenly emotionally invested in a DJ playlist and whether ordering another plate of churros would really be such a terrible idea.
Liquid Brunch, Fairmont Makati’s monthly poolside gathering, belongs firmly in the second category.
What begins innocently enough as a (really) late brunch by the pool has a habit of evolving into something else entirely. One minute you’re arriving for a casual Sunday drink. The next, it’s somehow early evening, the skyline is turning gold, and you’re having the kind of meandering conversations that only seem to happen when nobody is in a hurry to be anywhere else.
Held at the hotel’s fourth-floor Pool Bar, Liquid Brunch has steadily become one of Makati’s more enjoyable weekend rituals. Part pool party, part social gathering, part staycation without the overnight commitment, it attracts a mix of hotel guests, local regulars, and expats looking for a low-effort escape from Metro Manila’s usual Sunday routine.
Tequila, but make it a lifestyle
The formula isn’t particularly complicated. There’s a swimming pool. There are cocktails. There is a DJ (and often, a percussionist). Yet somehow the combination works far better than it has any right to.
The event’s partnership with Patrón Tequila means Palomas feature heavily throughout the afternoon, though the frozen mango margaritas deserve a special mention. In Manila’s relentless heat, they land somewhere between cocktail and coping mechanism.
For those who prefer to settle in for the long haul, cabanas and table packages turn the afternoon into a proper gathering. Others simply arrive, claim a lounger, order a drink, and let the day unfold from there.
The beauty of Liquid Brunch is that it never feels overly programmed. Nobody is trying too hard. Nobody is rushing. The afternoon simply finds its own rhythm.
Poolside bites worth leaving your lounger for
Food-wise, the menu leans into the sort of relaxed, shareable fare that suits a long afternoon by the pool without ever feeling like an afterthought.
Part of the fun is that the lineup can shift from one Liquid Brunch to the next, so there’s usually something new to discover alongside returning favorites. During my visit, the truffle quesadillas were exactly the sort of thing you tell yourself you’ll share before quietly reconsidering that position. The signature guacamole disappeared at an impressive pace, while fish tacos delivered the kind of bright, easygoing flavors that feel tailor-made for sunny afternoons and frozen cocktails.
For those seeking at least a token nod to virtue, the watermelon tomato salad offers a refreshing counterpoint between rounds of margaritas and Palomas.
And yes, the churros deserve a mention. Crisp, light, and dangerously easy to keep reaching for, they remain one of the menu’s most reliable crowd-pleasers.
A social scene without the social pressure
Perhaps what surprised me most was the crowd.
Unlike many city events that can feel either overly curated or aggressively trendy, Liquid Brunch occupies a comfortable middle ground. Groups drift between the pool and the bar. Hotel guests mingle with Makati regulars. Conversations spark up naturally. Nobody seems especially concerned with being seen.
For Manila’s expat community, that easygoing atmosphere is part of the appeal. It offers a ready-made Sunday social scene without requiring a late night, a complicated guest list, or the sort of planning usually associated with coordinating adults’ schedules.
You can arrive with friends, show up solo, or unexpectedly leave with a few new acquaintances and a handful of restaurant recommendations.
The great Sunday time warp
The DJ soundtrack is partly responsible for what happens next.
What begins as easy afternoon background music gradually gathers momentum throughout the day. Before long, the energy shifts from relaxed poolside lounging to something more animated. Not quite a party. Not quite a brunch. Something pleasantly suspended between the two.
Time behaves strangely here. You glance at your phone expecting it to be 3 p.m. — shock of shocks, it’s 5:30. The sun is lower. Another round has appeared. The playlist has somehow become central to your emotional wellbeing. Nobody seems ready to leave. Not that anyone is complaining.
In a city that often feels permanently overscheduled, Liquid Brunch creates a rare pocket of unstructured time. The only pressing decisions involve whether to cool off in the pool, move to the shade, or order another drink.
As far as Sunday dilemmas go, there are certainly worse ones to have.
Liquid Brunch returns to Fairmont Makati on July 5, August 2, September 6, October 4, November 8, and December 6. Entry starts at ₱600 and includes pool access and a welcome cocktail.
Just don’t make dinner plans afterward. There’s a very good chance you won’t need them.
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