ugly duck
Overall Rating: 3.17 / 5.0
Enjoyability: 2.0 / 5.0
Safety: 4.0 / 5.0
Affordability: 3.5 / 5.0
short description
Located right off the main strip of Poblacion, Ugly Duck features solid layout features and books established, well-known DJs who span various musical genres. However, the physical energy in the room has dropped compared to its peak, often resulting in smaller crowds and a flatter room dynamic throughout the entire night.
Bouncers are posted noticeably around the venue, giving the main floor a secure baseline. The primary safety point to keep in mind is physical access: navigating the flight of stairs leading up to the bar requires real caution when leaving late at night (and possibly, drunk).
Prices land in a reasonable middle tier. Standard cocktails are fairly priced, but the real highlight is the food menu, which serves high-quality bar chow (or pulutan!) that justifies the order.
Despite booking respected DJs and maintaining good kitchen output, the lower crowd density holds the overall vibe back, keeping the room from reaching a proper party flow.
Sof and Ino’s Final Rating: 3.17 / 5.0
Bea Abarquez: 4.0
Their menu is very extensive! I love their food and cocktail options. The vibe is very classy and elegant in a way.
Allyson Limbo: 3.67
Used to be one of “the” spots, but lately the hype has died down, people opt for other bars instead, but I still enjoy passing by every now & then especially when there’s events. Not the bar I’d recommend going to for a super hard night out because the stairs are a big hazard. DJ’s play decent music, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it anymore. Good to start with if new to the Poblacion or night life scene in general.
Sam Panganiban: 4.67
UGHHHHH i miss going here! Def puro college but i have to just deduct some points bc the stairs paakyat!!!!!!!! Love the vibes tho and cute i mean cool djs!!!
Princess Punio: 4.67
Love Ugly Duck, always a go-to. Really good music especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Underrated food too. Crowd is usually college people, the Yes Please of Poblacion 😂😂. Looove the staff, they’re so nice.
Mika Rabacca: 3.0
Fun naman, they also have themed nights and events so it’s not just for partying! On the affordable end too