From lunch to live music at Smith & Wollensky Manila
Smith & Wollensky Manila at The Finance Centre in BGCThere’s a table for every occasion at Smith & Wollensky Manila. With weekday lunches, dry-aged steaks, and a lounge for drinks and live music, the BGC restaurant hopes to give guests more reasons to return.
From a family marking a milestone to colleagues sitting down for a business lunch, they arrive with different things in mind, and at Smith & Wollensky Manila, understanding that difference is part of welcoming them.
For general manager JJ Retuya, getting to know the restaurant’s Manila guests has meant paying attention to what brings them through the door—and what makes them want to come back.
“One thing I’ve learned is that our guests in Manila really value the experience as much as the food itself. They appreciate quality, but they also want to feel that the occasion is special and that the experience is worth coming back for.”
The brand’s first Philippine restaurant, located at The Finance Centre in Bonifacio Global City, welcomes corporate executives, business travelers, and families celebrating meaningful occasions. While many guests initially think of it as somewhere to save for something special, Retuya and his team want to make room for more everyday visits, too.
That thinking helped shape the Grill & Lounge, which offers a more accessible menu and a relaxed atmosphere across from the full-service steakhouse.
“We want guests to know that they can enjoy the Smith & Wollensky experience not just for a special occasion, but also for a weekday lunch, an after-work drink, or a casual dinner,” Retuya says.
Lunch is one place to start, and at the steakhouse, a two-course Business Lunch begins at ₱1,420. Over at S&W Grill, the Lunch at the Grill menu is available Monday through Friday, from 11 AM to 3 PM, with meals starting at ₱990.
The choices include beef, seafood, chicken, and ribs, with the accompaniments listed for each dish.
The Loco Moco, priced at ₱990, brings together a prime beef patty, fried egg, gravy, and rice. Also at ₱990 is the Dry-Aged Tapa with Garlic Confit Rice, served with a fried egg as well.
For a different beef preparation, the Carne Asada Plate features Mexican-style steak with fajita vegetables, Spanish rice, and tortilla. The Shrimp Fajita pairs broiled shrimp with fajita vegetables, Spanish rice, and tortilla too. Each is priced at ₱990.
There are barbecue options featuring the Baby Back Ribs, at ₱990, which comes with grilled baby back ribs, house-made barbecue sauce, and rice. The Kansas-Style BBQ Chicken, also ₱990, features grilled boneless chicken with house-made barbecue sauce and rice.
The Creole Salmon with Cajun Cream Sauce is a ₱990 plate of spice-rubbed broiled salmon, Cajun cream sauce, and rice. Completing the lunch selection is the Prime Rib, priced at ₱1,980, with slow-roasted ribeye, au jus, and mashed potato.
The lunch offerings sit alongside Retuya’s broader approach to looking after guests.
“For me, hospitality is really about understanding why a guest is visiting us and making sure we deliver an experience that feels right for that occasion.”
These lunch offerings are available Monday-Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM at S&W Grill.
At the steakhouse, the two-course Business Lunch is available Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Starting at ₱1,420, each set includes a choice of starter, a main course, and one side dish.The first decision is between the daily soup and a Caesar salad. From there, the mains offer several directions. There is Salmon Beurre Blanc at ₱1,680, served with beurre blanc sauce, or Chilean Mussels with White Wine Sauce at ₱1,420, accompanied by garlic bread. The Kurobuta Pork Chop, at ₱2,880, comes with spicy tomato jam, while the 210-gram Lamb Chops, at ₱2,980, are paired with mint pesto.
For those coming with beef in mind, the choices include a 250-gram USDA Prime New York Strip at ₱3,720 and a 170-gram USDA Filet Mignon at ₱3,880. Also at ₱3,880 are the Filet Medallions: two 85-gram pieces served with truffle demi-glace and mushrooms. The Beef Bourguignon, priced at ₱1,780, features beef braised in red wine.To complete the meal, guests choose from Cajun rice, creamed spinach, corn Manchego, whipped potatoes, or French fries. All prices are inclusive of VAT.
At the steakhouse, signature dry-aged steaks remain central to the menu, with an emphasis on marbling and deep beef flavor.
Among the featured cuts is the American Wagyu Swinging Tomahawk, a 44-ounce bone-in American Wagyu ribeye. It is grilled and hand-seared for a rich, smoky finish, then served tableside.
A curated collection of wines accompanies the menu, with selections chosen to complement the steaks and their bold flavors.
A distinctive steakhouse cut, dry-aged in-house to develop a deeper, more concentrated beef flavor and rich, nutty notes. Depending on the cut, our Delmonico may be sourced from either the Short Loin or Ribeye, each offering its own unique character, marbling and texture. A special selection for guests who appreciate the depth and complexity of dry-aged beef. Available in limited quantities only.
A magnificent bone-in ribeye, selected from USDA Prime beef and dry-aged in-house for 28 days. This carefully controlled aging process deepens its natural beef character, developing a richer, more concentrated flavour and a beautifully pronounced nuttiness.Expertly prepared to showcase its exceptional marbling, tenderness and bold, robust character a true Smith and Wollensky steakhouse classic. .jpg)
A signature steakhouse classic, dry-aged in-house for 28 days to develop a deeper, more concentrated beef flavour and distinctive nutty notes. Featuring two exceptional cuts in one: the tender, buttery Filet Mignon and the richly marbled New York Strip, separated by the iconic T-bone. Expertly prepared to deliver the best of both worlds.
Smith & Wollensky’s Signature Dessert, it is an indulgent masterpiece featuring five layers of Baileys-infused chocolate cake, delicately layered with five layers of smooth chocolate mousse and finished with a rich dark chocolate ganache. Garnished with our signature cow cookie, freshly whipped cream, and seasonal fresh berries.Guests can dine in the main dining area, at the Chef’s Table, or in one of the private rooms. The main dining capacity is listed at 130 guests, while the private spaces accommodate smaller meals and larger gatherings.
The private dining rooms take their names from cities. The New York/Boston rooms accommodate eight to 10 people, London seats eight to 12, the Miami/Chicago rooms accommodate four to six, and Taipei seats five. Whole private dining rooms can seat 40 to 50 guests. These spaces accommodate executive meetings, corporate functions, and milestone celebrations, with private event options that include birthdays, proposals, wine dinners, activations, and corporate lunches and dinners.
For Retuya, the service should reflect the reason people have gathered.
“For a business lunch, that could mean being attentive without being intrusive, making sure the service is efficient, and giving guests the space they need to have a productive conversation.”
A family celebration calls for a more personal approach. The team makes an effort to understand what guests are celebrating and acknowledge it, whether through a handwritten card or by making sure everyone looking after the table understands the occasion’s significance.
Smith & Wollensky Manila General Manager, JJ RetuyaRetuya also pays attention to the smaller exchanges: the welcome, the way the team communicates, how they anticipate guests’ needs, and how they respond when something does not go as planned.
“I always remind my team that the guest may not remember every detail of the meal, but they will remember how we made them feel. That’s what we want to achieve at Smith & Wollensky BGC: a dining experience that feels personal, thoughtful, and worth returning for.”
Across the other side of The Finance Centre’s second floor, the Grill & Lounge offers a setting for pre-dinner drinks, cocktail receptions, and casual corporate get-togethers. With a bar and plush seating, the space has a listed capacity of 50 to 70 guests.
Its Prime Grill Selections, featuring signature grill favorites and other plates, are available all day, exclusively at S&W Grill. This is a separate offering from the weekday lunch menu.
In the evenings, live entertainment usually runs from Wednesday through Sunday, but this November, guests can enjoy these performances every night. Smith O’clock, their version of Happy Hour, meanwhile, offers selected drinks at ₱249 daily from 5 PM to 8 PM.
Whether guests come for lunch, a celebration, or an evening at the lounge, Retuya’s aim is consistent.
“Ultimately, it’s about making every visit feel worthwhile, whether it’s their first time with us or their 50th.”
Smith & Wollensky Manila is on the second floor of The Finance Centre, 26th Street corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila. It’s open from 11 AM to 10 PM, Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 AM to 11 PM, Friday and Saturday.
Photos courtesy of Smith & Wollensky Philippines.