February 12, 2014 - Sage Restaurant and Bar, Makati Shangri-La's newest dining venture, is designed with "the perfect cut" philosophy in mind.  

A wordplay of sorts, "the perfect cut" refers to both a culinary term to describe the best cut of prime meat, as well as a tailoring term to connote a gentleman's tailored suit. Hirsch Bedner & Associates, the team of designers responsible for Sage's distinctive look, applied traditional lines, patterns and material mixed with a pop of teal-hued color to create a bespoke couture look. 

Taking inspiration from handcrafted and meticulous tailoring tradition, the overall look of Sage Restaurant and Bar reflects a masculine yet warm ambiance. Upon entering the bar, one sees metal rows consisting of leather "buckles" across a wall of teal chevron pattern, inspired by the inner lining of a suit. A floor-to-ceiling enomatic machine is installed on the left side from the bar entrance, framed by lush dark wooden panels. 

The marbled floor and central bar are made from England onyx. Around the bar, plush lounge chairs are positioned, made from hand-sewn leather, suede, velvet and tweed. The lounge and bar chairs are in teal, bronze and grey shades, all custom-made and accented with grommets, brass and steel, with handles inspired by a leather-stitched briefcase. 

The wooden flooring is patterned after herringbone, a sewing design consisting of columns of short parallel lines sloping opposite to each other, popularized in wool jackets.  The wall panels have a pinstripe pattern to connote the design of trousers. 

A small stage adjacent to the central bar is created for quartet and band performances. Framing the stage is a backdrop of hammered glass, to allow lighting to bounce off and create texture.  

Lounge sections are intimately positioned for semi-private gatherings. One of these is built to look like a mini library of sorts and is situated behind the grand staircase.  

The same design philosophy carries on to the restaurant at the mezzanine level. A winding staircase connects both levels, with the flooring made of onyx marble and wall panels accented with grommets.

The restaurant has a main dining area and a private dining area that can comfortably seat eight persons. Inside the private dining room, dark red leather chairs complement the "cuff link" wall mounting.  The main dining area has an airy ambiance and a raised central area with glass walls that reflect natural skylight in the day, and soft light in the evening from hammered glass chandeliers cut like cuff links. Similar to the bar, custom-made chairs are made from hand-sewn leather, suede, velvet and tweed, and accented with handles, in colors of dove grey and carmine red.

The restaurant boasts of a walk-in wine cellar featuring over 500 varieties of wine. Its kitchen is the first to use a josper grill in the hotel - a combination of a grill and an oven in a single machine.

Sage restaurant and bar is the latest addition to Makati Shangri-La's dining choices. It offers a well-curated choice of modern European fare using seasonal and sustainable ingredients. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, while the bar offers a selection of tapas to complement the craft cocktails. 

The culinary team is headed by Chef de Cuisine Gilles Galli, a from Grasse, South of France, known to be the world's capital of perfume. Chef Gilles has worked in the Michelin-starred Michel Rostang restaurant in Paris, and has spent over a decade in Southeast Asia. His last posting was in Koh Samui, Thaniland, before joining Shangri-La for the first time.

The name was chosen due to its origin. First used in the 14th century by the Anglo-French, sage means: "to taste, have good taste, be wise." Currently, the word sage's two meanings signify the inspiration for the restaurant - as an aromatic plant with grayish-green leaves used as a culinary herb, and for the bar - to mean a profoundly wise man/woman, a learned person, a thinker, a scholar, a savant or guru.

Sage restaurant and bar is located at the lobby level (bar) and mezzanine level (restaurant) of Makati Shangri-La, Manila. The restaurant's operating hours are the following: breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday to Friday, lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday to Friday, dinner from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Monday to Saturday. The bar's operating hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday to Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

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Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages more than 80 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 34,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka and United Kingdom. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.