By Lee Thomas and Jake Saunders
Metro Manila’s Bonifacio Global City has no shortage of sleek lounges and cocktail dens, but tucked behind a discreet wooden door on High Street lies a sanctuary that feels less like a bar and more like a gentleman’s club from another century. Welcome to The Cedar Room, established in late 2023 by Rob Navida, and already whispered about in hushed tones among Manila’s cigar cognoscenti.
Step inside and you’re greeted by warm wood paneling, buttery leather armchairs, and chandeliers that cast a glow flattering enough to make even the most seasoned aficionado look like a portrait subject. A faux fireplace anchors the main lounge, offering the illusion of hearth and home—though the real warmth comes from the cigars and conversation. For those who prefer privacy, a secluded meeting room awaits, equally well-appointed and perfect for conspiratorial plotting over Cohibas.
The walk-in humidor is the Cedar Room’s crown jewel: a well-lit treasure chest stocked with Cubans, Dominicans, Hondurans, and more. As Zino Davidoff once quipped, “A fine cigar is the essence of man’s enjoyment.” One suspects he would have approved of this pairing.
The bar is no mere accessory—it’s a co-star. The Cedar Manhattan, infused with cedar smoke under glass, is a theatrical flourish that somehow avoids pretension. It’s the kind of drink that makes you nod approvingly before the first sip, as if to say: Yes, this is how life should be lived.
The Cedar Room doesn’t just serve cigars; it teaches them. Masterclasses on brands like Hoyo de Monterrey and Highland Park spirits remind patrons that cigar culture is as much about history as it is about flavor. As Winston Churchill—perhaps the most quotable cigar smoker of all time—once declared, “Smoking cigars is like falling in love. First you are attracted by its shape; you stay for its flavor, and you must always remember never to let the flame go out.”
There is no cover charge, only the gentle requirement that you partake in the ritual of cigar smoking. And really, why wouldn’t you? As Demi Moore observed, “There’s something about smoking a cigar that feels like a celebration.” The Cedar Room is precisely that: a celebration of craft, camaraderie, and cedar-scented memory.
