Makati
Birthday Catering Makati: 40th and 50th Menus
Plan a polished 40th or 50th birthday in Makati with substantial canapes, personal flavours, and an optional chef-led caviar moment.
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For cocktail catering Makati hosts should plan 8 to 10 canapés per guest for a two-hour standing reception, served in timed rounds rather than all at once. A balanced menu combines cold bites, warm bites, one substantial item, a vegetarian option, and a restrained sweet finish. This structure keeps guests comfortable without turning the event into a full dinner.
Cocktail catering Makati menu structure
A standing reception works best when the menu builds gradually. Start with clean, light flavours while guests arrive. Move into warm and richer canapés once the room fills. Serve the most substantial items near the middle, then close with one or two small desserts.
For a two-hour event, use this practical sequence:
- First 20 minutes: two cold canapés per guest
- 20 to 50 minutes: two warm canapés per guest
- 50 to 80 minutes: two substantial bites per guest
- 80 to 105 minutes: one final savoury round per guest
- Last 15 minutes: one or two petite desserts per guest
This pacing matters in Makati venues where arrivals can be uneven. Guests coming from Ayala Avenue, Salcedo Village, Legazpi Village, Rockwell, or Chino Roces may be delayed by weekday traffic. Holding a portion of the opening selection prevents late arrivals from missing the entire first course.
Eight pieces per person suit an early evening reception followed by dinner. Plan 10 pieces when the event falls over the usual dinner period, alcohol is being served, or no seated meal follows. For a more generous dinner replacement, discuss 10 to 12 pieces and increase the proportion of substantial bites.
Build the menu in five parts
Cold canapés should be neat, fresh, and easy to pass as guests settle in. Suitable choices include smoked fish on crisp bases, prawn with citrus, roast beef with horseradish, or seasonal vegetable tartlets. The first round should avoid sauces that drip and garnishes that wilt quickly.
Warm canapés add contrast and make the reception feel more complete. Choose items that retain their texture after leaving the kitchen, such as croquettes, miniature skewers, filled pastry cases, or crisp parcels. Not every warm item survives a long route from the service area to a ballroom or office floor.
One or two substantial bites anchor the menu. These may be small brioche sandwiches, savoury tartlets, miniature rice-based dishes, or composed bites with meat or seafood. They should still be manageable with one hand and no knife. A standing guest may already be holding a drink, phone, or business card.
Vegetarian food should be part of the main sequence, not an afterthought. Include at least two savoury vegetarian choices when dietary information is incomplete. Finish with petite desserts that can be eaten in one or two bites, such as chocolate tartlets, choux, or fruit-forward pastries.
Match the food to a standing Makati venue
Makati receptions take place in very different settings. A hotel ballroom can support a larger back-of-house setup. A private dining room may offer only a compact preparation area. An office launch in an Ayala Avenue tower may involve freight-elevator schedules, loading-bay permits, building security, and limited access to refrigeration.
Ask the venue about these details before confirming the menu:
- Available preparation, plating, and refrigeration space
- Induction, oven, and open-flame restrictions
- Loading-bay access and supplier accreditation
- Service-elevator booking windows
- Tray-clearing routes and waste arrangements
- Cocktail tables, side stations, and glassware placement
Heat and humidity also shape service. Even in air-conditioned rooms, loading areas and outdoor transfers can be warm. Cold seafood, dairy, pastry, and caviar require an unbroken cold chain. Spoon & Caviar plans dispatch and holding around the venue’s access rules rather than allowing delicate items to wait at reception desks or loading bays.
For rooftop terraces, garden areas, and poolside spaces, choose canapés with stable bases and controlled garnishes. Avoid overloading the menu with whipped fillings, fragile crisps, or exposed ingredients that soften quickly in humid conditions.
Plan drinks, dietary needs, and caviar
The food should follow the drinks. Sparkling wine and light cocktails pair well with saline seafood, citrus, soft herbs, and crisp textures. Spirit-forward drinks need richer bites, while sweeter cocktails benefit from savoury, acidic food rather than equally sweet pairings. Include water and non-alcoholic drinks from the start, not only when dessert appears.
Request dietary information before finalising the count. Separate confirmed allergies from preferences, and identify halal-friendly, vegetarian, and gluten-conscious requirements clearly. Labelled individual plates or a controlled service round are safer than expecting guests to recognise ingredients on a mixed tray.
Caviar can be introduced as a focused moment rather than spread across every course. Caviar in Motion is a chef-led tableside caviar service with blini and crème fraîche. It is quoted per event according to guest count and the selected sustainably farmed sturgeon roe. The grade, from baerii to oscietra, is confirmed with the client before the event.
A caviar round works well after the opening canapés, once most guests have arrived. This allows the chef to explain the service briefly while maintaining the pace of the reception.
Budget and service level
For a two-hour standing reception, budget should cover more than the number of pieces. Menu composition, staffing, transport timing, venue access, equipment, tableware, and the balance of cold and warm food all affect the final plan.
Spoon & Caviar offers The Canape Edit from PHP 850 per head and The Cocktail Experience from PHP 1,100 per head. The Canape Edit suits a concise canapé programme. The Cocktail Experience provides a fuller reception format. Caviar in Motion is quoted separately per event based on caviar grade and guest count.
In Makati, allow enough lead time for building endorsements and supplier access, particularly for offices, embassies, private clubs, and high-rise residences. A well-structured menu can still fail if the service team cannot reach the floor or begin setup on schedule.
Spoon & Caviar serves Makati and the wider Metro Manila area, including BGC/Taguig, Ortigas/Pasig, Quezon City, Alabang, San Juan, and Manila. Tagaytay, Batangas, Rizal, and Pampanga/Clark are available with a travel and cold-chain fee.
Send your Makati event date, venue, and guest count through the inquiry form. You may also contact Spoon & Caviar on WhatsApp at +63 915 325 2610.
Frequently asked
How many canapés per guest should I order for a two-hour Makati cocktail party?
For a two-hour standing reception in Makati, plan 8 to 10 canapés per guest. Eight pieces suit a reception before dinner, while 10 pieces are more appropriate when the event covers dinner time, includes alcohol, or has no meal afterward.
What should a two-hour cocktail party menu include?
A balanced Makati cocktail menu should include two cold canapés, two warm canapés, two substantial savoury bites, at least one vegetarian choice, and one or two petite desserts. Serve them in timed rounds so guests receive fresh food throughout the two-hour reception.
How much does cocktail catering in Makati cost?
Spoon & Caviar's The Canape Edit starts from PHP 850 per head, while The Cocktail Experience starts from PHP 1,100 per head. Caviar in Motion is quoted per event according to guest count and the confirmed caviar grade, from baerii to oscietra.
Can you cater cocktail parties in Makati offices and rooftop venues?
Spoon & Caviar caters in Makati office towers, hotel ballrooms, private dining rooms, residences, clubs, and rooftop venues, subject to venue access and preparation requirements. Hosts should confirm loading-bay permits, supplier accreditation, service-elevator schedules, refrigeration, and equipment restrictions before the event.
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