I hardly recognized Ayala Mall-Cebu last weekend but I loved it! Terraces now surround the side of the mall facing the lush garden and fountains, and across the park where Cafe Laguna is, are rows of new restaurants and cafes. I spotted Cyma, a Greek restaurant that I sometimes go to at Greenbelt 2; The Gustavian, a deli that I love (been to their Mactan branch last week), good ol' Cafe Laguna and Starbucks are in the same locations, new coffee shops, more restaurants and a Fully-Booked branch. A Cebuano friend told me the new mall opened on October 2008 (I was in Cebu in February or March this year but stayed in Mactan the whole time). It is a 600-million pesos redevelopment that transformed what used to be a simple lagoon area to a row of high-end restaurants and a cool park complete with fountains. This mall is a favorite destination when I'm in Cebu for work--- I usually stay at the nearby hotel, meet friends at Bo's Coffee, dine at Bigby's, indulge a cheese craving at Roma Mia, have a beer at Tequilla Joe's or enjoy live music at Ratsky [when it was newly opened].
The garden definitely tops the attraction at The Terraces. Parents bring their kids here, young people hang out, friends chat by the fountain, boys skate around. And I'm sure The Terraces is livelier at night---Cebuano folks, tourists and expats in Cebu love the night-life! And of course, this is a cool place to walk around for somebody like me who was killing time, waiting for an evening flight.Posted for Weekend Snapshot
our malls make the malls here look like palengke! hehe.
ReplyDeletewow. my perfect view with a cup of Darjeeling green tea and red velvet cupcake.
ReplyDeleteThankies for the visit, Luna! Take care and till next WS!
Nice place to hang out.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting place. It looks like a fun place to shop!
ReplyDeleteit's been awhile since i've been to Ayala-Cebu and i must agree that it looks so different now than the last time i saw it. my WS is up too.
ReplyDeleteIs Ratsky still operational? I always got a complimentary ticket when I was visiting there, but never took a peek of that bar. Looking at that pic and knowing the added attractions in Cebu encourages a revisit.
ReplyDeletehi, witsandnuts! the area where Ratsky is, is still under renovation. i'm not sure if it stayed in its original location or was relocated. i always had fun at Ratsky-Cebu, the crowd is a bit young for me pero masaya pa rin.:P
ReplyDeletenice shots luna! when i was there last year, it was already on its last stage but still closed. now i get to see how beautiful it is. sarap mamasyal ulit.
ReplyDeleteAyala Malls always create a different ambiance for shoppers to relax and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteIn the many days that I stayed in Cebu, ni hindi ko man lang ito napuntahan.. =(
ReplyDeleteA real archicterual piece with lot of great land scapping bravo...thanks for great pictures superbbbbb THIS IS REAL MALL great
ReplyDeletewow... is that how it looks like right now? nice!
ReplyDeletebeen ages since i've been there ...