Venice Grand Canal Mall, a taste of Italy in the Philippines!
Updated: Apr 3
At the Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig City, Manila, you can immerse yourself in a Venetian-inspired experience. The standout feature of this mall is the artificial canal that runs through its center, where you can enjoy a gondola ride reminiscent of those in Venice. They are operated by gondoliers who are even dressed in traditional Venetian costumes, and sing too!
The mall offers a mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, including a variety of shops and boutiques, diverse dining establishments, and live performances. Additionally, the mall features cinemas for moviegoers, picturesque spots for relaxation and photography, and serves as a venue for special events and celebrations.
The man-made canal is the centerpiece of the mall, and is the most popular spot for photos and sightseeing. The canal is lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes, along with a pretty good replica of Rialto Bridge.
The Ponte de Amore Bridge is also present, a heart-shaped bridge that is a popular spot for couples. The bridge is decorated with lights and flowers, complete with love locks too, and it is a beautiful place to take photos.
A replica of St. Mark's Campanile is also at Venice Grand Canal Mall, along with numerous attractions including a carousel, rides for the kids and even pigeon feeding. There really is something for everyone here!
Read on for our highlights, the restaurant we tried, details of our gondola ride, the history of the mall, how to get there, and our Venice Grand Canal Mall experience rating.
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Our Venice Grand Canal Mall highlights
We had seen a fair few videos on YouTube about this mall, so we were really curious to see what it was all about. It was only a fifteen minute drive from our Airbnb too. The drive was super easy and McKinley Village, where the mall is located, is very well developed and a cool place to check out in general.
Just the entrance to the mall alone is beautiful and immediately gives off those Italiano vibes! Also known as the Venice Piazza, this mall is the most visited attraction in the area and we could see why from the moment we stepped inside.
We were initially greeted by this incredible bear of roses, and as we made our way through the rose-arched entrance we were drawn to the left, where we first saw the central canal. Sometimes these types of tourist attractions can come off a little tacky, but we have to say that the imitation has been well thought out here.
The canal itself is not too big, but long enough to incorporate several bridges, and is lined with restaurants that all incorporate the traditional arch-style Venice facades. The pastel colors and unique architecture do indeed give off a real feel of not just Venice but Europe in general. Having been to Venice ourselves not too long ago, it was actually very alluring!
The side 'streets' to the canal are bustling with unique street acts, mainly those wonderfully dressed 'statue' artists that offer awesome photo ops. There are plenty of places to catch that Instagram worthy shot, although it is very busy so not easy to find a bit of space!
Inside the mall is also really pretty, with plenty of murals, bright colors and stylish lighting that caught our eye. There are some high-end stores here, but it did feel like it was all about the food to be honest. You will find some fast-food favorites, but it is mostly Italian (obviously) and Filipino cuisine here which we thought was a very good combination indeed.
After a wonderful meal at Juan's Bistro (more on that later), we went on to take the Gondola ride. It was something we did not get to do in the actual Venice, so it was seemed cool to try it here. It was a little on the pricey side, but we are glad we had a chance to experience it.
We decided to share our gondola and it was awesome because we were accompanied by someone who was from the Philippines but lived in Canada! What were the chances! It was super nice to get to know them, with our Gondolier singing in the background. It is moments like these that make traveling so worthwhile. The ride lasted around ten minutes, and was very comfortable. Included in the price is a free photo at the end too, which is a nice touch.
Check out more details on the Gondola Ride in the next section, and be sure to watch our highlights of the ride in our YouTube video later on in this post!
This Manila restaurant is a feast for the senses! The elegant interior, delicious food, and live band will transport you to another world!
The Gondola Ride at Venice Grand Canal Mall
The gondola ride at Venice Grand Canal Mall is a 10-minute ride end-to-end, along the man-made canal. The gondolas are operated by gondoliers who are dressed in traditional Venetian costumes, and with great voices, sing too! The Gondola Ride is a popular tourist attraction and a great way to experience the Italian atmosphere of the mall.
Here are some things to know if you are considering the gondola ride:
● The gondola ride costs 500 pesos per person for a shared boat. The gondola can accommodate up to 6 people.
● For a private non-shared ride, you must book the whole boat, which costs 2000 pesos.
● The rides are available daily from 11am to 10pm.
● The ride is not recommended for pregnant women or people with mobility issues.
● The ride may be cancelled due to bad weather (the canal section of the mall is open air).
● Arrive early or on weekdays to avoid long queues. Average wait times can be up to 1 hour on weekends.
● When boarding the gondola, a photo is taken which is available for free at the end of the ride.
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Our visit to Juan's Bistro Restaurant
Juan's Bistro is a Filipino restaurant located at the Ground Floor of Venice Grand Canal Mall. It is a casual dining restaurant that serves a variety of Filipino dishes, including appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
It was one of the first restaurants we saw when we got to the mall, and we were immediately drawn to its tempting menu outside as we wanted to try some authentic Filipino cuisine.
We are so glad we chose Juan's Bistro; the food was just fantastic! The deep fried half pork leg that we ordered was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and succulently soft on the inside. Probably the best pork we have ever had outside of Mexico, which has always been a favorite of ours.
Aside from the pork, we tried the Ginisang Sayote, which is vegetables sauteed with mixed pork and chicharron. This was the first time we had tried this in the Philippines and this was also super tasty and we definitely recommend it.
We also had a side of Embutido Natin, a fried meat roll with sausage, raisin and egg. This was our least favorite of all what we ordered, it was okay, but we probably wouldn't order it again. There was nothing wrong with it though, and it is still worth trying as a starter.
We also tried on of the most famous deserts in the Philippines, Halo Halo. This popular desert is made up of of crushed ice, evaporated milk, and various ingredients including beans, coconut, soft yams in cubes, flan pieces and fruit. It is an exciting desert with lots going on, and is certainly enough for two to share. This was our first try of Halo Halo, and after several recommendations from our YouTube subscribers, we are so happy we had the opportunity to enjoy it!
Overall perhaps one of the defining characteristics of this restaurant was not just the great food, but its excellent service. Fast, efficient and friendly, the staff here really made an effort to make us feel welcome and valued. So much so that we participated in a special promotion where we made a Reel for Facebook and Instagram, and were given a 20% off voucher, along with a free re-useable bag and umbrella. Super nice, and a great ending to our time here. We highly recommend Juan's Bistro, and we are sure you will enjoy it just as much as we did!
The history behind Venice Grand Canal Mall in Manila
Venice Grand Canal Mall is an Italian-inspired lifestyle mall located in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, Philippines. It was developed by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, a subsidiary of Megaworld Corporation. The mall took just over a year to build and was opened to the public on September 18, 2015.
The mall is designed to resemble the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It features a man-made canal that is 200 meters (660 ft) long and 15 meters (49 ft) wide. The canal is lined with gondolas that offer rides to visitors. The mall also has replicas of St. Mark's Campanile in Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, and the Ponte de Amore Bridge.
Venice Grand Canal Mall is home to a variety of shops, restaurants, and services. It is also a popular destination for events and concerts. The mall was awarded the Best Retail Architectural Design at the Philippine Property Awards in 2017, and now attracts over 1.5 million visitors a year, with its popularity continuing to increase.
How to get to Venice Grand Canal Mall in Manila
There are several ways to get to Azure Urban Resort Residences. Here are a few options:
⪢ By Taxi
Taxis and ride-hailing services are also available. The fare from Manila to the resort is around PHP 300-400.
⪢ By Bus
You can take a bus from any major bus terminal in Manila to the Fort Bonifacio Global City (BGC) bus stop. From the BGC bus stop, the walk to Venice Grand Canal Mall is around ten minutes. This will cost around 12 pesos.
⪢ By Car
The Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig City, Metro Manila, can be accessed by car from various routes, including EDSA, BGC, and C5 Road. To ensure accurate directions and avoid traffic, we recommend using navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze.
The main parking area is located at the back of the mall. The entrance is on Campus Avenue. The parking fee is 20 pesos per hour for the first two hours and 10 pesos per hour for every succeeding hour.
The overflow parking area is located on Upper McKinley Road. The entrance is near The Woodridge Residences. The parking fee is 10 pesos per hour.
⪢ MRT / Jeepney
Take the MRT south to Guadalupe Station and exit the station northbound. Walk to the jeepney terminal in front of the MRT station and take one bound for Market Market FTI Gate 3. Get off at the McKinley Hill stop; the walk from there to Venice Grand Canal Mall is around five minutes. This will cost around 30 pesos in total.
Address: McKinley Hill Dr, Taguig, 1630 Metro Manila
Phone: +63 027 624 1971
Opening hours: 11am to 11pm daily
Check out our trip to Venice Grand Canal Mall on YouTube
We were surprised by the beauty in the Venice Grand Canal Mall and had a great time on the gondola ride! Enjoy our Filipino food reactions to the delicious tastes we tried at Juan's Bistro and make sure to watch to find out what we really thought about the popular Filipino dessert Halo Halo.
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Our Venice Grand Canal Mall experience rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
The Venice Grand Canal Mall is a really fun experience that we do recommend checking out if you are looking for somewhere a little different in Manila! Manila is famous for its malls and shopping and here is no exception; you can certainly do that. Not to mention the incredible amount of food on offer too.
But what Venice Grand Canal Mall does in its own unique way is offer you a romantic taste of Italy, where you can enjoy moments that otherwise you might only ever get to see on social media or somewhere on the internet. Having been to Venice and not taken a gondola ride, it was exactly that for us too! We hope you get a chance to go. Feel free to check back here and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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