Staff members of Hobbit House in Ermita A restaurant in Ermita, Manila has been named the weirdest in the world for its dwarf waiters and cooks, which coincide with its “Lord of the Rings” theme. Hobbit House, which also has a branch in Boracay, topped the list of the “world’s weirdest themed restaurants” compiled by CNNGo, the travel news website of the Cable News Network. The restaurant-bar was opened by former Peace Corps volunteer and college professor Jim Turner in Mabini Street in 1973, and was moved to M. H. del Pilar street in 2007. “Diners of a sensitive bent might balk at the political correctness of it all, but the waiters are of an indisputably sunny disposition,” writer Duncan Forgan said in the CNNGo article. “Turner’s masterful brainwave has had global implications with a similar restaurant – Dwarves of the East (without the Middle Earth overtones) having opened in Cairo, Egypt.” Hobbit House’s candlelit interiors include paintings of scenes from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The place is also known for staging performances by local folk, rock, blues, jazz and reggae artists, such as Freddie Aguilar, Blue Rats and Marc Velasco. Food served here, however, is not as unique. Hobbit House’s specialties include the usual Filipino beef steak, English sausages with mashed potatoes, and tomato and garlic pasta. Before CNNGo, Hobbit House has been recognized by iExplore.com and Lonely Planet for having the “smallest waiters in the world.” Other restaurants included in CNNGo’s list of the world’s weirdest-themed restaurants are Heart Attack Grill in the United States, which serves heart attack-inducing items, and Eternity, a coffin restaurant in Ukraine. Below is the full list: 1. Hobbit House in Manila, Philippines 2. Pyongyang in Laos, Cambodia, Nepal and United Arab Emirates 3. Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 4. NG Meat Bar in Tel Aviv, Israel 5. Eternity in Truskavets, Ukraine 6. Modern Toilet in Taipei, Taiwan 7. Fortezza Medicea Jail Restaurant in Pisa, Italy 8. Guolizhuang in Beijing, China 9. Ninja in New York, United States Source:- http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/05/10/12/world’s-weirdest-themed-restaurant-ph
Got to be kidding, it's been around for donkey's year's where else will you get a pint of Guinness in Manila, the Hobbit House was and is a great venue and it is great in that it gives jobs to folk who really need them. Been in all versions of it, the old one in Mabini that had a slightly fusty smell to it, the one in Boracay where I had a can of McEwans was ok as well, they used to have a presence on Baywalk as well, we also had a lovely night out in the new one in Del Pila, I'll try and dig out the pics.
Expensive, for what the bar is. And they add a hidden cover charge to the bill (about 100 peso/person??) The midgets were OK the first time I went there, after that I found them to be miserable, and damned annoying. I think that many people visit once for the novelty. I hope that I never have to go again. Better to go to G-Point bar one block across on Padre Fauro. Good choice of beers (including Guinness) and a decent menu, all at reasonable prices. The staff are far more friendly, and the band better. But difficult to get a seat late evening, as it gets very busy.
Well in my view it had a great mix of music and the staff were always nice. Political correctness is not always appropriate in my opinion. Freddie Aguilar has a pub close by which is also a nice spot and might by some estimates be better but the Hobbit House was always a great wee venue for folk music as far as I was concerned.
