Dominion Cellar’s World of Wine

In the city’s already crowded dining scene, Dominion Cellars has taken a different approach. Rather than positioning itself solely as a dining destination or wine bar, it was conceived as something far more comprehensive.

Founded by spouses Bill Yuen and Roxanne Lee, both longtime and passionate wine drinkers, Dominion was created with the clear intention to build a space to serve the full spectrum of wine culture, from discovery and retail, to dining, collecting, and ultimately building a wine community. (Story continues below.)

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Dominion is designed for people who genuinely love wine. The ground floor introduces that philosophy with a retail space built around both range and depth across the world’s most important wine regions. Guests can browse casually yet still sense the seriousness of the cellar. Bottles from California, Champagne, and Bordeaux form the backbone of the collection, while the portfolio continues to expand into Burgundy and Spain, ensuring that both classic and emerging producers find a place on their shelves.

American wines, in particular, are a strong focus. Dominion carries a number of labels that are often difficult to access, even in Napa Valley itself. Bottles such as Brion and Lithology, which typically require allocations and waiting lists in the United States, are available alongside widely admired California expressions like Austin Hope, Darioush, and Whitehall Lane, all of which are wines that have long resonated with Filipino drinkers.

The cellar also reflects the influence of some of Napa’s most respected winemakers. Names such as Heidi Barrett, the original winemaker behind Screaming Eagle, appear through projects like Lamborn, while celebrated figures including Thomas Rivers Brown and Philippe Melka represent the caliber of producers Dominion seeks to champion. Alongside these icons, the collection also highlights rising talent, including Julien Fayard, whom many consider one of the next great stars in the world of cult Napa wines. The goal is not simply to showcase prestige bottles, but to strike a balance between established legends and the next generation of exceptional producers.

But Dominion is more than a wine shop. Inside the retail space is a casual dining bistro, where the menu has been developed to complement the wines on offer. Guests can sit down for approachable dishes, enjoy a glass, or pick up premium ingredients to take home. The deli itself reflects the same attention to quality found in the wine selection. Serious cuts of beef, including Mayura and Sanchoku WagyuWagyuA Japanese beef breed celebrated for intense marbling that creates a buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture, graded on a scale where A5 is the highest. Wagyu is a luxury dining staple prizedGo to Wagyu Glossary, sit alongside respected cheeses such as those from Point Reyes, while indulgences like Royal Caviar Club caviar, served in Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong, provide an added layer of luxury. The idea, as the founders explain it, is simple: If you are opening a great bottle of wine, the food beside it should be equally worthy.

An appealing feature for guests is the fluid relationship between the retail shop and the dining spaces. Should a bottle on the shelf catch your attention, it can easily become part of your meal. Guests who purchase wine from Dominion’s retail collection are welcome to enjoy it in the bistro or restaurant without corkage, encouraging exploration and discovery rather than limiting the experience to a traditional restaurant wine list.

Upstairs, the atmosphere shifts into something more refined. The dining room offers a more considered setting where cuisine and wine share equal importance. The kitchen is led by chef Carlos Garcia of Black Pig, who helped develop the menu alongside resident chef Jorn Fonseca. Menu highlights include dishes such as a popular cavatelli with black truffles, grilled jamon iberico and dry-aged steaks from exclusive meat purveyors such as Mishima Reserve, Snake River Farms, and Ohmi, as well as well-executed fish entrees such as a filet of turbot served with asparagus and shaoxing velouté.

While the tone remains relaxed rather than formal, the restaurant invites diners to linger over meals where the pairing of food and wine take center stage. A dedicated wine bar provides a space for tastings complete with proper glassware and wine service, in an environment designed to encourage curiosity and exploration.

Dominion’s design also recognizes that wine is inherently social. Throughout its two floors, a range of private dining rooms allows the venue to host gatherings of various sizes. Intimate groups of 10 can gather for private tastings, while larger celebrations, corporate dinners, or milestone events can be accommodated in rooms that expand to host 20, 40, or even up to 80 guests. The flexibility of these spaces reinforces the idea that Dominion is as much about community as it is about wine itself.

For serious collectors, however, the most distinctive element of Dominion lies in its private members’ club. Membership is tied directly to securing a wine locker, wine cage, or larger storage space within a carefully maintained, temperature-controlled cellar. Once enrolled, members receive an RFID access card that allows them to access their personal collections in a secure environment. Beyond storage, membership also unlocks access to their members-only lounge, along with privileges such as discounts on wine purchases, priority access to events, and preferred reservations for the private rooms. It creates not only a place to store wine, but fosters a sense of belonging for collectors.

Dominion does not employ a resident sommelier, and that decision is entirely by design. Instead, the wine program is guided by a team of experienced wine drinkers and collectors, including the founders themselves. For Yuen and Lee, years spent drinking, studying, and collecting wine have shaped a perspective grounded in real-world experience. It is this practical knowledge that informs how Dominion arrives at its selection and engages with its guests.

Ultimately, Dominion enters the dining landscape as a complete wine destination. It is a place where retail, dining, collecting, and community intersect into a seamless lifestyle experience. Whether one arrives to browse the cellar, enjoy a casual meal, host an event, or store a personal collection, Dominion invites guests to experience wine not as an occasional indulgence, but as an enjoyable part of everyday life.

Dominion Cellars is located in 38 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City. Reservations: 09088939463

This article originally appeared in Robb Report Philippines’ Food & Drink Issue, April 2026.

Writer: Alicia Colby-Sy
Editor & Color Grading: Aqi Ticzon
Videography: Gian Escamillas
Photography: Jar Concengco