To the French, there’s a moment in the day when time slows down: not for dinner, not quite for leisure, but for something lighter, looser, and entirely social. It’s called apéro, short for apéritif, and it’s the kind of ritual that resists translation. Its spirit travels well, and in Manila it finds an easy home at Dr. Wine for the pre-dinner hour—then, when appetites open, the night can slide naturally into dinner, and at Dr. Wine, expect an authentic French one. “As for apéro,” says Romain Escande, Executive Chef of Dr. Wine Poblacion, “it isn’t just about having a drink before dinner. It’s a part of everyday life in France. It’s when people slow down, connect, and enjoy the little things.” Often cast as an after-dinner haunt—late conversations, one more bottle, the low thrum of Poblacion—Dr. Wine is just as persuasive at the table: silky sauces, tender meats, soups to..
