Helm by Josh Boutwood Philippines Menu Prices 2026
If you’re searching for Helm by Josh Boutwood menu prices, here’s the short version: this isn’t an à la carte restaurant, so there’s really just one number to know, plus an optional wine pairing and this guide breaks down exactly what that covers before you book. Helm made history in October 2025 as the only restaurant in the country to debut with two Michelin stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide Philippines, so demand for seats (and clarity on cost) has only grown since.
Helm is a 24-seat, open-kitchen tasting counter in Makati led by chef Josh Boutwood, serving a single thematic multi-course menu that changes roughly every four months in step with the Philippines’ micro-seasons.
Menu Prices
Helm runs one tasting menu at a time rather than separate à la carte options, so pricing is straightforward but not cheap. According to the restaurant’s official FAQ page, the current menu runs 12 to 14 individual servings for a single set price, with an optional wine pairing add-on.
| Menu | Price (per person) |
|---|---|
| Helm Tasting Menu (12–14 courses) | ₱6,800 |
| Optional Wine Pairing | ₱2,400 |
Prices are inclusive of VAT and subject to a 10% service charge, per Helm’s official FAQ. Note that some earlier press coverage from late 2025 cited a two-tier structure (₱5,800 for eight courses, ₱8,800 for twelve), which reflected the pricing model before the menu consolidated into a single seasonal tasting the ₱6,800 figure on Helm’s own site is the most current confirmed rate. Because the menu changes every four months, it’s worth double-checking the price when you book, especially around a seasonal menu launch.
About Helm by Josh Boutwood
Helm first opened in August 2018 as a 10-seat chef’s counter at Arya Residences in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, before relocating to a 24-seat space at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati in 2023. Chef Josh Boutwood born in England to a Filipino father and English mother, and trained under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and at Noma in Copenhagen built the restaurant around a single evolving tasting menu rather than a conventional printed menu.
Diners can expect an intimate, performance-style dinner: courses are plated and often explained tableside by the kitchen team, sometimes by Boutwood himself, at a counter that wraps around the open kitchen. The menu itself is thematic past iterations have drawn from film references, Philippine street food memory, and specific island ecologies and leans heavily on native ingredients like Cordillera heirloom rice, Bukidnon coffee, and Iloilo oysters rather than imported luxury items.
Popular Dishes and Courses
Since the menu rotates roughly every four months, there’s no fixed “bestseller” list but recurring elements diners consistently mention include:
- Seafood-forward courses built around Philippine sourcing, such as Spanish mackerel or Iloilo oysters, often anchoring the earlier part of the tasting.
- Australian wagyu striploin with a bone marrow-based sauce frequently singled out by past diners as a standout savory course when it appears on a given season’s menu.
- Duck rendered in fat as a recurring non-seafood protein course.
- Single-origin chocolate desserts, often paired with local fruit or nut components to close the meal.
- Themed course narratives recent menus have used pop-culture concepts (including a Star Wars-themed run and a Harry Potter-themed series) to tie the courses together conceptually.
Deals, Promos, and Discounts
Helm does not run public discounts or promo pricing as a two-Michelin-star tasting counter with only 24 seats, pricing stays fixed at the published per-person rate regardless of season, aside from the periodic menu-price adjustments noted above. If you’re looking for savings, the only real lever is skipping the wine pairing, since that’s the one optional add-on on the bill.
Price and Value for Money
At ₱6,800 per person before service charge (and up to roughly ₱9,200 with wine pairing), Helm sits at the top end of Manila’s dining scene but it’s also priced below several other fine-dining tasting counters internationally at the two-Michelin-star tier. Reviewers who’ve dined there generally describe the value as tracking with the experience: multiple technically demanding courses, direct interaction with the chef and team, and ingredient sourcing that’s transparent enough to explain course by course. It’s a splurge, not an everyday booking, but not out of line for what’s on offer.
Is Helm Worth the Splurge?
Helm’s reputation was built quietly over roughly two years of word-of-mouth before the Michelin Guide made it official in October 2025, and the pattern in diner feedback is fairly consistent: people don’t describe individual dishes so much as the arc of the whole meal. Reviewers repeatedly single out the wagyu striploin course and its bone-marrow sauce as a highlight when it’s on the menu, and the seafood-based openers tend to get similar praise for how directly they showcase Philippine sourcing rather than leaning on imported ingredients.
What sets Helm apart from a typical tasting-menu restaurant is the format itself with only 24 seats wrapped around an open kitchen, a meal here runs closer to 2.5–3 hours and functions almost like theater, with the kitchen team explaining each course as it’s served. Some diners have noted the communal counter seating means you’ll hear the tables around you, which can feel either intimate or a little exposed depending on what you’re looking for; if quiet is a priority, it’s worth asking about regular table seating instead of the counter when booking.
Where Helm might not fit: if you’re not into themed, narrative-driven tasting menus (recent runs have used film and pop-culture concepts as throughlines), or if you’d rather choose your own dishes than commit to a single fixed sequence, this isn’t the venue for a casual night out. It’s built for guests who want the full arc of a chef’s story told across 12-plus courses.
Dining Experience and Service
Helm is a reservation-only, tasting-menu-only restaurant with no à la carte option there’s nothing to order beyond selecting the wine pairing add-on. Seating wraps around an open kitchen, and the restaurant asks that guests arrive on time, since arriving more than ten minutes late may mean missing part of the sequenced meal. A full dinner typically runs 2.5 to 3 hours. Dietary restrictions and allergies can usually be accommodated with advance notice Helm asks that requests be emailed at least 48 hours before your reservation.
Branches, Contact, and Opening Hours
Helm operates a single location in Makati; it does not have multiple branches.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | The Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Tower 2, 3rd Floor, Makati |
| Hours | Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays) |
| Phone | +63 915 909 8647 |
| helm@bistro.com.ph |
Reservations are required and should be made several weeks in advance, since the restaurant seats only 24 guests per service and demand has increased since earning its two Michelin stars.
Services and Facilities
- Reservation-only, single tasting menu (no à la carte)
- Optional wine pairing add-on
- Open-kitchen counter seating with some standard table seating available
- Accepts all major credit cards
- Paid parking available at the basement levels of Ayala Triangle Gardens
- Dietary and allergy accommodations available with 48 hours’ advance notice
