This is in BGC. Our order is taking too long. The cuchinilla at 1/6 the size made to our table…read more after an hour of waiting. Wait staff has not apologized for the delay. Very unacceptable in my playbook. Locals and foreigners should be given equal treatments. Live music is great. Please train your staff to adhere to the standards if great customer service. Please add local beers or have your own microbrewery to get a better branding. Thank you for the experience. ¡Buena Salud!

Filipinos are drawn to rice. I'd like to believe that we have a genetic disposition towards the…read moregrain so that I have something ng to blame for my weight gain. I feel this is why most Pinoys are wary of entrees that don't come with rice in upscale restaurants. Looking at it the other way around, this I feel is the reason that we are drawn to all things paella. You can owe it to the aforementioned love of rice, or to the centuries we've spent colonized by the Spaniards, but as long as its paella, we as a people will immediately feast on it like there's no tomorrow. Cerveseria in Greenbelt 3 knows our amor for the dish so every once in a while, they offer up unlimited paella for a steal price. If you're not to keen on stuffing yourself silly, you can get a more modest serving. Make sure to eat the slightly overcooked rice near the bottom as it has all that paella flavor!

Paella was worth the long wait...very good, plenty of ingredients. The bolognese was also…read moreokay....pollo frito was not good, it actually had very little actual chicken meat. Leg/thigh fried, came with gravy, I ate skin and gravy...the little chicken meat there was had black things attached to it, kind of disgusting. Pollo al Asillo (chicken spicy garlic sauce) was tasteless, not good. Linguini al pesto had a lot of a tomato sauce on top, took away from the pesto flavor...bottom line , come for the paella...that's it!!! Very good service.

Who does not like Spanish tapas? It is one of my favorite foods and when in Manila, Philippines, I…read morewas luckily invited for a dinner party at Alba Restaurante in Makati. On entering the restaurant, one cannot but notice the well-appointed red tablecloth tables with cloth napkins. The dishes at our disposal were many. They were Gambas (shrimp) in garlic and oil, potato croquettes, Spanish sausage, baked oysters, mushrooms, crostini with dip, chicken, spinach pizza and of course, seafood paella. To add to the cozy ambiance of this restaurant were three singers with Spanish guitars, serenading the audience in the restaurant. Our group got several renditions of Spanish ballads including, "Guantanamera". We sang along for this one. All the dishes were prepared well and highlighted their own distinct taste and flavors. My favorites were the croquettes, the baked oysters and the seafood paella. The croquettes were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The oysters though small, came 12 to a plate and were moist and well charred to bring out the baked parmesan fragrance. The seafood paella was the crown jewel of the evening. It contained several seafood varieties and was made fresh. It came out slightly charred at the bottom, as does any good paella. When scraped, mixed with the other contents, and eaten, one is rewarded with several bursts of aroma and taste. Table service was excellent. Muchas Gracias, Senores y Senoras.

It's a great spot for Spanish / Pinoy fusion dishes like Lingua, Ox tail, Papas bravas and Gambas…read more Surrounded by restaurants serving run of the mill bar food, American and Chinese options, the menu and taste stands out. They have decent selection of South Am and Spanish wines. Would certainly recommend it as the food is good but serving sizes are small and prices steep. Not the best value for money. If you are in the area and pressed with time good joint for lunch and best part is they don't close for siesta and are pretty much open all day. The space is small and tables huddle together, not recommended for dinner.

You must check out this new restaurant called Cazuela that I was invited to try a few weeks ago. I…read morehad dinner there with my family and even my picky dad loved the food! The food was absolutely delish, and I can't stop recommending Cazuela enough to anyone who asks. I had dined at Cazuela before at a food tasting. I totally loved the food and I was so excited to get my family to try it, too, that I kept bugging them until we agreed to go on a Friday night. And here we are. THE FOOD For starters, we ordered the Tuna Ceviche (P229). My sister was all like, why did you order the tuna ceviche?! She thought it was just going to be raw tuna dipped in vinegar. After her first bite though, she was a convert! Cazuela's Tuna Ceviche is amazingly good - sweet, tangy and perfectly balanced. Aside from generous slices of raw tuna, it has pomelos, onions, alfalfa sprouts, and a sweet and sour dressing that reminded me of a Thai pomelo salad, but it's not Thai, it's Spanish colonial. It's like a circus in my mouth! I highly recommend this! We also had the Manchego Croquetas (P256), 6 pcs of breaded & fried nuggets of bechamel, manchego cheese, and spinach. No potatoes here. I sliced one open to show you the soft inside. Next up, the Lengua (P400). Oh. My. God. I am so glad I ordered this. The lengua was tender and flavorful, coated in a creamy mushroom sauce. Lengua lovers will explode with delight once they bite into it! It doesn't look like much but it's soooooooo freakin' good! This is definitely on my MUST ORDER when I go back. It is that good that I am already making plans to be back for it! Definitely going on my list of what to order if I had to choose my last meal. Generous slices of lengua, too. I had the Callos on a previous visit, and while the callos was also very, very good, for me, this Lengua is queen! We also had the Cerdo al Horno (P395), a 3-hour roasted pork belly stuffed with chorizo de Bilbao, served with saffron rice. The pork belly was well-seasoned and tender. Pork belly lovers will probably weep with happiness on first bite. It is also served with creamy beans, crunchy skin, and mango salsa. I couldn't resist the Paella Negra (P365) - I was surprised that it did not have any hint of fishiness at all (hindi malansa). It's just like eating seafood paella, but creamier and without the acidity from tomatoes. It doesn't have that squid-ink-funky-taste that many people don't like. Don't skip squeezing some lemon over it! Very delicious. HEAVENLY DESSERTS! The desserts to try are definitely the Gypsy Cake (P160) and the Kesong Puti Cheesecake (P220). Check out the generous portions that are good for sharing, although I don't think anyone would want to share! The Gypsy Cake is like a Brazo de Mercedes, but a chocolate version. It's not too sweet and the meringue is not just puffy and fluffy, but has a bit of bite to it. The yellow filling is rich and sweet. It's so good my sister decided to order 2 slices for take out right then and there. FYI, this Gypsy Cake, aka Brazo de Fernando, is on Inquirer Lifestyle's list of Best Desserts 2015! The Kesong Puti Cheesecake with Salted Egg Dulce de Leche sauce is a dense cheesecake lover's dream. Some like their cheesecakes light and fluffy, while some like their cheesecakes dense and heavy with cheese. This one uses Laguna's farmer's cheese (kesong puti) instead of cream cheese, and the cheesecake tastes a bit like it has a bit of the whites from salted eggs (itlog na maalat), but in a good way. The saltiness and the texture cuts the richness of the cheesecake and provides a good contrast. The cakes are baked by Gel Salonga of Ted's in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, and you can order them by the tray! SUMMARY I seldom super rave about a restaurant, but the food at Cazuela is that good and Cazuela now has a place as one of my favorite restaurants. Prices already include taxes, and you'll only be charged an additional 10% for the service charge. It's a small restaurant, the staff was attentive, and our orders came out quickly, probably because we arrived at 9pm and they weren't as busy in the kitchen. I highly recommend their Tuna Ceviche and their Lengua, and if you don't mind squid ink, the Paella Negra. Then, definitely, definitely, try their Gypsy Cake and Kesong Puti Cheesecake. You won't be the same afterwards!

My one and only time in Vyne was when I was stupid enough to sign up for a Calligraphy Workshop…read morewith Pencasso Project (hold on, I'm not dissing them, I'm showing you guys how stupid I was) which was on the same day as my graduation! I had already paid and had already promised my younger cousin that we would do this together. Unfortunately, right after the graduation ceremony, I had to rush to Vyne and not celebrate lunch with my family. Given that it was a 5-hour long ceremony, I was hungry as hell. We were served a sandwich which I'm pretty sure wasn't as good as it actually was, but I was just too hungry to care. We also had dessert, a brownie. A really dry brownie. It was a Sunday and Vyne was supposedly closed, so I guess the cook or whoever prepared our food wasn't in the mood for that over time. Calligraphy class with the three ladies of Pencasso Project was fun though. I just thought that there were way too many students that they weren't able to teach their craft well. Already having taken other calligraphy classes, I had wished that they taught how to take care of your nibs and pens too.

Vyne Tapas Bar and Restaurant offers a very cozy atmosphere on the rooftop next to Hyve, giving a…read moreromantic view from above of the city. The location is of course supreme and the service all around pleasant and professional as can be. Can not find a single fault with the staff actually, they were excellent and seemed to know exactly how to present themselves while we were there. The food was delicious, of course, and a wonderful experience. The restaurant showed great and professional presentation of the dishes that matched our, no exceeded, expectations perfectly. You will want to try the short ribs, they are just the tastiest dish. How well they managed their fusion menu is a testament to their professionalism. Take for example their apple and bleu salad, it offers exactly the perfect blend of tart and sweet. And their thai scallops? The unique blend of fruit and meat just made my tastebuds sing with delight. Yes, sing! This is definitely a place to hold a party with your most intimate friends and enjoy a time well spent in beautiful surroundings over good food and, of course, great wine.

Our stay at the Shangri-La included daily breakfast at High Street Cafe, and while I'm often guilty…read moreof skipping hotel breakfast in favor of sleep, I made sure to catch this one every morning of our trip. Part of this is that I needed fuel for our busy travel days, but the rest is that the buffet was genuinely excellent. High Street Cafe is a massive restaurant on the lobby level of the Shangri-La. It's the kind of buffet you only see in Vegas or big Asian luxury hotels, an attractive, opulent space with tons of seating and a dozen different stations serving a tantalizing variety of food. Service is quick and attentive. You check in at the front desk and get escorted to a table, where you can order beverages and send any hot made-to-order dishes. The offerings are wide-ranging enough for all guests to get the genre of breakfast they desire. There is, of course, everything you might expect at a normal hotel breakfast buffet--pastries and cereal, cheese and cold cuts, bacon and sausage, eggs from an omelet station. I don't really go for much of that, at home or abroad, which is why I so often sleep through hotel breakfast. I do get out of bed for Asian food, and High Street has plenty in that department. My favorite part of the buffet is the noodle station, where you can get your own mini noodle soup assembled while you watch, from a selection of rice or egg noodles, chicken, vegetable, or spicy Taiwanese broth, and a small variety of proteins and vegetables. I tried several different permutations and liked them all, though I preferred the egg noodles to the rice noodles and the soothing chicken broth to the beef broth, which was a little too salty. I added chicken and beef and, better yet, fishcake and springy fish balls, plus bok choy and mushroom, chili oil and calamansi, and other unidentified condiments to boost the broth. There's a congee station, too, and a daily selection of dim sum and fried rice and stir-fried noodles. I did okay with the dim sum, some middling shumai and bao, and the rice and noodles were nice when I felt like a few bites of basic Chinese take-out. I liked the dosa station, where I got really really nice thin, golden dosa filled with spiced potato and accompanied by a couple of savory sauces. The Filipino section is a highlight, welcoming diners to "rice and shine Pinoy style," with a rotating variety of Filipino breakfast dishes, great with the fluffy sinangag, or garlic fried rice. As far as I can tell, Manila isn't a city where you come in as a tourist and find a bounty of small local restaurants serving the national cuisine, and I was glad to get a sampling of it here, at the breakfast buffet of my corporate-owned luxury hotel. Over the course of five breakfasts, I tried picadillo, chicken tocino, bistek tagalog, smoked bangus, corned beef, tuyo, and pork adobo, and helped myself to the kamayan corner, with its array of dried fish and pickles and vinegary condiments. There's a grab-and-go dessert buffet as well as a juice area, where I got a couple shot glasses of random juices and once, a weird chia seed thing that looked better than it tasted. For the most part, I finished my breakfast with sliced fruit from the fruit bar. Cantaloupe and watermelon, pineapple and papaya, orange and white guava, all of it pretty fresh and sweet. I doubt I ever ate enough to get my money's worth if I were paying separately for breakfast, but I enjoyed my daily noodle soup and rice and shine, as well as grazing across the other stations. High Street Cafe is an outstanding hotel buffet, a definite credit to the Shangri-La.

ok, been to this place many times within the last five years and sadly, every time i go they lose…read morepoints. this review is based on my recent visit. we were seated right away and asked for our drinks order- we ordered coffee. meanwhile we went ahead and got our food from the buffet, which does have a wide variety of options. about 19 minutes later we returned to our table and the drinks still were served. we followed up with the server and they said they would get it right away. minutes later, only one of the drinks came. we reminded them that we ordered 4 drinks. one more came moments later, and the others 2 never made it.

Blackbird at the Nielson Tower is an excellent choice for fun and adventurous dining…read more Ambience is casual with a touch of elegance. Food options appear to be Western with an Asian touch which challenges the taste buds. The Gochujang Grilled Octopus and Crispy Squash Flowers are perfect examples of this Eurasian combinations. Twice Cooked Short ribs was our clear favorite because of the cilantro and sauce flavor pop when eaten with plain rice and salty beef for a flavor contrast. Elements of the dishes must be eaten together to capture the true essence of the dish. Dessert flavor combinations were unique, such as the Baked Alaska which is expected to be western but the ice cream flavors were surprisingly Asian with the mango and passionfruit sauce, yummy! Friendly staff and service was very attentive. Table bussed clean and wine always flowing.

Love this place. Always a great experience while in Manila. The menu is vast but overwhelming, the…read morefood is quality and delicious, and the service is always top tier. I love sitting outside when it's not too hot. I also highly suggest the gnocchi and the homemade cream for dessert.

This is an old-world Spanish and Filipino fusion restaurant in historic Intramuros. I found the…read morefood was good, but I got my appetizer after my main. I recommend Adobo Bagnet, and Lengua con Setas. Unique Desserts: Known for its unique Sampaguita Ice Cream The decor was a little worn out, but I noticed that the more stylish, formal main function hall was reserved for special events. I guess this area was where the romantic reviews I read came from

One of the locals recommended Ilustrado during our tour of Intramuros. We decided to try it for…read morelunch right after the tour. The restaurant was a bit small and cozy, but our group of five was seated right away. Ilustrado serves traditional Filipino dishes in a charming, old-school Spanish-style building with antique decor. The service was fast and friendly. My family and I chose a variety of entrees, including pork, pasta, stuffed fish, soup, and salad. Everything was flavorful and prepared well. We were very pleased with both the food and the prices. However, we noticed that the bill seemed unusually high, even after applying my parents' senior discount. Since we had ordered quite a bit, I didn't look closely at the receipt before leaving. Later that day, my mom decided to review the receipt and discovered that we had been overcharged. The prices listed on the receipt did not match the prices on the menu. Unfortunately, it was too late for us to return, as we were leaving town the following day. My mom asked a friend to go back with the receipt and request a refund. It was quite disappointing to find that they had manipulated the prices on the receipt. It's a shame because I would have loved to recommend Ilustrado.

We ate during happy hour @20% discount for 4 persons. The price was reasonable given the quality of…read morefood served...we came in around 4:45 pm and left 6:00 pm (happy hour is from 2pm to 6pm). Food was so good! Don't take my word for it, give it a try!

I was recommended to try this place from my family when visiting Manila. It's their fave and it's…read morenot my fave! Tapas in PI is legit. The fois gras is so tasty I ordered seconds. It's not a huge place so it has that local neighborhood vibe. Definitely coming back next time I visit.