Nestled high within the Shangri-La Boracay resort is one of the most romantic restaurants my husband and I have ever experienced together.
Rima was chosen for our anniversary dinner after our wonderful floor valet arranged the reservation for us based on the sort of atmosphere and cuisine we told him we were hoping for. The entire evening felt beautifully orchestrated from beginning to end.
Our valet personally picked us up from our suite and drove us up the hillside through the lush resort grounds before escorting us to the hostess stand, where we were then guided upstairs into what honestly felt like some sort of elegant tropical treehouse suspended above paradise.
And yes -- it quite literally is built into a treehouse setting.
Our reservation happened to coincide perfectly with sunset, and thanks to our valet, we were seated at what I honestly believe were the best seats in the restaurant. As the sun slowly lowered itself into the horizon over Boracay's waters, everything around us turned shades of gold, amber, and deep orange.
No photograph could ever truly capture how beautiful it was.
It is one of those things you simply must witness for yourself at least once.
There were only two other couples dining during our meal, which made the entire atmosphere feel peaceful and intimate. What amused me slightly was that all three couples appeared to be foreigners -- except for my husband, of course, who is Filipino and looked quite pleased to be introducing his American wife to yet another beautiful corner of his homeland. =)
The food itself was exceptional.
One detail made the dinner especially meaningful for us. On our very first date decades ago, my husband and I ordered French onion soup together. Ever since then, it has quietly become one of our anniversary traditions whenever we happen to see it on a menu.
And this version?
Absolutely magnificent.
The broth was deeply savory and aromatic, the onions richly caramelized, and the bubbling cheese stretching over the bowl looked like something out of a culinary advertisement. After all these years together, sharing French onion soup again while overlooking the sunset in Boracay somehow made the evening feel full circle.
We also sampled steaks, crab cakes, and several other dishes throughout the evening. Everything tasted thoughtfully prepared, beautifully balanced, and wonderfully fragrant. The flavors felt refined without becoming pretentious, and each dish arrived tasting fresh, carefully executed, and deeply satisfying.
The steaks in particular were beautifully prepared, while the crab cakes had a delicate richness that paired wonderfully with the elegant atmosphere surrounding us.
Service was exactly what you would hope for from a true five-star dining experience: attentive without hovering, polished without stiffness, and warm without becoming overly familiar.
Honestly, we probably could have sat there all evening watching the fading sunset and listening to the soft sounds of the resort below us. But after a long day of travel, swimming, walking the beach, and celebrating our anniversary together, exhaustion finally began catching up with us.
So after dinner, we were escorted back down the hillside to our suite where we promptly fell asleep happy, full, and very much in love after what felt like an evening suspended outside of time. read more