Looking for a Spanish restaurant in Makati? Check out Dulcinea where you can eat some of the best Spanish food in Manila. When I first started dated my American boyfriend, I had no idea he loves to eat in restaurants every single night so dinner for me has never been this exciting! I was googling about "where to eat paella in Makati" the other night in search of a new place to dine. Dulcinea showed up somehow and though I got a bunch of many options I ended up choosing this one. Greenbelt is home to many fine dining restaurants serving different international cuisines. I know we are in good hand.
We chose Dulcinea Spanish restaurant because it was currently at 50% via the Eatigo app. We also want Barcino and Tapella Restobar but the times they are slashing the price off their menu isn't the ones that fit us.
Dulcinea's History
Dulcinea, the world itself brings to mind thoughts of sweet things, lovely damsels and Don Quixote. But for many Manileños, it also represents the city's fifty-year love affair with good foods and sweet pastries. What began as a humble little pasteleria along Mabini street in Ermita has become one of the enduring names in Manila cuisine. Three generations of Filipinos have walked through our doors, a tradition continued from parent to child, from family to family.
Dulcinea's history actually began in 1963, when Señor Ruano Santos decided to leave his grandparents recipes. Señor Ruano opened up the Dulcinea Pasteleria y Salon de Te and the rest, as we say is history. Fifty years after the dream, Dulcinea remains an intrinsic part of the lives of many Manileños. Today, we at Dulcinea are resolved to continue upholding the tradition of serving delicious foods and sweet pastries set by our founder. [borrowed the words from Dulcinea's menu]
Dulcinea's Interiors
We were personally not impressed about Dulcinea's physical looks. If I am to ask how "Instagrammable" it is, I would say 5 out of 10. Greenbelt is for glamorous and well-off people, I was a bit surprised at how "humble" Dulcinea is. I would say, a makeover and a bit of interior designing should be done. However, the simplicity of the restaurant also exudes that homey vibe like you just have been to your grandmother's nook. There were no art or decorations enough (Flamenco or bull-fighting photos maybe) to let you know that you are in a Spanish restaurant.
Dulcinea lacks some feel-good effects too. We were expecting some Spanish songs playing while we munch our order - but we never heard of any kind of music. The arrangement of tables and chairs remind me of a typical fastfood chain. The back of the chairs reach only half of our back. You can't certainly slouch or do a hundred percent leaning of the back. My American boyfriend didn't like it. He is one of a few foodies I know who considers the type of chair when he chooses what restaurants will give him a great sitting experience while he eats. Anyway, we're already inside the restaurant and we have a reservation so we can't really back out.
Dulcinea's Food
The looks of Dulcinea restaurant isn't a big deal to us. It is the taste and affordability of the food that we were looking forward. Unfortunately, my American boyfriend is not a fan of eating rice so we ended up not eating "paella" because it is almost half made of rice. I tried to convince him that its toppings is also as many as the rice serving but I lost. He is also the type of person who eats less. He eats not to fill his stomach with carbohydrates or starch, he eats what is healthy and tasty according to his palate.
What we ordered
For him: Pollo Roll (Php 440)
- Deep fried roulade of chicken stuffed with sausage, cheese and ham.
For me: Creamy salmon pasta (Php 440)
- Deep fried roulade of chicken stuffed with sausage, cheese and ham.
For me: Creamy salmon pasta (Php 440)
Diced salmon in creamy white sauce
For us: Mango Crepe
I want churros con chocolate but the boyfriend who's a true-blue American wanted to order the one he's used to eat for dessert so we opted for mango crepe instead.
The verdict
We I managed to bite a few pieces off his pollo roll. The texture was a bit hard. I was expecting it to be softer instead however the combined taste of deep fried chicken with cheese, sausage and ham is the bomb. For the creamy salmon pasta, the taste was just fine though I love that the amount of bits of salmon are more than enough in my plate. There's this kind of white sauce that I have tasted in another restaurant. That's the one that my tongue was looking for. Mango crepe don't need any further explanation. We can eat a bunch of this in Dulcinea!
I want churros con chocolate but the boyfriend who's a true-blue American wanted to order the one he's used to eat for dessert so we opted for mango crepe instead.
The verdict
We I managed to bite a few pieces off his pollo roll. The texture was a bit hard. I was expecting it to be softer instead however the combined taste of deep fried chicken with cheese, sausage and ham is the bomb. For the creamy salmon pasta, the taste was just fine though I love that the amount of bits of salmon are more than enough in my plate. There's this kind of white sauce that I have tasted in another restaurant. That's the one that my tongue was looking for. Mango crepe don't need any further explanation. We can eat a bunch of this in Dulcinea!
Some of Dulcinea Restaurant's Menu list
Main Dishes
Tuhod Y Batoc (Php 515)
- A stew of tender and succulent beef kneee and shoulder with potatoes, mushrooms and peppers.
Oxtail Casserole (Php 515)
- Slow cooked oxtail flavored with special sauces and spices
Callos ala Madrillena (Php 495)
- A traditional stew of tender ox tripe simmered for hours
Fabada Asturiana (Php 415)
- A hearty combination of stewed white beans and pork with spanish chorizo and morcilla
Pastas
Pasta Sardines (Php 280)
- Pasta cooked with Spanish sardines and peppers
Pasta Paella (Php 675)
- Pasta topped with a combination of fresh seafood and cooked in our special tomato sauce
Pasta Putanesca (Php 300)
- Pasta made with a mix of anchovy, capers, chili and garlic
Pesto (Php 280)
- A traditional sauce made from basil, nuts, garlic cheese and olive oil
Shrimp Pasta (Php 310)
- Pasta topped with shrimp, mushrooms and peppers sauteed in oive oil and spices
Pasta Y Chorizo (Php 280)
- Pasta sauteed in garlic, chorizo and spices topped with pimiento
Bolognese (Php 275)
Pure beef in tomato sauce cooked in herbs and spices
Baked spaghetti (Php 275)
- Spaghetti tossed in our signature lasagna sauce, topped with bechamel and then baked to perfection
Carbonara (Php 275)
- Bacon in a creamy white sauce
Churros
Churros con chocolate (Php 130)
Churros con chocolate junior (Php 104)
Stuffed Churros (Php 130)
Pasta Y Chorizo (Php 280)
- Pasta sauteed in garlic, chorizo and spices topped with pimiento
Bolognese (Php 275)
Pure beef in tomato sauce cooked in herbs and spices
Baked spaghetti (Php 275)
- Spaghetti tossed in our signature lasagna sauce, topped with bechamel and then baked to perfection
Carbonara (Php 275)
- Bacon in a creamy white sauce
Churros
Churros con chocolate (Php 130)
Churros con chocolate junior (Php 104)
Stuffed Churros (Php 130)
Also, Dulcinea Restaurant's sweets and pastries should be specially mentioned. It appears they serve a huge number of cakes, leche flan, helado petissi and dessert sampler (combination of 3 desserts) every day. If you have a sweet tooth, come to Dulcinea!
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