Tapas at Ibiza Beach Club, Mövenpick Hotel Mactan

My first dinner in Cebu was in Ibiza Beach Club at Mövenpick Hotel Mactan. I was told we were having tapas and that’s always a good thing.

A short stroll from the hotel lobby to the end of this lighted walkway was Ibiza Beach Club, my favorite place in the entire hotel.

Ibiza Beach Club is an outdoor lounge, bar and restaurant with a really cool design and excellent use of lighting.

They had a foreign DJ spinning chill-out music. If it wasn’t warm and humid I would have stayed there all night with an icy cold alcoholic cocktail.

Yes, there was a hot tub in the middle of the lounge. How cool is that?

The best feature of the club were these trampoline nets on the edge of the deck. Imagine lying down on it and gazing at the stars while listening to music.

While the DJ took his break dancers performed Korean hits like “Nobody But You” and “Gangnam Style.” Cheesy but the guests and foreigners were delighted.

Right next to the lounge was the restaurant.

Too bad they don’t open during the day. Since the restaurant was in the middle of the water the views would have been great.

We were given my favorite gluten-free cheese bread called Pao de Queijo. This airy bread is made of cassava flour and Parmesan cheese. Their version wasn’t as light as others I’ve tried but I loved the intense cheese flavors. There was no scrimping of cheese here. I could easily have eaten a dozen but had to stop myself before I got too full to eat dinner. Darn, I forgot to bring a zip baggie.

pao de queijo

The owner of the hotel is Manny Osmeña the same guy behind the line of internationally awarded wines under the label Manny O.

Manny O Agapitos Rosé wine

marinated mushrooms P320

I liked the salad made with marinated shiitake mushrooms but my friends found it a bit too sour.

My favorite was the simple slice of baguette drizzled with truffle oil and topped with chorizo and a fried quail egg.

chorizo & eggs P320

It looks simple but the chorizo was one of the tastiest I’ve ever eaten. It had the perfect blend of salty and spicy that I really enjoyed. I could easily have eaten all four slices but then my friends would be left with none.

It may seem ordinary but the strong spices used on the burger paired with the mild and cooling tzatziki was a good match.

Greek Kofta P340

As much as I love all foie gras I wasn’t too happy with this since it was served cold. I loved the roasted figs though.

Mediterranean foie gras P420

My friend Vivian doesn’t eat lamb but she loved these tender and very flavorful lamb skewers as much as I did. The lamb was so good on it’s own it didn’t even need any of the delicious dipping sauce.

grilled lamb skewers P320

salt cod nuggets P360

Dish after dish came out and everything was good!!!

spikey shau-mai P320

I didn’t think I would like the deep fried pork meatballs wrapped in crunchy bits but I did.

Hands down these churros were the best I’ve ever eaten in the Philippines. Dough seasoned inside and out and fried to a crunch while remaining soft inside. I wish the chocolate dip was darker and richer but my friends liked it as it was. I ate my churros sans dip and it was yummy!!!!

churros con chocolate P380

I tried some of the espresso ice cream and I loved the dark, rich coffee flavor. I wish I had a scoop too. Check out all their lovely ice cream creations here.

Mövenpick espresso croquant ice cream

My second favorite place in the hotel was this restroom right beside the lounge.

It was air-conditioned and a lovely respite from the heat outside. I loved the strong lemongrass fragrance from the oil warmer on the floor.

Nice right?

I would never have expected to find such good tapas in a hotel in Cebu. It was even better than some of the restaurants in Manila. Do yourself a favor and try it when you’re in Cebu.

Ibiza Beach Club menu

Ibiza Beach Club
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Cebu
Punta Engano Mactan Island
6015 Cebu Philippines
telephone:+63 32 492 7777
E-mail:Resort.Cebu@moevenpick.com
website
Facebook