The first restaurant we tried at The City Club was the Spanish restaurant Costa del Sol. My friend was a member of the club and he invited us for lunch at the exclusive club in Makati.
We also ate at Costa del Sol in Balesin Beach Club and we really liked their conchinillo that’s why our host chose this restaurant.
We ordered almost all of their tapas. Most were ok except for one which I really didn’t like. My favorite was the calamares or fried squid because it was the first one that came out and I was so hungry. The gambas and salpicao were pretty good too.
I would never order canned mushrooms cooked in oil and garlic when I can easily do it at home.
It was these croquetas that I really hated. For one it’s made with mashed potatoes instead of the traditional béchamel or white sauce. It that wasn’t bad enough there was NO taste of Manchego cheese or Jamon Serrano. We unfortunately ordered both versions. Save your money and order something else.
The garlic soup was light, garlicky and was quite pleasant. I liked the one in Balesin better.
Sarah ordered a Caesar salad but requested that she mix it herself so she can control the amount of dressing. It was a good interpretation of the classic Filipino favorite.
One of the kids wanted pizza so we ordered from Toscana right next door. The crust was thin and crisp and it was pretty good. I still liked the ultra thin crust of the pizza I had in Balesin. This is one of the advantages of eating at The City Club. You can order anything from any restaurant in the club and they will bring it to your table.
The bacalao and lengua (ox tongue) were both well cooked and had authentic flavors. I just found it a bit pricey for tapas size servings.
I wasn’t able to try the steak but I didn’t hear any complaint from the one who ate it.
Their paellas were the true star of our meal. They got the rice perfectly cooked and it passed all our expectations.
I personally liked the paella negra more. The rice had more flavor from the squid ink and the aioli (not pictured).
When we ate there the only dessert was the canonigo which the oldies liked. I passed.
Overall I would give our meal a “just ok.” I’ve had better Spanish food elsewhere.
Costa del Sol
The City Club
Alphaland Makati Place
7232 Ayala Avenue Extension, Makati City
Membership Inquiries telephone: +632-8466205
website
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