RAMBLA Rockwell: Spanish Mediterranean Cuisine by Chef Pepe Lopez @RamblaPH

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Bistronomia Restaurant Series:
• RUMBA // NEW Mediterranean Resto at The Shops at Ayala Triangle (A REVIEW) (2022)
• LAS FLORES Alabang: Best Spanish Restaurant in the South! (2022)
• Las Flores Dining+: Is Intimate Dining the New Normal? (2021)
• Introducing… LAS FLORES Degustacion by Spanish Chef Ignacio Alcala! (2019)
• Rambla Salcedo Makati: Best Tapas Bar in the Salcedo Neighborhood (2019)
• BCN by Rambla: Charcoal-Grill Barcelona-Inspired Restaurant in Makati! (2018)
• TOMATITO MANILA: How Sexy is this 80’s-inspired Spanish Tapas Bar? (A Review) (2016)
• RAMBLA Rockwell: Spanish Mediterranean Cuisine by Chef Pepe Lopez @RamblaPH (2013)
• LAS FLORES: Modern Spanish Resto by (former) Barcino + Andilana (Spain) Group (2012)

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RAMBLA is a Spanish Mediterranean restaurant from the owners of LAS FLORES, with Spanish Chef Pepe Lopez as head chef, and named after the famous street La Rambla in Barcelona.

They specialize in Catalan Spanish food with Mediterranean influences. Its modern menu is like VASK, using Modern Gastronomy techniques, plus LU’s Mediterranean food.  

It was fun ordering something new and exciting. But I think we got carried away trying out all the new dishes and pairing it with wine and their signature cocktail drinks.

Check out RAMBLA this holiday season!

RAMBLA is located where LU Restaurant used to be, along Joya Drive in Rockwell, Makati.

The highlight of the restaurant is the open kitchen and Chef’s table bar setup, where you can see the chefs prepare your food up close.

The ambiance is modern and retains the old cozy seating arrangement of Lu.

Check out the RAMBLA MENU: Picoteo, Eggs, Vegetables, Meat, Seafood, Desserts

COCKTAIL BAR MENU: White Wine Menu | Red Wine Menu | Drinks for Lunch | Cerveza, Water, Sparkling Water, Soda, Juice, Cafe

The second floor is more private with its own bar setup, which you can reserve for group functions.

They don’t have a function room but you can secure this secret corner table, also on the 2nd floor.

Shot from above with the bike as a highlight of the interiors.

They serve a complimentary chewy brown bread with oil and vinegar.

✮ SPHERICAL OLIVES (P45/piece +10% service charge) marinated in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

This is a unique appetizer — olives pureed and formed back into big spherical olives soaked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They scoop each olive table-side and serve it on a ceramic spoon.

(All the nearby tables were ordering it so we didn’t want to be left out. :P)

I’m starting to explore wines and moving from just casually enjoying them to remembering what I like or don’t like and what pairs well with them. 

✮ Martin Codaz Marieta, Albariño Semi Seco Rias Baixas 2011, Spain (P995/bottle and P295/glass) Full body, bright straw colour, touch of lemon, lots of peach and green apple.

I like this spanish white wine, very fruity with refreshing lemon flavors and a great name — Marieta!

✮ Sicilian Limonata “Almond & Lemon” (P330 +10% service charge). Don’t Ask!!!!! … fresh lemonade with almond flavor served at the table.  

The best lemon drink in town with a fresh almond flavor finish! 🙂 My wife doesn’t even want to share this with me.

CRISPY CATALAN FLAT BREAD (P245 +10% service charge) topped with smoky grilled aubergine, bell pepper and choice of: marinated tawilis or goat cheese or “Butifarra”.

It’s like the Tarte Flambe of Wild Flour with very thin crisp bread topped with vegetables. I’m glad we added goat cheese to further enhance the flavors. My vegetarian partner RJ would surely love this. 🙂 

✮ FOIE GRAS MOUSSE (P295 +10% service charge) with caramelized apple & coffee-baileys foam. 

This is one of those few dishes we like closing our eyes to when tasting it. The combination of light foie gras mousse, coffee baileys, and caramelized apple was brilliant! 

It’s best to eat it with bread and arugula leaves to balance the creaminess. 

Make sure you order extra bread and arugula to make it really worth it.

RICOTTA GNUDIS (P325 +10% service charge) with seasonal mushroom sauce, rosemary & hazelnuts.

This was highly recommended (i.e. with a “Rambla Man”) on the menu. It’s like gnocchi with ricotta cheese inside, served with parmessan, mushroom sauce, and hazelnut. 

The Gnudis is pillowy soft with the ricotta inside, and you can really taste the flavor of the mushroom in it. An interesting vegetarian dish. 

INSIDE OUT CANNELLONI (P425 +10% service charge) with Wagyu & Smoked Aubergine.

This was a bit different, with wagyu meat on the outside and smoked mashed eggplant inside, shaped into a long cannelloni form. 

This was just OK. Didn’t really get the point of this dish. 

 
We ordered red wine with our main course. They served us a previously opened red wine that already tasted funny at first. I’m glad they replaced it with the Al Tozano.

AL TOZANO Finca Constancia Tempranillo & Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Spain (P195/glass)

A nice affordable red wine from Spain.

(I’d like to learn more about Spanish wines. Where’s the best place to get educated on them?)

CHICKEN & SEAFOOD COULANT (P545 +10% service charge) with prawns & fine herbs.

This is an interesting savory version of the chocolate coulant of Las Flores.

The shredded chicken is formed into a dome with Mariscos seafood sauce oozing out when you slice it. My wife liked the shrimp while I liked the chicken with seafood sauce.
 
TAGLIATELLE “AL NERO DI SEPIA” & SCALLOPS (P595 +10% service charge)

Yummy Black Ink pasta with al dente flat noodles, topped with juicy scallops. Just make sure you go to the rest room after and clean your teeth. 🙂

For Chocolate Lovers (P275 +10% service charge) 

Love this chocolate mash-up composed of 7 delectable chocolate:

• Chocolate Ganache with seasalt,
• Truffle Chocolate with truffle oil,
• Chocolate Pistachio brownie, 
• White Chocolate Foam with Orange,
• Panacotta with Cardamom,
• Ginger cookie,
• and Chocolate sauce.

I like the ganache mixed with the white chocolate and cookie or brownie for added texture.

The Panacotta with cardamom is not as soft as you’d expect. 

Overall, RAMBLA is one of the best places to explore new flavors this Holiday Season. I love the creativeness of their dishes and the availability of a good selection of vegetarian options. I also find their menu exciting and I look forward to going back again to try the other items on the list. 

I recommend the Foie Gras Mousse for appetizer, the Marieta and Sicilian Limonata for drinks, and the For Chocolate Lovers for dessert. For the main dishes, we all had different reactions to what we ordered, so I guess this depends on how adventurous you are. It felt like the mains were too creative, with much emphasis on the form rather than on the flavor.  

The price of the food is reasonable, but the drinks are expensive. Budget is about P1,500/head for the full experience (i.e. with wine and cocktail drinks). 

Congratulations to Uri, Dani, and Sergi for another winning Spanish resto!