PABLO: The Best Spanish Bistro in Salcedo?!

Pablo Bistro by David Collado is a “Little Spain” Bistro located on the ground floor of Picasso Makati Hotel, named after Pablo Picasso which also gave inspiration to the restaurant’s name. This is one of the few restaurants that survived in Salcedo and managed to thrive with an even better menu and experience.

Here is our experience at Pablo and some tips on how to have an awesome experience here.

ABOUT PABLO

Pablo is your “Little Spain” in Salcedo, Makati and the anchor restaurant of the Picasso Hotel. It is Salcedo’s friendly and casual neighborhood Cafe-Deli-Bar together with Cartel Deli. You can enjoy the signature tapas, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, meat, and seafood dishes paired with over 40 references of wines, sangrias, and cocktails.

PABLO BISTRO
We are PABLO – a charming & cozy LITTLE SPAIN Resto at the heart of Salcedo Village.
📍G/F Picasso Hotel, 119 LP Leviste Street, Makati, Philippines
⏰ Open Daily 7:00 am to 12:00 mn
📞 +63 917 812 3301
📩 contact@pablobistro.com
FB: Pablo Bistro
IG: @pablobistro
🌏: https://www.carteldeli.com

I loved its laid back Spanish ambiance where you can come as you are with the kids in tow!

I asked them what’s the dress code and they said come as you are literally. I know this is a watering hole at night for Makati yuppies, but it was cool to bring the kids and they enjoyed the food as much as we did.

Make sure to reserve the best table in Pablo—with a lounge table setup surrounded by the wines, bar and high tables/chairs—where you can have a little more privacy and intimate conversations.

PABLO BISTRO MENU:
· Steak & Wine Specials
· Tapas, Carpaccio, Salads, Platters, Paellas Steaks, Meats
· Seafood, Sandwiches, Pizzetas, Pastas, Omelettes, Savory Pies, Breakfast, Desserts
· Red Wine, White Wine, Sparkling Wine, Rose Wine, Sake, Beer
· Spirits, Pablo Cocktails, Coffee, Non-Coffee

Service was friendly, and we have good recommendations on the food.

APPETIZERS

Meal started with bread which you can soak in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

**Goat Cheese, Mixed Greens** (₱500)
fried goat cheese, honey balsamic vinaigrette

Salad was fresh but with a sweeter honey balsamic dressing. Make sure to mix the goat cheese to cut through the sweetness. Also for a nice crunch when you eat the salad.

**Fire Grilled Octopus Carpaccio** (₱690)

Thinly sliced on a bed of mashed potato and served smoking hot. You know it’s simply delicious when nakikipagagawan ka with the kids.

**Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio** (₱680)
black truffle dressing, parmesan

Raw beef with slices of parmesan and black truffle dressing. You could taste the beef itself. Went well with the salty parmesan and black truffle dressing.

PAELLA & MEATS

Loved the solo portion of the paella because we were able to order different flavors, and the kids were able to finish most of it. You could taste the truffle with mushroom and asparagus flavor, and it was good even without any meat.

**Black Angus Beef Cheeks** (₱890)
creamy mashed potato

Just how I like my beef cheeks—really tender with tasty beef soaked in its jus. It went well with a bit of mashed potato and cherry tomato.

We loved the squid ink paella, with a dash of lemon and garlic aioli plus the deep flavors of squid ink. Sarap.

(Caution: We suspect my son Yugi got allergy with pantal pantal because of the black ink.)

**Rib Eye** (500g – ₱3,990)
comes with fried potatoes, side salad

The steak was cooked medium, served with fries and salads. Perfect for your next celebration. The steak itself was quite good. You will enjoy the taste of the beef as you chew it.

**Finca El Origen** (₱380/glass, ₱1,650/bottle)
Mendoza, Uco Valley | Malbec

It also went well with their in-house Malbec which was reasonably priced.

**Seared Pork Tenderloin Iberico** (₱1,350)
sobrasada sauce, house fries

This went well with the paella but was served after the steak. It was good with the sobrasada sauce, and the pork was easy to cut into pieces for added enjoyment.

Wiped out! The food was surprisingly good.

DESSERT

**Lemon Vanilla Creme Brûlée** (₱280)
**Manchego Cheesecake** (₱320)

Skip these desserts because there are better options and not worth the calories.

**Double Dark Chocolate Coulant** (₱320)
vanilla ice cream

Although, if you would like to end on a sweet note, order their signature chocolate cake a la mode—baked gooey chocolate paired with vanilla ice cream. Sarap. 🙂

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, this is one of the best Spanish bistros in Makati. I was fascinated with their story on how they reinvented their food with different Spanish chefs, how they survived the pandemic by catering to quarantined guests and, finally, how they are thriving and bustling in a post-pandemic Salcedo Village.

The food portions were good and reasonably priced with a wide array of drinks you can pair with. We recommend to start with: 🥗 Goat Cheese, Mixed Greens (₱500), 🐙 Fire Grilled Octopus Carpaccio (₱690), and 🐄 Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio (₱680). For the mains, order the Paella 🍚 Truffle Mushroom & Asparagus (₱690), 🦑 Black Squid Ink & Aioli (₱690) together with the meats: 🐮Black Angus Beef Cheeks (₱890), 🥩 Rib Eye (500g – ₱3,990), 🐖 Seared Pork Tenderloin Iberico (₱1,350). Finish with 🍫 Double Dark Chocolate Coulant (₱320) a la mode. Budget about ₱2,000/head for your next celebration.