La Taperia Martinez is Chef Luis Martinez’s Spanish tapas bar, celebrating the spirit of Spain through shareable dishes, fine wines, and crafted cocktails. It now occupies the former La Picara space as the anchor Spanish restaurant of One Bonifacio High Street Mall. Dining here brings back memories of Spain—from food trips in La Boqueria, Barcelona, to tapas hopping in Madrid—and it’s a great way to introduce our Gen Z kids to these flavors before they discover them on their own.
It’s popular at night, so we came for lunch while the usual crowd was away. The space has vibrant sunset tones and a warm, tropical feel, with tables that invite you to relax and enjoy tapas.
La Tapería Martínez
📍One Bonifacio High Mall, Bonifacio Global City
📞 +63 945 663 8052
📸 @lataperia.mnl
∞ La Taperia Martinez
🌐 https://www.nikkei.com.ph/lataperiamartinez
We tried the not usual tapas and our all time favorites, something light but delicious on a monday lunch.
TAPAS
Pitted olives and salted almonds welcome you and whet your palate before the tapas.
Surprisingly, the sourdough was good just add a bit of the salsa and cream mousse.
CHISTORRA NAVARRA A LA SIDRA | NAVARRA STYLE CHORIZO (₱895)
Traditional Navarra chistorra slowly simmered in natural cider until tender and infused with its sweet and tangy aroma. Served warm, highlighting its smoky and spiced flavor
We first fell in love with chistorra in San Sebastián, and ever since it’s been a must-have pasalubong—even the supermarket versions are quite good and well-packed. This disappeared in seconds, with spices and flavor bursting in every bite. The oily jus also makes a great dipping sauce for the bread.
BOQUERONES FRITOS | SPANISH FRIED WHITE ANCHOVIES (₱295)
Fried fresh anchovies with lime zest and lemon
We love boquerones in oil, but it’s our first time trying it ala-danggit style with a dash of lemon. Sarap—like anchovy chips—and I can imagine it going well with fried rice, scrambled egg, and vinegar (not exactly Spanish!).
CHIPIRONES A LA PLANCHA | GRILLED BABY SQUID (₱520)
Fresh baby squid grilled with tender spring onion finished with garlic and parsley oil and a touch of squid ink for a rich ocean flavor
All-time favorite—baby squid in garlic, oil, and squid ink, a perfect pulutan for a lighter, satisfying bite.
PORTOBELLO CONFITADO | PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS CONFIT (₱450)
Slow-cooked portobello mushroom, grilled to bring out its depth of flavor. Served with garlic and parsley oil, organic egg yolk, melted Comté cheese. and crispy bread
Galing ng combination—portobello with egg yolkiness, Comté salted cheese, and crunchy bread bits.
ALMEJAS CON CHORIZO PICANTE | FRESH CLAMS WITH SPANISH SPICY CHORIZO ₱695
Fresh clams sautéed with chorizo,tomato, garlic. and white wine, served in their own reduced broth
Manila clams with chorizo bits, garlic, tomato, and clam jus with white wine reduction—sarap nito!
PINTXO DE BACALAO | COD FILLET (₱895)
Confit air-flown cod fillet served on grilled piquillo pepper, gratinated with garlic mousseline, and accompanied by a smooth piquillo pepper sauce
Bacalao, salted cod fillet, brings memories of the Spanish coast and is presented pintxos-style—bitin.
ARROZ AL HORNO | OVEN VALENCIA HOMETOWN RICE (₱1,950)
Iberian pork ribs, pork pata Butifarra, blood sausage, potatoes, chickpeas, tomato, garlic and bomba rice
*Good for 3-4 people *35 minutes serving time
Instead of paella pan-fried in a paellera, we tried the baked version on a clay dish. Masarap, with less socarrat but still bomba rice topped with butifarra and pork ribs. Best finished with a dash of lemon, mashed garlic mixed into the rice, and eaten while hot.
MAGRET DE PATO | DUCK BREAST (₱995)
Charcoal-grilled duck breast served with a sweet and tangy apricot and plum sauce
This was the only dish that fell short, possibly due to the quality of the duck or how it was grilled.
DESSERT
BANANA TARTE TATIN ₱320
Citrus Caramel, Puff Pastrý.Pecans, Cinnamon ice Cream
Irresistible and most Instagrammable, served à la mode with caramel sauce, and best eaten with banana, puff pastry, and pecans to balance the sweetness.
DECONSTRUCTED KEYLIME PIE ₱320
Key Lime Curd, Lime & Creme Fraiche sorbet, Burnt Meringue, Creme Fraiche mousse, Oat. crumble, Tuile Mint
Refreshing dessert with bright lemon flavors, sorbet, and crunchy bits of mousse.
CHOCOLATINA I CHOCOLATE BAR ₱345
Dark chocolate brownie, Peanut butter ganache, milk chocolate mousse, Mirror glaze, vanilla cremeux,
Maldon sea salt. candied cocoa nibs, toasted almonds
A Reese’s-style chocolate bar to satisfy any chocolate sweet tooth.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, bitin. I love the tapas culture, but it’s best for bar hopping with cocktails or cava in hand. It’s tikim-tikim style, with each dish bursting with flavor—you’ll always wish you could have it with fried rice. The arroz is usually served as the main dish, with the tapas as appetizers, so they’re often finished before the paella arrives. We recommend the chistorra, boquerones fritos, chipirones, and almejas con chorizo, paired with a carafe of cava sangria. Surprisingly, the bread and desserts are now better in a Chef Luis Martinez resto, possibly inspired by his recent wedding in Spain. This is now the best tapas place in Manila, after the once-great Bistronomia scene was closed by Bistro from Rambla, BCN, and Tomatito.
La Tapería Martínez
📍One Bonifacio High Mall, Bonifacio Global City
📞 +63 945 663 8052
📸 @lataperia.mnl
∞ La Taperia Martinez
🌐 https://www.nikkei.com.ph/lataperiamartinez
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: This article was written entirely by a human—reflecting my own biases, opinions, and insights—with grammar and clarity checked using AI assistance. Thank you to La Taperia MNL for hosting us.
p.s. love the tables with a view of 5th Avenue and the One Bonifacio High Street Mall intersection scene.
p.p.s. check out their happy hour offer
