Good to try once 
. I first heard about this new restaurant in Tagaytay from the Nurture Spa staff and I immediately searched the web for information. I only came across one article in inquirer (Carlos Restaurant Article in Inquirer 03/17/04 ). We were excited to have a taste of good spanish food and excited to eat the suppose to be killer food Nudillo, cocido and the paella. We decided to eat a late lunch around 2pm and its no surprise that when we arrive there were no people in the restaurant. Also, the owner Carlos Callejo was went out so we missed our chance to interact with them.
Carlos is a spanish theme restaurant in the middle of Las Brisas de Tagaytay villas-for-rent. You order a set meal about P500/person and it comes with bread and liver pate, mushroom soup, salad with strawberry vinegrette, the home made cheesecake by his wife, Malou. Here are some insights on what to expect from Carlos:
What we like about the dining experience:
1. There is a good reading material about the true-story of Carlos’ battle with liver cancer. Its very inspiring and you can feel the love of God. Its a must that if you decide to eat here, you should meet the man and I can imagine the interesting discussions we missed.
2. The cheescake is very good. Not to be missed but I won’t still classify it as a killer food.
3. There were alot of artifacts and decoration inside the restaurant. I specially like the swords and samurai. Check out these pictures –> Carlos Restaurant, Mendez, Tagaytay Photos
What needs to be improved:
1. The food needs to be improved in terms of freshness. It tastes ordinary probably because you can taste it as if it was frozen and heated in the microwave. This is specially true for the shrimp tapas we ordered.
2. My wife does not like the nudillo because it taste like asadong pata tim. Don’t get me wrong, it is good but we are expecting a true spanish cuisine and different from the ordinary Filipino food.
3. Personally, I don’t like the smell of the place because it smells old. Also, it sits in the middle of a residential area/ villas which I think destroys the ambiance or concept.
More Information:
Carlos Restaurant, Mendez, Tagaytay
From the mendez intersection, turn right and on the first intersection turn left. Please expect a short strip of rough roads going to the Las Brisas de Tagaytay where the restaurant is located.
Hi there anton,
I stumbled on this article accidentaly, my tito charlie(carlos) and tita bubut(malu) would have delighted you if you have tried it earlier when they were better. am sure during this time when you visited they were already frequenting hospitals here in manila for the chemos. sad to inform you but my tita malu has been in and out of the hospital and is very critical again due to cancer. her cooking is beyond description if only you had a chance to sample it during the better days.. ah well…..so with that said…thanks for the review anyways:) Love your blog!
Hi! Anton & Rache,
I stumbled on your article while searching for a nice place to stay this weekend for me and my family.
You had a very informative article on this restaurant. I am a “feng shui” conscious person and your pictures of the place are revealing of what had befallen its owners. I shudder at seeing those swords, bones and skull at a place of business – too much “yin” energy floating around.
Hi! Lizz,
I am going to take a peek at the rooms. We are on a budget and the rates match our needs for this weekender escapade. Someone on the phone by the name of Angel will contact me later today on arrangements.
I just hope that the ambiance of the rooms are not the same as the restaurant … swords, bones, skull … brrrr! Takot ako!