Alba Restaurante Español

Definitely a 5 Star Spanish restaurant experience. The food was excellent and definitely authentic Spanish. This has always been the restaurant we’ve been going to whenever we’re celebrating something special. Been coming here for years and it only gets better as it ages. Another reason to go back, hearing the incredible musicians. The three gentlemen serenaded us with their beautiful voices and music-playing. Shout out to Sir Jeff and the other waiters for their amazing service. Overall a wonderful experience!

The Cochinillo has crispy skin, tender meat, and absolutely worth ordering. We also tried Paella Valenciana, Salpicado de Solomillo, and Lengua Sevillana which are all flavorful and well-cooked, rich, authentic taste. Everything came out well-prepared and satisfying.

Alba's feels like seeing an old friend. The people are familiar, you know it like the back of your hand it feels like a welcoming place. It's no wonder why so many Japanese nationals love this place. The service is impeccable, the food is reasonably priced given its quality and it's a clean well-lighted place.

RE-VISIT - REVIEW UPDATE Disappointed this time as alcachofas had lots of tough outer skin which should be removed first so you don't need to remove from your mouth and put on the plate. Manager kindly Brought a second plate which was better but still 10 % very tough outers. Probably they get from a jar but should remove this - not good chef skills to serve artichokes that are chewy 🤷🏻‍♂️ they should know this Paella was mediocre. Should have a burnt base - the MOST important and tasty part - it's called the 'socarrat' in Spain. This had none Overall a tasty vegetable paella but too greasy and oily by far - and no essential socarrat, so not a proper paella Service still good, but food not inspiring - afraid as basic cheffing skills are missing. Manager was engaging afterwards and took onboard my comments. Hope they make some improvements 👍🏻 ----------------------------- ORIGINAL VISIT REVIEW Excellent service and nice food (just a little over-salted - chef a regular smoker maybe? That's the usual reason) Nice atmosphere with live band I enjoyed it and would recommend

Went there for my birthday. Love the ambience, service and most of all the food! Will come back for sure 💖

My fiance and I dined at Alba on a Saturday night as recommended by our foodie friends to be one of the best Spanish restaurants since they were young! We got the croquetas de jamon, white wine sangria and the mango with ham and arugula. Love love love the balance! We also really loved the service -- the staff were really attentive and had a smile on their faces! We will definitely be coming back!

Had an amazing time here. It was my first time seeing my family again after being abroad, and we enjoyed the food so much. Alba has amazing paellas, and their tapas are definitely a win. Some of our faves are the gambas, chorizo frito, Paella Negra, and Valenciana. The portions are generous and the taste is top-notch. Not to mention, the place is super clean, and the staff are very attentive and thoughtful. Thank you — we’ll definitely be back soon!

Took my family here for a quick lunch. We enjoyed everything that we have ordered. Especially the lengua. It was really tender and flavorful. The paellas were really great also. Thank you for the great experience.

Great dinner!!!! We were tired of traditional Philippine food and craving something different yet still traditional (Spain colonized the Philippines many centuries ago)- Alba was perfect! A quaint little place that feels like a neighborhood restaurant in Spain. The service is very attentive and the musicians who perform add to the ambiance. Finally had a great martini in the trip- small but perfect. We started with tapas- garlicky shrimp in garlic oil you sop up with bread.... Jamon croquettes- crispy outside and creamy inside....abondigas- meatballs in a savory sauce... traditional tortilla de Espanola- the simple egg potato omelette done perfectly. We had the suckling pig- crackling outside and meaty inside. The paellas are the star of the show! Huge portions made perfectly (with the crispy bottom). The Valencia is the traditional one with shell fish, chicken, and meat. The negro was my fav- I LOVE squid ink and it was full of it! The shrimp were also perfectly cooked. A must stop when in Manila.

Who does not like Spanish tapas? It is one of my favorite foods and when in Manila, Philippines, I was luckily invited for a dinner party at Alba Restaurante in Makati. On entering the restaurant, one cannot but notice the well-appointed red tablecloth tables with cloth napkins. The dishes at our disposal were many. They were Gambas (shrimp) in garlic and oil, potato croquettes, Spanish sausage, baked oysters, mushrooms, crostini with dip, chicken, spinach pizza and of course, seafood paella. To add to the cozy ambiance of this restaurant were three singers with Spanish guitars, serenading the audience in the restaurant. Our group got several renditions of Spanish ballads including, "Guantanamera". We sang along for this one. All the dishes were prepared well and highlighted their own distinct taste and flavors. My favorites were the croquettes, the baked oysters and the seafood paella. The croquettes were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The oysters though small, came 12 to a plate and were moist and well charred to bring out the baked parmesan fragrance. The seafood paella was the crown jewel of the evening. It contained several seafood varieties and was made fresh. It came out slightly charred at the bottom, as does any good paella. When scraped, mixed with the other contents, and eaten, one is rewarded with several bursts of aroma and taste. Table service was excellent. Muchas Gracias, Senores y Senoras.

The service and food are superb - we went on a Friday lunch w no guests in sight. We had the best service

Food is superb. Service is ok but can be improved. Ambiance is nice inside. Parking is very difficult. A good date night restaurant.

Came here with co-workers while working in Manila, Philippines . Food was sooooooo delicious!!! So happy they brought me here to enjoy an amazing dinner. Food was so authentic. Good food and wonderful company.

Alba's is still my favorite Spanish joint. Yes, I know the younger upstarts such as Barcino's and Calderon are giving the old guard a run for their money, but there's something about Alba's that's just so comforting and familiar. Alba's is like going home to your grandfather's place. You might not go there all the time, but coming there is coming home. Okay, it's best to bring a small group there (around 4-5). Order a paella (any, really), then order chorizo, boquerones, and slices of cold cuts for appetizers. Do get their brazo for dessert, then wash it all down with their Sangria. Perfect.

Spanish cuisine holds a special place in my stomach and blood: my lola's family moved from Spain to the Philippines, and she's always cooking up something from her culture when I visit her. For Mother's Day, the family decided she should take a break and we went to Alba's for dinner. It's pretty dim inside, adding to the cozy, romantic atmosphere but somewhat detracting from people's ability to read the menu without squinting or taking out their phones to light up the pages. We were offered the option to try the buffet, but the whole family decided to control our food intake instead by ordering a lot of appetizers to share and one main dish each. After much agonizing over all the tasty sounding items, I was able to pick something to eat. From the hot croquetas oozing cheese and chicken when bitten in half, to the perfectly cooked, juicy peppered steak I ordered for myself and shared only because everybody NEEDED to taste it, and of course their acclaimed paella negra, everything I tasted was richly flavored in true Spanish style. Special mention also to the Catalan seafood stew: so yummy it was totally worth having to scoop the crab meat out of its shell. What a great way to spend Mother's Day.

Definitely a must try! And it's on the rooftop! Beautiful! The food is so yummy and ask for desserts that's not on the AYCE

Foods are good, specially paella negra is very good for closing the dinner. Jamon Serrano which must be authentic, seems not of real Spanish although the Wines in the menu are also good selection of Spanish, Chilean, Argentina, and USA. Trio music band plays romantic songs by customer's request as live music but it is not Spanish songs from Spain but famous Mexicans as trio Los Panchos.

Excellent food. Great atmosphere. It's a change from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Makati. The clientele mostly of foreign nationality is ok since everyone seems to be in high spirits. As far as the food is concerned, it's still as great as it was when I first tasted it 20+ years ago!