Ilustrado, the restaurant where I finally celebrated my birthday after years of celebrating at home.
2020: GCQ birthday
2021: ECQ birthday
2022: Alert Level 1 👍 Yay!!!
Yes indeed, my family and I headed to Ilustrado, a restaurant in the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila serving heritage Spanish-Filipino food. It is inside a two-story heritage building with a lovely Spanish garden courtyard.
Ilustrado has been around since 1989, way before I migrated to the U.S., but I never had the chance to eat there until this year. Thank goodness my sister suggested it for my birthday lunch!
“Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila exudes an authentic old-world ambiance with its Hispanic architectural features and interiors.”
But what I wanted from there is, of course, to try their food. And try we surely did!
* Jamon Serrano with Tomato Salsa and Melba Toast
* Croquetas de Carne y Quezo
* Paella Ilustrado
* Grilled Blue Marlin with Sesame, Garlic Chili Soy Glaze
* Roast Half Spring Chicken al Ajillo
* Callos Madrilena
* Tiger Prawns and Shrimps with Coconut Ginger Lemongrass Sauce
Sadly, we didn’t have space for dessert by the end of our meal.
My sister took this video during our visit to Ilustrado.
Verdict:
Quaint Spanish-Filipino cuisine? Check! ✔️ A good place for a proper sit-down meal? Check! ✔️
Thumbs up for Ilustrado’s beautifully presented and delightfully savory dishes, the historic old building and Spanish garden courtyard, ample parking space, ground floor seating area, and fast seating.
Ilustrado serves fine dining food in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. The Paella Ilustrado and the Callos Madrilena lived up to what has been said about those dishes online. Hopefully, we’ll get to try their Sampaguita Ice Cream next time!
Address:
Ilustrado
744 General Luna Street
Intramuros, Manila, Philippines