Dos Mestizos Restaurant, Boracay, Philippines
Last Visit: Feb 2009
"...You can enjoy a solid and genuine Spanish meal in a pleasant country atmosphere..."
OVERALL
Boracay is a beautiful and fascinating place. Visitors come from all over the world to get away from it all in a tropical paradise, but they also bring with them appetite for authentic global cuisines, especially european. So after a day under the sun on the whitest sand in the world, you can enjoy a solid and genuine Spanish meal in a pleasant country atmosphere in Dos Mestizos.
Dos Mestizos claims to have authentic Spanish food. I've only been to Southern Spain and the cuisine there is different from the typically Spanish food you else around the world, but the essential elements and Castellano flavoers are definitely present in Dos Mestizos.
The menu is undoubtedly Spanish, complete with tapas, braised meats, grilled and broiled seafoods, etc. The spaniards like meat, particularly beef, so we had to order some beef tapas. It's full of flavor and meat was well-marinated as it's supposed to, but the beef was not the prime or even decent. It's not remotely juicy and tender was the cheapest beef you'll get in the US, and the beef with garlic tapa was way too salty. That alone caused the restuarant one smiley from Mr. MC.
Seafood is - for obvious reason - the highlight of the meal. Either the seafood paella or the broiled fish was excellent. You can taste the ocean freshness in the paella, which was made to order so it took about half an hour, and the fish was soft andave a smooth yet has a powerful flavor delivered by butter and spices.
Overall, food is rich and flavorful, and taste is very Spanish; however, it's not the best Spanish food that can be made, especially in a country that has 400 years of Spanish heritage. Alright, maybe I am just too picky, this is, after all, not Manila or Cebu, but a 7-mile long island.....
SERVICE
From hostess to busboys, the service at Dos Mestizos is friendly and efficient. There's a high staff-to-customer ratio and they do a great job making sure that you feel welcome and are treated well. The only strange thing is that some of the staff seem to have difficulty with English, which is bizarre given where it is located.
AMBIENCE
The most memorable thing about this restaurant, unfortunately, is not the food, but rather the ambience. From the outside, the restaurant looks somewhat hispanic - you probably won't find anything like this in Madrid, but more likely in Manila. It nevertheless looks attractive and consistent with the kind of food is offers.
Inside the restaurants, there's a countryside hacienda feeling all around, but with a huge full-bar right in the middle. You'd have to like the classic provencial look and feel to appreciate their decor though. There are many little touches that gives it an exotic feel, including a hand-drawn map on the wall, a ton of celebrity pictures, rustic fixtures, etc. Overall, it's a pleasant and comfortable place to eat and hang out. 
VALUE
You might expect a nice Spanish restaurant in the prime tourist resort town in Philippines would probably cost you an arm and a leg. Well, that would be a close assessment. A complete 3 or 4 course meal will set you back for about US$20, drinks not included. While this is definitely not devastating for an American or European tourist, you can definitely find better deals in Boracay.
BOTTOMLINE
This is not a restaurant that I would HAVE TO go back to when I visit Boracay again (and I DEFINITELY will!!) because it's food is only good, not great; however, I would still recommend it if you want to get some european flavor in this beautiful tropical paradise. Go easy on beef and focus on seafood, and you won't be disappointed.
BTW
Drinks are pretty expensive, almost like a 5-star hotel in the city. Therefore, you might want to try to bring your own wine if you are a big wine drinker.
