Last Sunday, we wanted to explore more restaurants along Tomas Morato. Louie searched through Zomato and found Mario’s which we’ve passed by several times but really didn’t take notice. Mario’s is reputable as the place to go for a good-sized tasty steak, and its Caesar Salad is known to be a “gastronomic masterpiece,” both divine and unreplicable. I was craving for paella that time. Since it’s a restaurant specializing in Spanish food, we supposed their paella won’t go amiss. 🙂 We were right!
Review of Mario’s (Tomas Morato, Quezon City)
Ambiance:
Mario’s is a fancy restaurant in Tomas Morato that’s elegant and down-to-earth. It’s a good place for family gatherings, intimate dates, and celebrations of any special event. The interior design has the right balance of comfort and creativity, proffering dim lights, muted walls, tables fitted with white and ivory cloths topped with lined patterns that never go out of style, old-time surroundings, and quiet ambiance. It’s not just another casual place to grab a bite.
Service:
We arrived at 12:10pm and were immediately seated and handed the menu. When we ordered their best-selling paella, the staff asked if it was okay for us to wait 45 minutes since preparation and cooking will start from scratch. Patience is a virtue and we could stand just a little more patience for something that’s worth the wait. We said yes.
An hour passed before our paella arrived hot on the table. We did two follow-ups which were both not so reassuring. More customers came and we noticed that it was only then when diners who came before us started to get their food served. Long wait and hold times usually translate to lost sales, and service issues in most cases send many customers off the rails. But here, it’s a different story. People were having nice conversations over the table and they were having a good time.
So when planning to dine at Mario’s and you’re the type who hates to wait, make sure to order appetizers first as we did. Your growling stomach will thank you. 🙂
Food:
We had their Soup of the Day (PhP 120) which was cream of spinach and celery. It’s a thick, rich, and wholesome soup that’s accompanied by the complimentary basket of hearty bread with butter. It was enough to satiate our animated-ogre hunger for about half an hour.
Paella Valenciana (PhP 735) is a vibrant mix of seafood, chicken, pork and sausage. And indeed, it was worth waiting for. The rice grains were evenly cooked and tender throughout. The sweet, briny flavor of the shellfish and shrimps shone through the dish, and we enjoyed the contrasting meatiness of the pork and sausage. It’s a party dish and a great comfort food, everything in one perfect pot, aromatic and delicious all at once.
Price for Value:
If you’re anywhere near Tomas Morato, don’t miss out on Mario’s. This restaurant is a charming landmark epitomizing refined and upscale Filipino-Spanish cuisine. Prices are a bit steep but fair given the quality of food and our overall experience. Chef’s Specials which we’d like to try next time include the Gambas Con Choriza Pasta (PhP 390), Tenderloin Steak (PhP 690), Steak and Prawn Thermidore (PHp 815), and Angus Rib-Eye USDA Prime Grade Steak (PhP 1995).
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Ooooh, I love the vibe of this restaurant. The food looks so good, too! What a great place to eat for anyone who happens to be in the area!
Wish we had a restaurant like this to enjoy in my neck of the woods. Looks wonderful from the decor to all the food.
This place has great ambiance for sure. The food looks pretty great too!
This looks like a spectacular restaurant. I really like the decor. The food looks amazing as well.
I like the decor very simple, bright.Looks like the food is tasty too. We will have to try it one day.
This looks like a charming restaurant to visit. The food looks really delicious. Love the atmosphere and decor.
That Paella Valenciana looks delicious. I haven’t had paella in ages. Love the decor of this restaurant.
Sounds like a nice restaurant if you don’t mind waiting and get those appetizers while you wait. I love paella so this would be my choice too.
That dish looks and sounds flavorful. One hour is a long time to wait for your meal to arrive at the table, I wouldn’t have waited that long.
That paella valenciana dish look amazing! I’m not one to choose the paella dishes because of the wait time, but, if its local, then I try to call ahead to get it ordered.
All of the food looks amazing but I really think that the Paella Valenciana would be my favorite. I also love the ambiance of the restaurant and would love to visit.
That paella looks absolutely delicious, I nearly have to reach over for my drool bib! Looks like it’s packed with amazing ingredients and so full of flavor.
Oh man all of this food looks amazing! I love. That Paella looks especially yummy!!
That Paella Valenciana looks so good, I’m salivating! There are so many great food places in Pinas want to try when we visit next time. I’ll keep this in mind.
This looks like a beautiful establishment. If I’m ever in this area, I’ll keep this place in mind. I love cream of celery soup and that bowl looks delicious!!
I wouldn’t mind the long wait time if the food is worth it and that Paella sure is! I love that it’s properly cooked, proof that giving it time is really important. I appreciate your review!
This place so swanky and nice. I would love to visit soon!
Now this restaurant looks good, and the paella looks delicious.
Oh goodness, I’d want to wait there every single meal. We have long waits at all of the restaurants around here, especially for seafood. Ordering appetizers helps the time too.
Just want to comment on this place. Ambiance is good, 10/10, steaks and beef 9/10, fish 8/10, pasta 4/10, desert 8/10, but the service sucks 2/10. We may be new clients but we are educated too. You dont serve water with plastic in it and just blame it on the delivery. You dont put something on the food description found on the menu then dont serve it. We ordered new york cheesecake and it says it has either strawberry or blueberry sauce. They gave us just the plain cheese cake w/o the sauce. We needed to ask before thet gave it. And hopefully we they do better next time