Review of The Wine Club (Legaspi Village, Makati City)

What started as a wine retail store a decade ago is now a restaurant. The Wine Club in Aguirre, Legazpi Street is deep in the center of corporate midtown in Makati, located on the ground floor of a really nice condo. It isn’t actually a “wine club” like the name literally entails; there’s no membership or contract with a locked-in period for subscription. Rather, The Wine Club is a wine lounge where you can have a memorable night out. At the same time, it’s a distributor that offers a wide range of collectible Napa Valley and Sonoma wines to many distinguished hotels and restaurant chains nationwide. Their food menu is not extensive but quality of dishes is pretty solid.

Dinner was booked through BigDish’s trusty mobile app a week ago, and we had an instant 20% discount off our meal. In case you’re not yet familiar, BigDish is a brand-new way of offering dining deals and discounts. There’s no membership fee required. Just reserve online and get discounts off your bill depending on the number of people, date and time, and the restaurant chosen. Once booking is done, a confirmation code will show up and this should be presented to the restaurant at the time of visit.

Review of The Wine Club (Legaspi Village, Makati City)

Ambiance:

Featuring a minimal design, The Wine Club has a rustic Italian ambiance. It’s upscale without being stuffy, and it feels celebratory almost any day of the week. Surrounding the modest bar and dining area are various wines on multi-level shelves. Heavy wooden bench tables set against contemporary bar stools create an intimate feel where guests can enjoy their wines at their own pace. Overall, the setting is cozy and the place feels relaxing. It’s an ideal spot for romantic dates, business meetings, power lunches, after-work dinners, and canapé evenings.

Service:

To maintain a good standard of service and professionalism, it’s always a plus when service attendants present themselves with a working knowledge about the wines’ vintage, appellation, varietal, and growing region and can answer succinctly when asked. They do at The Wine Club. The staff were conversational and were able to provide excellent recommendations with a good cadence of delivery. They were attentive and friendly without being overbearing.  Dishes were served in a coordinated, smooth, and timely manner.

Food:

Topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and minced beef, the flatbread (PhP 500) comprised of a good balance of salt, spice, and a little spike of acidity. Mildly bouncy, the pepperoni had a meaty chew and the textural differences with the rest of the components were satisfactory. The crust was amply topped with cheese that added salt and a more depth of flavor to the pie.

Fresh Basil and Pistachio Nut Pesto Pasta (PhP 490) was rich, appetizing, and deeply flavorful. The pistachio nut mixture was finely granular yet still contributing to its nutty, herbaceous, and lemony profile. Adding cheese would certainly make a savory topping.

Presented with a deep, sweet, crisply charred crust, Grilled Tiger Prawn Sautee (PhP 590) was a hit. The shrimps were juicy and tender with a crunchy pop, and the layered flavors wonderfully burst with a decisive snap in our mouth.

Cabernet Braised Kitayama Wagyu Shank (PhP 880) hit all the beefiness and represented a perfect bite of food. We’re happy that it didn’t fall short of our expectation. The beef shanks were luxuriantly rich, moist, and juicy with intramuscular fat.

For our wine fix, we chose Long Barn Chardonnay 2014 (PhP 250/glass) and Bogle Merlot 2014 (PhP 280/glass) to pair with meat, seafood, pizza, and pasta. Long Barn Chardonnay 2014 is citrus, well-balanced, and almost full in the mouth. The palate is coated with notes along with hints of apricot, apple, balanced aromas of pear and vanilla, and an oak taste on the finish. On the other hand, Bogle Merlot 2014 tasted fresh with plum and fruity flavors with a touch of earth. Texture was smooth and lightly tannic. Overall, this medium-bodied red wine is great for sipping with food.

Price for Value:

The Wine Club’s impressive and varied new-world wine selection, user-friendly menus, and the trained staff are the top reasons why I think this wine lounge/restaurant is a recommended go-to destination for foodie and wine enthusiasts alike. If you want quaffable wine to keep the food as focus, you’re in good hands here. The Wine Club has wines that are made for easy drinking and a delicious modern Italian fare that delivers fair value in price. Its welcoming environment will have you returning time and again. Bring in more company to fuel a fun vibe, and make sure to check out BigDish to score a great deal. 🙂

To know more about BigDish, check out its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BigDishPH/ or visit its website at https://bigdish.ph/. Click this button to book a table now:

About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco

Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.