Boracay’s Famous Dos Mestizos Restaurant Opens Near Tagaytay

After 27 years, arguably one of the country’s best Spanish restaurants—Dos Mestizos of Boracay—has opened a second branch near Tagaytay City in Cavite.

Located in the heart of the island paradise, Dos Mestizos Restaurant is steeped in Spanish-Filipino heritage. “We have not changed the menu for 27 years,” says Jose Carlos “Binggoy” Remedios, who recently moved to Tagaytay’s Anya Resort. “We just recently celebrated our 27th anniversary and we just improved the sidings, but the main dishes remain the same.”

Dos Mestizos' new home in Silang

Photo by Alvin Uy.

Mr and Mrs Binggoy Remedios and Xavier Villa Abrille

Photo by Alvin Uy.

“We have been living there for about a year and a half in Anya and why I placed this restaurant here in Tagaytay, I am still wondering why,” he tells Esquire Philippines with a chuckle. Remedios shared that he didn’t have any plans to put up a restaurant in Tagaytay at first but chanced upon the property, which was a former pineapple plantation, and saw a “for lease” sign just a few blocks from his new home. Since he has a growing teenage daughter studying in an international school in Nuvali, the restaurateur took the lease and opened Dos Mestizos’s second branch on Labor Day, May 1.

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Remedios is one of the two mestizos in the business, opening the Boracay institution in Station One along with Jose Ramon Nieto, the other mestizo. As the story goes, the restaurant got its start in the 1990s when Boracay began earning a reputation as one of the best beaches in the world. From a small crew, the restaurants caught the attention of gourmands, celebrities, local and even international tycoons like Malaysia’s richest businessman Robert Kuok, who frequented the restaurant even before the Boracay version of his Shangri-La brand was built.  

A sign welcomes guests to the Tagaytay outpost of the Boracay institution

Photo by Alvin Uy.

Dos Mestizos is of course known for its heritage Spanish cuisine; food that Remedios grew up with, reminiscent of times when days were more leisurely and less harried. Boracay’s laidback island was the perfect setting for his culinary expressions and beach party lifestyle.

“Now my son took over the Boracay business already,” Remedios says. “When I was younger, it was a party place for me. I still like Boracay, but I feel it’s not my place anymore. I go there once a month and stay there for a few days to check on the business.” 

Paella Valenciana

Photo by Alvin Uy.

Dos Mestizos' famous herb-crusted porkchop

Photo by Alvin Uy.

After the passing of his business partner, it was left to Remedios to continue the business. The restaurant’s reputation for consistently good food using only the best ingredients is well known, even beyond its island location. Almost everyone who went to the Tagaytay outpost launch last Saturday has been to the Boracay original.  The dishes are from old Filipino-Castilian homes and their kusineras would spend time in kitchens, coming out with dishes from recipes that are considered family heirlooms passed on from one generation to the next. 

On Wednesday, Esquire Philippines trekked to this charming restaurant on its first official opening day. The interior gives off a similar vibe to its Boracay sister—from the cogon roof awning and rustic interior with warm hues of wooden accents and furnishings, adorned with traditional Spanish décor—transporting guests back to the world-famous island.

Pescado Alcapara

Photo by Alvin Uy.

Bread pudding

Photo by Alvin Uy.

The menu is a rich tapestry of Spanish cuisines. The restaurant’s manager Xavier Villa Abrille gave his recommendations and let us in on their future offerings, including Tapas Night on weekends, Latin-themed music and special offerings. Abrille is also a mixologist and, aside from the cocktails, said that the restaurant carries an excellent selection of Spanish wine and beer as well.

Complementing the famous Paella Valenciana, we sampled the Pollo al Ajillo roast chicken and Pescado Alcapara or pan-fried fish in caper butter. Another must-try dish is the herb-crusted pork chop. According to Remedios, they also serve the cochinillo suckling roasted pig with a day’s notice and, very soon, they will also serve 28-day aged Rubia Gallega, considered as the best-ever Spanish steaks using a breed of cattle indigenous to the Spanish region of Galicia. They grow the cattle between eight to 12 years to have the right layers of marbled fat and size.  

The menu at Dos Mestizos Tagaytay

Photo by Alvin Uy.

A couple of slabs of Black Onxy beef and Rubia Gallega beef being aged for 28 days

Photo by Alvin Uy.

Besides its name and reputation in Boracay, what truly sets Dos Mestizos apart is its unwavering dedication to preserving culinary traditions and making sure that the quality of food and service is not compromised.

“Our capacity is about 150 pax but we would like to keep it below 80 pax, so we can properly attend to everyone,” Remedios says.  With a team of four sous chefs and a baker, who makes their own artisan bread, the team makes sure food is prepared well in a timely and consistent manner, and of course, tastes just as good as the Boracay original.

The new branch of Dos Mestizos is located in Silang, Cavite. For more information visit them on Facebook or website.