COCONUTS HOT SPOT — I didn’t need to hop on a plane nor cross an ocean to go to Alabang, but a recent Saturday drive from Quezon City to the southern end of Metro Manila still felt like I was crossing a border in search of good food.
It cost us 2.5 hours on the road and several soul-draining Edsa bottlenecks to reach our destination: Bar Pintxos near Alabang Hills.
From what I had gathered from people who live in the area, it’s got a great vibe and doesn’t disappoint with its food and drinks menu. I was excited to check it out.
Once we arrived, the first thing that struck me was how it was intimate and neighborhly. There were long tables for big groups, but the setup was mostly for two to four people. It could comfortably accommodate 40 people.
As the name suggests, Pintxos serves “small snacks, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country and Navarre.”
The bar has a good number of tapas, pintxos and bocadillos to choose from, and there is also a board for daily specials.
There are meat and seafood options, and most of the pintxos use green olives, anchovies, pickled pepper, aioli and other familiar Spanish favorites — usually pinned down on a crusty bread with a toothpick — that leave the food bursting with flavor.
Sausage, peppers, potato, young eel (uni), egg, and pulpo (octopus) are among the popular ingredients.
Boquerones, a favorite appetizer in Spain, are simply fresh anchovies on bread. They have a salty-garlicky taste. The one we got was mixed with blueberry, which was interesting.
The Padron Chistorra, skewered peppers and chistorra sausage, was perfect with beer.
In case you don’t know what to order, ask the friendly servers. They are knowledgable and surprisingly opinionated about the specials, and that’s a good thing.
For those who want something heavier, Pintxos also serves paella. Tip, don’t devour the paella all at once. You’d want to make sure you have space left for all the small plates.
If there’s one thing you shouldn’t miss, it’s the calamares ala plancha. It is perfectly cooked. A plate is good for two.
For dessert, there’s artisanal chocolates called Risa, available in nice packaging and interesting flavors. It’s a really nice touch because it adds to the friendly neighborhood appeal of the place.
Good company, perplexing stories, and hearty laughs are all part of eating pintxos. So as expected, thy also have a well-curated bar list to keep coversations flowing.
They have an assortment of craft beer and a nice gin selection. From Crows Brewing Co., they offer a special Pintxos Pale Ale, bottled and naturally carbonated.
Miguel Vecin and his business partner, Tinchu Gonzalez, did a wonderful job of giving the watering hole a community vibe. They have a good number of regulars who are mostly from the Alabang area.
However, “travellers” are most welcome. On a Friday or Saturday night, it is not unusual to see people from Ortigas or Quezon City endure the traffic just to eat here.
Well, there’s room for everyone and here will be more space. Bar Pintxos is curently expanding to accomodate more guests, just in time for their first anniversary.
Don Gesu Building, Don Jesus Boulevard (near Alabang Hills), Muntinlupa City; +63 2 8310065, Facebook.
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