Rastro - Metro Manila

Rastro is a recent addition to the Burgos Circle area, filling a void for a quality Spanish restaurant in the Fort. The service is satisfactory, although when we visited there was only one (very hardworking) chef handling our large table of 14. The Paella is outstanding, especially the Paella Negra a la Marinara (which includes squid ink rice, squid rings, mussels, and fish fillets), but it is advisable to call ahead as it takes 20-30 minutes to prepare.

In the summer of 2014, this restaurant appeared to be struggling as they were only able to hire wait staff at training wages of around 100 pesos per day, which wasn't even enough to cover transportation costs. It's disappointing that the government allows this kind of exploitation. If a restaurant has to resort to these tactics, it doesn't bode well for their future.

Rastro is a new addition to the Burgos circle and a much-needed Spanish restaurant in the Fort area. The service was average, but during our visit, we only had one chef handling our 14-person table, who was working hard to keep up. The paella was outstanding, especially the Paella Negra a la Marinara (made with squid ink rice, squid rings, mussels, and fish fillets), but I suggest calling ahead as it takes 20-30 minutes to prepare.