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I live in the north and am the ultimate homebody, often the first to skip plans, especially long road trips down south. But the hour-long drive to Lipa is easy, a straight line down SLEX. Conveniently located near the highway, El Cortijo is often a stopover for those making the religious trek from the Padre Pio Shrine to Taal Cathedral as well as divers on their way to Anilao and beachgoers heading to Laiya. And once you arrive, the experience is well worth it.
El Cortijo’s charming farmhouse, warmly welcoming visitors with a picturesque fountain at its front
Photos by JT Fernandez
The small road leading to the restaurant is lined by shady trees. Translating to “the farmhouse” in Spanish, El Cortijo features a cozy bungalow and outdoor dining patio nestled within a six-hectare lanzones farm.
With mouthwatering Spanish food that makes the trip all the more rewarding, El Cortijo Restaurante’s menu is packed with unpretentious, umami flavors and top-quality ingredients, ultimately raising the bar for dining in Batangas.
A Spanish feast for the senses
“We want people to be surprised by what they find in terms of the food, the service, the ambiance,” says proprietor Patrick Reyes. And visitors who come definitely are. While the restaurant environment is casual and relaxed, El Cortijo offers a white tablecloth experience, complemented by a cool breeze swaying through the trees, perfect for enjoying a light, fizzy happy hour sangria. Stepping inside, the sense of seclusion is cinematic, almost reminiscent of the film “The Menu” but far more laid-back and inviting.
Luxury, but make it laid-back
Inside, artworks from Reyes’ personal collection hang on the polished wood panel walls. You’ll find dance-inspired pieces by artist Christina Dy with her art band Somatosonic, as well as a textile sculpture by Patricia Perez Eustaquio.
In one corner is a bronze sculpture by Polish artist Stanisław Szukalski, with a custom stand made for the first edition collected by Leonardo di Caprio and his father, which Reyes was able to procure in a roundabout way.
Artwork by Christina Dy with her art band Somatosonic as well as a sculpture by Patricia Perez Eustaquio
General manager Mikha Gillego stands in front of a monochromatic pair of artworks by recently awarded CCP Thirteen Artist Vien Valencia
“I haven’t met a wall that doesn’t deserve art,” Reyes says.
Laid-back yet refined, the environment encourages guests to linger and savor. “We want people to come as they are—whether in shorts or with their dogs. The elegance is in the experience, not the dress code,” the proprietor says.
Small pets are allowed inside the restaurant, as long as they wear a diaper
Instead of conventional waitstaff, the team functions as what Reyes calls “tour guides,” personally walking guests through each meal, describing the food at attention as they do in haute cuisine. Most of the servers are hired from Lipa, and have had no prior restaurant experience. Reyes describes the training as teaching the servers to have the mindset of a tour guide—to read the room and surprise guests with trivia and facts, creating a unique experience for each table.
With a background in strategy management consulting and startup management, proprietor Patrick Reyes spent 17 years in Boston and nine years with the Aboitiz Group. Given his experience, it’s no surprise that Reyes trains the staff and keeps the tour-guides-cum-servers on their toes, too
El Cortijo has also started catering, the most recent of which was for Tim Yap’s Shake Rattle and Roll ball.
The kitchen is huge, too. “Restaurants usually trade off revenue for a kitchen, so they cram all the kitchen in a narrow space. I could have turned this into a restaurant dining space but I think space influences how you think, and hopefully this more open space can influence how they create in the kitchen.”
While Reyes’ approach to operations is meticulous, it seems to meld well with new executive chef Monica Pelayo’s collaborative management style, which is rooted in respect and extends to the kitchen culture.
The creative kitchen
Executive chef Pelayo was part of a batch trained by the first Spanish chefs in Las Flores in BGC, and also worked in hotels like the Hilton and Sheraton. Working with her is sous-chef Rudi who came from Amanpulo and chef-de-partie Rain who trained in Vivere Hotel in Alabang. “It’s a team effort,” she says about the collaboration that goes on in the menu, where everyone is credited for the dishes they create.
Executive chef Monica Pelayo stands at the recently built bar in the outdoor dining area
Pelayo’s menu philosophy builds on the foundation left by former head chef Pablo Iglesias, blending classic Spanish recipes with subtle reinventions. “I would say the menu is still partly Pablo’s,” she humbly says. “I just tweak things… We try to keep the classic recipes but create something that people would appreciate with different taste buds. Pablo’s recipe is still here, and mine, too. And I always tell guests.” She cites the tortilla as an example, which used to be plain egg, but has now changed to accommodate a variety of imported chorizos.
“Being here is personal. It’s a place where I can challenge myself without the noise of Manila… I wanted a job that allowed me to grow but also gave me peace. El Cortijo is that balance.”
El Cortijo’s mouthwatering Spanish menu
After much research and development, perhaps the biggest change is Pelayo’s imminent introduction of Latin American dishes, which include parihuela (Peruvian seafood soup with mussels, shrimps, and fish) and escabeche de atún (pan-seared tuna loin with a Peruvian-style Escabeche).
“If we can’t get consistent, premium ingredients, we take the dish off the menu. Repeat guests would notice any downgrade, and we can’t let that happen,” she says, citing their croquetas with jamón ibérico as another example of their high standards in menu development.
Croquetas with jamón ibérico
Appetizer salmon encebollado
Hojaldre de diablitos
El Cortijo’s multi-page menu brims with its foundation of unpretentious, flavorful Spanish dishes that are sure to delight Filipino palates. To share are starters such as the aforementioned creamy croquetas de jamón ibérico and the savory hojaldre de diablitos, puff pastry packed with sausage and emmental cheese. The tender pulpo a la Gallega on cauliflower purée with pimentón and the sizzling gambas in EVOO are major highlights, which can be balanced with the refreshing salad marisco of shrimp, octopus, mussels, and crisp greens.
Flavorful pulpo a la Gallega
The generous salad marisco
Rich mains include the tortilla de diablitos, a potato omelet with caramelized onions and chorizo, and the showstopping Cochinillo Asado, a roasted 28-day-old suckling pig. The paella negra surprisingly doesn’t stain your teeth black, either.
Not-to-miss gambas sizzle on a plate
The desserts are equally indulgent yet light. The tarta de Santiago is an almond cake with cinnamon ice cream, while there are also classic churros with chocolate. Or, you can opt for the crema de queso Manchego, a dessert with a port wine reduction, almond tuille, and peaches.
The dessert platter at El Cortijo
Looking ahead
El Cortijo’s future shines as brightly as the sun that warms its grounds. Pelayo plans to introduce Latin American dishes from Peru, Cuba, and Mexico by year’s end, while Reyes envisions expanding in other sites likely in Calabarzon, focusing on creating more spaces that prioritize discovery and joy.
“Every meal here should inspire something bigger,” Reyes reflects.
The restaurant business is tough and putting up a restaurant in Batangas is no easy feat, either. Since moving to Calatagan during the pandemic and then to Lipa, Reyes confesses, “If you had asked me 10 years ago if I’d open a restaurant, I would say, hell no! I came from strategy consulting and this would be like the worst industry. I walked into this knowing that the risks are high, chances are low… It’s an operations business rather than a recipe business or a cooking business. But I really believe, seeing how the people here have responded, and how the ‘tour guides’ have leveled up from where they were, I’ve been very enthusiastic about the prospects of the restaurant.”
Beside the pool, the villa’s grassy expanse will host intimate events in the future. The area features a striking table made of made of magkono or Philippine ironwood that resembles marble and requires 30 people to move
“The challenge is very different. In Manila or in other places, it’s just a typical restaurant. This isn’t just a typical restaurant,” Pelayo explains. “It’s 99 percent repeat guests, so the quality has to be on point every time. That’s the challenge, and it’s what keeps me engaged.”
With its new catering services, a soon-to-launch Latin American menu, damn good Spanish food, top-notch service, and a beautiful space, the hidden gem makes the drive from the city worthwhile. And despite the challenges that come with running a restaurant outside the metro, El Cortijo is poised to thrive.
El Cortijo Restaurante is open Friday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Bagong Pook Ave, Lipa, 4217 Batangas City.
Photography by JT Fernandez
Art direction by Ella Lambio
Video by Claire Salonga
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