Grace Park, named after the family compound in Caloocan City, is located at One Rockwell, Makati

I usually avoid posting my takes on restaurants, mainly because most of the restaurants lack consistency — whether in service quality, in food taste or preparation, or whatever. One time my dining experience would be faultless, but the next time if it’s not one downer, it’s another. Consistency in delivering the best of their food with irreproachable service is a quality seldom found in many restaurants these days. But there is one restaurateur whose standards in cuisine, service, and restaurant design have remained impeccably consistent through all her many restaurants and through her many years in the food business. That’s Margarita Fores. And her latest restaurant endeavour, Grace Park, did not disappoint or falter.

2nd floor Interiors

Grace Park is located on the ground floor of One Rockwell, along Rockwell Drive at Rockwell Center in Makati. Its name comes from a once-posh area in Caloocan City where Gaita’s grandfather had their family compound and where the family would gather ’round on Sundays for leisurely meals together. The cuisine has been described as farm-to-table, artisanal Italian. In one Inquirer article, Fores says that “Grace Park is a back-to-basics concept. Aside from picking things from seed to plate and from earth to fork, it celebrates the organic produce of our farmers and artisan producers here and abroad. It honors the old ways of doing things, like slow-food cooking techniques.”

Deep-fried Squash Flowers wrapped in Prosciutto

Baked Scallops from Capiz. So fresh, it’s sea-sweet!

Spaghettini with Uni, Live Shrimp, Wine Tomatoes, and Rucola (Arugula)

Roasted Bone Marrow, made famous in Gaita Fores’s Pepato

Grilled Lamb Ribs

Roasted Apahap (Philippine Sea Bass), the fresh catch of the day

The OMG Burger! Humongous! With two premium-beef patties, crispy bacon, cheese, and caramelized onions.

OMG! It’s so gigantic, you could share with 3-4 people!

It goes without saying that you can expect a restaurant this great to be fully booked at most times, so be sure to reserve a table. Call the cellphone number +(63 939)-9347223 or the landline 843-PARK (7275).

My one question about the design, though, is … “What’s with the black cats?”