MIREIO: Provençal-Inspired Upscale French Brasserie in Manila! @RafflesMakati

(As featured in 10 Most Awesome New Homegrown Restaurants That Matter in Manila 2016!)

MIREIO  (pronounced “mee-reyo”) is an upscale French brasserie in Manila located at the 9th floor of Raffles Makati serving Provençal-inspired cuisine.

The concept is inspired by the French-Mediterranean cuisine in Provence, featuring what’s fresh during the season and cooked using traditional French cooking techniques.

It’s an exciting addition to the dining landscape of Manila that also features a beautiful roof deck terrace bar at the 10th floor with a stunning unobstructed view of the Makati skyline.

Here are some tips to get the most awesome experience when dining at Mireio…

 

MIREIO
9th Level, Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati, 1224
Telephone: +632 795 1840
Private Dining Inquiries: +63 926 755 4569
Email: mireio.makati@raffles.com
Facebook: Raffles Makati
Twitter: @RafflesMakati
Instagram: @RafflesMakati
Website: http://www.raffles.com/makati/

Operating Hours:

American Breakfast
6:00 – 10:30 AM Mondays – Fridays
6:00 – 11:00 AM Saturday – Sundays and Holidays

Lunch
12:00 NN – 2:30 PM Saturdays to Sundays

Dinner
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Sundays to Thursdays
6:00 PM – 10:30 PM Fridays – Saturdays and Holidays

Mireio Terrace
5:00 PM – 12:00 AM Mondays to Sundays

 

 

The restaurant is named after the leading lady in a famous poem by Nobel Laureate Frederic Mistral, written in 1859. It’s about the forbidden love story of a daughter of a rich farmer and a humble basket weaver named Vincent. The story is set in Provence where Mireio visits Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to pray for her parents’ acceptance of Vincent as her one true love.

Check out the painting of Marcel Antonio inspired by the story of Mireio, as well as the antique book of the poem written in the archaic Occitan language at the reception area.

TIP: Make sure to ask restaurant manager Nicolas Bracq about how the love story ends. Was it a tragic ending or did they live happily ever after?

 

The 77-seater restaurant has a posh-casual ambiance with white linen tables, comfortable chairs, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Greenbelt mall.

 

Reserve the private room for a group of 10 for a more elegant dining experience.

 

 

Mireio’s concept is brought to life by French Chef de cuisine Nicolas Cegretin and French restaurant manager Nicolas Bracq.  

 

The restaurant is open by 6pm for dinner. I recommend arriving earlier to hang out on the 10th floor roof deck bar.

 

MIREIO Terrace Menu: Finger Food, Planche | Signature Cocktails | Classic and their classics, Al Fresco Cocktail | Champagne, Red, White, Sweet | Mocktails, Ice Tea & Smoothies | Beer, Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Whisky | Whiskey, Single Malt, Cognac | Water, Soda, Juices | Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate

 

The rooftop terrace lounge has room for 70 guests and a beautiful spot to catch the Makati sunset while waiting for your companions.

 

Signature Cocktails

MIREIO (P695). Grey Goose, green chartreuse, cranberry juice, lemon juice 
VINCEN (545). Laphroaig, Hendricks, lemon mix, soda water, cucumber

Rache got the sweet Mireio cocktail and I tried the smoky citrusy Vincen cocktail. 

We can actually relate with the story of Mireio because of our once-forbidden love between a Chinese Girl and a Filipino Boy. 🙂

 

1947 (P545). Remy martin VSOP, Don Papa Rum, lemon & berry mix.

I like the fusion concept of the French Remy Martin VSOP and the Filipino Don Papa Rum, with berry drops signifying the drops of blood during the “blood compact” Treaty of Amity between France and the Philippines in 1947.

 

✮ MONSIEUR MISTRAL (P645). Remy Martin VSOP, Grand Marnier, Absinthe, Laphroaig, lemon mix.

My favorite is the poet-inspired cocktail made from French liquors. It’s an uplifting to drink, with a dry citrusy finish and an absinthe kick. 

 

Mereio showcases an open kitchen where you can see the food prepared and plated, and even have the chance to chat with the chef. 

 

MIREIO A LA CARTE MENU: Cold Starter & Soup, Hot Starter & Soup | Tartare, Pasta & Risotto | Fish & Cassollette | Meat & Poultry | Dessert | Non-alcoholic Beverage, Wine by the Glass, Cocktail

MIREIO BREAKFAST MENU | LUNCH MENU 

The a la carte menu is only for dinner. But they do have a continental buffet for breakfast with options of one a la carte dish, and a more curated menu for lunch.

 

BEEF TARTARE (Starter – P420) with goat cheese, basil and crispy bread. Boeuf, fromage de chevre, basilic, croustillant de pain.

Their signature starter dish is the tartare, which features raw servings of meat or seafood. 

I like this small starter portion, especially if you just like to try how good the raw beef is with the goat cheese and basil flavor.

 

FRESH AND SMOKED SALMON (Starter – P520) with Granny Smith apple and Dijon mustard cream. Duo de saumon, pomme granny, moutarde de Dijon. 

The raw salmon tartare is just like eating salmon sashimi but done the French way, with bits of apple and Dijon mustard cream.

 

✮ OCTOPUS CARPACCIO (P490) with pesto and vegetables. Carpaccio de poulpe, pesto, legumes de saison.

I recommend this if you want something unique–a thinly sliced serving of raw octopus.

The meat is served flattened on the plate so you have to scrape the pieces of octopus off with the basil sauce and vegetable bits for the crunch.

 

✮ TOMATO TART (P510) with clams, snails, rocket, and parmesan. Tarte a la tomate, escargots, palourdes, roquette, parmesan.

This is the best and unique starter in Mireio. Snails and clams are served with vegetable and a sweet tomato tart base with parmesan. Highly recommended! 

 

ROASTED DUCK FOIE GRAS (P650) with Granny Smith apples and ginger chutney. Foie gras roti, chutney pomme vertes et gingembre.

The foie gras was delicate and cooked well–it’s like eating a creamier liver pate. Best to share. Eat the apples and ginger chutney in between bites.

 

Cotes de Provence – Chateau Robine – France – 2013 (P440)

Order a glass of their signature Cru Classic French wine from Provence to pair with the starters and the seafood dishes.

 

CHILLED ZUCCHINI SOUP (P420) with basil and chorizo. Soupe de courgettes froide, basilic, chorizo.

A cold soup–like a gazpacho–made from zucchini, basil, and flavorful bits of chorizo. The soup is good but I still prefer hot soup for starters. 

 

✮ CHEF’S BOUILLABAISSE (P1,050) with rouille sauce and croutons. Soupe de poissons, rouille, croutons.

I like the light, hot seafood broth with rouille sauce flavors from Provence and big chunks of seafood. This is my favorite in the a la carte menu.

 

Grilled Skipjack Tuna (P1,100) with carrot mousseline, espuma and caramel. Thon rouge grille, mousseline, emulsion de carottes, caramel.

Elegantly plated with a tuna and carrot flavor combination. It’s good but not something I’ll go back for.

 

Rhone – Gueule de Loup – France – 2014 (P530/glass)

Order a French Red Wine to pair with your meat main course.

 

✮ SLOW-COOKED OXTAIL PARMENTIER (P1,450) with black truffle jus and mesclun. Parmentier de queue de boeuf, jus de truffe noire, mesclun.

Tender oxtail meat in mashed potato with black truffle juice. Eat this slowly over good conversations with friends. 

 

GRILLED BUTCHER’S CHOICE BEEF (P1,550) with sauteed potatoes and black pepper sauce. Piece de bouef grillee, pomme sautees, sauce au poivre.

For meat lovers, you can order their big chunk of steak with black pepper sauce.  

 

RUM BABA (P450) coconut and lime panacotta, exotic soup, mango and passion fruit sherbet. Baba au rhum, panacotta coco et citron vert, soupe exotique, sorbet mangue passion. 

This was a very elaborate dessert with too much going on. 

 

I enjoyed the Petit Four serving of Lemon Madeleine, Raspberry pate de fruit, and the Ginger/Sesame chocolate.

 

Tea Selection (P220)

English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Rose, Sencha, Mint, Jasmin, Vanilla and Grapefruit, Lavender, Chamomile, or Mango.

 

 
Absinthe (P395 per glass)

A Mireio meal is not complete without a digestive shot of absinthe served with sugar fountain drops done the traditional French way. 

 

I love the casual elegance of Mireio with a well-executed Provençal-inspired concept by Frederic Mistral, befitting of the Raffles brand.

Try catching the Makati sunset and an inspiring roof deck terrace ambiance to celebrate the victories of the day.

I recommend starting with the Octopus Carpaccio and Tomato Tart with Snails. Order the Chef’s Bouillabaisse and Slow-Cooked Oxtail Parmentier for your main course. Skip the dessert and go straight to a shot of Absinthe. 

Budget about P1,750/head + drinks. The cocktail drinks and wines are a bit expensive at an average of P500/drink. 

This is a great place to celebrate your special milestones or even laid back Christmas gatherings with friends and family.

Congratulations to Raffles Makati on the successful opening of Mireio!

 

MIREIO
9th Level, Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati, 1224
Telephone: +632 795 1840
Private Dining Inquiries: +63 926 755 4569
Email: mireio.makati@raffles.com
Facebook: Raffles Makati
Twitter: @RafflesMakati
Instagram: @RafflesMakati
Website: http://www.raffles.com/makati/

Operating Hours:

American Breakfast
6:00 – 10:30 AM Mondays – Fridays
6:00 – 11:00 AM Saturday – Sundays and Holidays

Lunch
12:00 NN – 2:30 PM Saturdays to Sundays

Dinner
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Sundays to Thursdays
6:00 PM – 10:30 PM Fridays – Saturdays and Holidays

Mireio Terrace
5:00 PM – 12:00 AM Mondays to Sundays

 

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com  

Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Margaux of Raffles Makati. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. 

P.S. Say hi to the Cuban Lady as you enter the restaurant!