Olá, Alegria!

There are a lot of hangout places in BGC but if you’re looking for a restaurant that’s less crowded but still has the vibe of a good chill party, check out Alegria Cozinha Moderna & Sangria Bar.

Alegria is sort of a hole-in-the-wall, kinda like a speakeasy restaurant-slash-bar in the city. I say this because the place is located at the third floor of the Uniqlo building in BGC, which makes it very unique already (pun intended, although there’s an elevator at the side of the building but that’s less exciting lol).

Alegria (which is Portuguese for happiness or joy) serves Latin American food. While there are other restaurants in BGC that serve this type of cuisine, it is very interesting to note that Alegria is owned by an all-Filipino group and almost all of their ingredients are homemade—their taco shells, their ice cream, cookies, name it! The food in Alegria is—in one word—scrumptious.

Agua Chile De Camaron (PhP 290)

We started off with Agua Chile De Camaron – an appetizer with a burst of flavors in one bite (literally and figuratively). It includes shrimp, lime, chile water, corn inflada, mango chutney, and smoked pineapple salsa. Can you already imagine how wonderful this dish tastes?

Chipotle Con Carne (PhP 350)

Have a taste of their Chipotle Con Carne--prime beef roast with chipotle sauce which give you a sweet and savory crunch once mixed with the crushed tortilla. I wasn’t able to take a photo of the beef underneath, but this dish is really good! It actually kind of reminded me of pares but it's ten times better lol

Calabresa Brasiliera (PhP 290)

One of my favorites is the Calabresa Brasiliera which is a mixture of sausages, potatoes and bell pepper. I probably ate half of this all on my own!

Clockwise from top left: Alma Koreana (PhP 165), El Mexicano (PhP 165), Pescado (PhP 180), Japonesa (PhP 165)

What is a Latin American restaurant, of course, without tacos? Alegria has a wide variety of tacos but since I'm a huge fan of Japanese food, my personal favorite is Japonesa which has Misono steak and furikake *drool*

Moqueca (PhP 415)

Moqueca is for seafood lovers--it has fish, clams, bouillabaisse, and squid cracker, among others.

Posta Negra Huarache (PhP 670)

For people like me who can't get enough of meat, get the Posta Negra Huarache. The spices mixed with the very tender black angus roast beef make this dish very addicting!

Camarones (PhP 550)

If you're into spicy food, order the Camarones. The harissa sauce gives the grilled tiger prawns a kick of spice.

Pollo Peruano (PhP 445)

Most of us are used to eating chicken when going to Latin American restaurants. Alegria's version is called the Pollo Peruano. This one's also a bit spicy but who doesn't love chicken?

"Foi Mal!" Taco (PhP 180)

I have a reeeaaalllyyy sweet tooth so I most definitely enjoyed Alegria's "Foi Mal!" taco. It's made with their homemade dark chocolate taco shell and salted vanilla ice cream. The sweet and salty combination was really the highlight of my night.

Alegria also offers an extensive list of drinks and some of them are served in these adorable tiki glasses and best of all, they come with reusable straws! Make sure to order from their array of sangria, of course.

TL;DR: It's best to go to Alegria with a group so you can get everything!

Alegria is located at 4F UNIQLO Building, C3 Annex, 7th Ave. cor. 30th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. For reservations, you may call them at +639452647828 or follow them on Instagram: @alegriamnl.