When people say Quezon City is lacking in choices for good food, we think they just don’t know where to look. And looking has recently brought us to the Tivoli Royale Country Club at Tivoli Royale Subdivision in Quezon City. With its premium and exclusive sports facilities and club amenities, it’s at first glance just an ideal place for spending time with family and fitness activities.
It has a gym, family pools, bowling alley, a game center for billiards, darts, and arcade games. It even has a shooting range and a golf complex with an indoor driving range, pitch n' putt, and state-of-the-art golf simulators for those who want to perfect their swing. The club also has basketball, badminton, tennis, and volleyball courts, and offers dance, yoga, and swimming classes.
But if you’re not exactly a fitness buff and want to simply dine and destress, Tivoli Royale is a great place for that as well. It has an expansive new menu to satisfy each family member’s food cravings.
Executive Chef Emmanuel “Jonnel” Cruz Roxas tapped into his experiences working at TGI Fridays, Pan Pacific Manila, and Sheraton Manila Bay in putting together a repertoire of “familiar and comforting” dishes. Looking for an all-day breakfast selection? They have it here. Craving for pizza and pasta? They have those too. Soups, salads, and sandwiches? Classic Filipino and international specialties? How about kid-friendly bites? All these are served in the restaurant called Royale Lounge located at the club’s third floor.
Their Louisiana-inspired Po’ Boy (P420) will surely make a lasting impression. It’s a hearty submarine sandwich with crispy chunks of deep-fried freshwater shrimp coated in a cajun spice blend, topped with pickle relish and remoulade sauce. This classic is definitely worth coming back for.
The Nasi Goreng (P550) is also a mouthful of goodness, likely because Chef Jonnel intentionally designed the dish to appeal to Pinoy tastebuds. “The rice has the perfect balance of sweetness and savoriness. It’s lightly spiced so even non-spicy eaters can enjoy it,” says the seasoned chef. The rice comes with chicken satay skewers, scrambled egg, cucumbers, prawn crackers, homemade peanut sauce, chili garlic, and for that Filipino twist, a dollop of pickled papaya. The hefty serving is perfect for sharing.
The restaurant is currently offering a Pitter-Patter Platter promo—this consists of a trio of salad, soup and sandwich all for P500. “This combo is a source of comfort this rainy season,” says Chef Jonnel. You can choose from three options: classic grilled cheese on sourdough served with homemade fresh tomato soup and mesclun greens; egg and mushroom toast paired with wild mushroom soup and mesclun greens; and bacon butty with a serving of roasted pumpkin soup and mesclun greens. All their breads are made in-house and their soups from scratch.
We also tried their Chicken Inasal (P580) which is notably sweet, savory, tender and juicy. Chef Jonnel lets us in on its little secret: once the meat has absorbed the flavors of the marinade, they add a bit of water into the mix, and that provides extra moisture to the meat. “This dish is one of our bestsellers,” the chef offers. The meat comes with java rice and pickled papaya. “We’ve sold over 800 servings of our Chicken Inasal in 2022 alone.”
Not far behind in popularity is their Royale Club Sandwich (P470), which is probably every sandwich lover’s dream. It’s got chicken spread, bacon, country ham, eggs, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes on rye bread, and it’s served with potato fries. No wonder, they’ve also sold over 800 servings of this last year. Their Pancit Canton Royale (470), meanwhile, which is on the saucy side, is also a favorite of patrons.
We ask Chef Jonnel about his personal favorites and he says he’s proud of their pot roast beef, which is cooked for three to four hours, their baby back ribs whose barbecue sauce is made from scratch, and their Don Galo Tapa, a lightly shredded breakfast delight as opposed to the usual thinly sliced and fried variety.
For dessert, we tried the fruity and flaky Mango Tartlet (P380), and their Halo-Halo, which is good for two to three people. Chef Jonnel says they will be slowly introducing more new dishes in the coming months.
The restaurant is open to non-club members. But if you wish to also use the club facilities, the annual membership fee is P25,000, which includes access to 3 dependents (spouse/children). Singletons declaring dependents 30 years old and above will only have to add a minimal additional fee. Monthly dues are at P3,000, of which P500 is consumable and non-cumulative. All facilities have a minimal fee except for the swimming pool, gym, lockers, steam, and sauna room.
Tivoli Royale Country Club is located at Yakal Street, Tivoli Royale Subdivision, Quezon City. For more information, visit www.
Photographs shot using the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra