Santa Fe Beach Club

For anyone going on a weekend or during peak season, the restaurant gets very crowded. It may help to reserve a day ahead through their facebook pag; a 1,000 peso deposit is needed, and you can pre-order too. There’s also an intimate setup available for an extra cost, which could suit a special occasion. My partner and I had dinner at Sta. Fe Beach Club, and the beachfront setting, sea breeze, and calm views made it feel romantic and relaxing. We ordered baked scallops, shrimp rolls, Yang Chow fried rice, and salt and pepper fried pork belly. Everything tasted great. The scallops were creamy and flavorful enough to earn their “best in town” label, the shrimp rolls were crisp, and the pork belly had a nice crunch and seasoning. The fried rice brought the meal together. We finished with Ube and Cheese Halo-halo, rich and refreshing with plenty of toppings. Great food, atmosphere, and service. A place to visit in Sta. Fe.

I reached out to their Facebook page afterward to explain what happened and got only a sad reaction. No apology or attempt to fix things. There are plenty of better places to eat in Santa Fe that value their customers. Don’t be taken in by the five-star reviews. This was meant to be a special celebration for my partner and me, so I’d booked a table a week in advance. We had to pay ₱600 for a non-consumable “aesthetic setup” and send our food order the day before, supposedly so they could prepare. When we arrived, no one properly helped us find the reserved table, and we had to look around ourselves. Then a server told us one of the pre-ordered items, the Shrimp Roll, was out of stock. Why ask us to book early and order ahead if it wasn’t ready? We picked a replacement, which took almost 30 minutes to arrive, and it was cold. Later we ordered shakes and halo-halo, asking for them after we finished eating, but 30-40 minutes passed and they still hadn’t come. We never got service water either, and our mouths were dry from waiting. We had to keep calling staff to ask about the orders. Some just stared when we called, and others acted as though they didn’t care. The lack of attention and basic service was shocking. I’d been excited to try the place after seeing the good reviews, but poor service, long waits, cold food, and indifferent staff ruined the occasion.

The place looked nice, but inattentive service spoiled our visit. Most of the staff seemed annoyed or nakasimangot, and didn’t make us feel welcome. Even simple requests took a long time. For the price, we expected better hospitality, and the food was disappointing too, not worth what we paid. Both the service and food quality need serious improvement. I wouldn’t recommend it based on our experience.

The platter was meant for sharing, but they didn’t bring extra plates or utensils, and there were no placemats or coasters. The Ube cheese halo-halo was poor, with barely any ube flavor. The iced cappuccino came in a hot cup with ice on the side, and the coffee didn’t justify ₱200 with oat milk. We visited outside peak hours, but the staff were still hard to get the attention of even though our table was only five meters away. There were lots of staff, talking loudly and serving chismis instead of customers. When we called, they acted as if they hadn’t seen us or passed the request to someone else. Flies kept landing around our food while we swatted them away, and no one offered anything to help.