Goxo was introduced as a Spanish restaurant that’s small by design. It opened in January 2025 as a hidden 12-seat counter tucked inside Bar Pintxos in Salcedo Village, Makati. It was a pretty intimate bar-asador concept helmed by chef Albert Mendoza. Live-fire cooking was its core, and the cuisine where it draws inspiration from is Basque and Spanish, as with many of the establishments under Grupo Pintxos.
It pretty much kept to itself the few months it started. Goxo quietly launched and went about its promising business without relying on chef collaborations to hype the brand up. Yet, despite keeping a low profile, it didn’t take long for the little restaurant to get a big recognition.
Goxo Previews Its Next Chapter With a Makati Shangri-La Residency
Goxo was named a Michelin Selected restaurant in the Michelin Guide Manila and Environs & Cebu 2026, with the Guide taking note of its charcoal-grilled prix-fixe menu, mix of local and Spanish ingredients, and traditional dishes approached with subtle innovation and what it described as a “Filipino soul.”
The humble brand embraced its recognition and has since then gotten bigger in scale. Last February 6 to March 22, 2026, Goxo did a residency at The Balmori Suites Chef’s Table in Rockwell. It was significant because it moved beyond its original prix-fixe format and offered à la carte dining for the first time. And aside from that, it catered to seating three to four times it normally would.
Now, Goxo is entering its next chapter. The restaurant closed its original Salcedo Village space at the end of May and is preparing to move into a new permanent home in Rockwell. In the meantime, as it’s preparing to move in to its new home, the team decided to take a month-long residency in Makati Shangri-la.
It’s a chance for diners to have a taste of Goxo while in transition—a chance to revisit the food that defined its first chapter while looking ahead to what Mendoza and his team have planned for the next. Operating at Sage Bar from August 27 to September 27, it gives people a sneak peek of what’s to come.
From Foie Gras Sando to Dry-Aged Côte de Boeuf: What to Eat at Goxo
The menu is categorized into four—pintxos, tapas, principal and postres. Guests who have dined at Goxo before would find familiar fare in the form of the foie gras sando with quince jelly, bacalao liver with anchovy focaccia, pompano tartare with yuzu kosho, and a crab-uni-anchovy noodle dish that leaves quite an impression.
There are also a couple of items that chef Mendoza added just for the pop-up: a caramel-crusted choux pastry stuffed with manchego mousse; a savory skewer of butifarra, picante chorizo and chistorra; and a watermelon carpaccio with burrata and dikai vinaigrette.
For mains, two numbers appease meaty cravings, namely the American wagyu and the 30-day dry-aged cote de boeuf from northern Spain. But not to be ignored is the tuna dish which I found myself coming back to even when the meats were already served.
A Taste of Things To Come
Goxo was forced to grow up fast. Their new space in 8 Rockwell is far from the cramped dining area it used to once have. Instead of 12, the counter seats with a prix fixe menu will now be 20. A la carte will be served to the rest.
As for the Salcedo Village branch, it’s being renovated to welcome a new tenant that will still be under the same group—Carlo Lorenzana’s favorite yakitori joint, Kozara from Davao.
Frequently Asked Questions
Goxo is a Spanish, Michelin-Selected restaurant known for live-fire cooking and its intimate bar-asador concept.
Goxo was originally located in Salcedo Village. They are in preparations to move to their new permanent home in Rockwell.
GOxo is currently taking a month-long temporary residency ath Sage Bar in Makati Shangri-la from August 27, 2026 to September 27, 2026.
The Michelin Guide Manila mention their charcoal-grilled prix-fixe menu, mix of local and Spanish ingredients, and traditional Filipino dishes.
