3 meals to the top: A food crawl through Solaire North

Finestra, Red Lantern, and Yakumi anchor Solaire Resort North's elevated food program, bringing world-class cuisine and warmth to Quezon City

- FELICIANO RODRIGUEZ III

Quezon City has never been a city of skyscrapers. There are malls, midrises, and shopping complexes, but the glitzy hotels long rooted in Makati or Parañaque and Pasay rarely venture north of EDSA. That changed with the opening of Solaire Resort North. Towering and polished, it redefines the Quezon City skyline with a confidence not seen before. But even more striking than its glass panels or casino floor is the level of service that awaits inside. The all-smiles reception staff, the lobby attendants, the security crew, and the housekeeping team were each eager to welcome guests.

Even before check-in, we were handed a taste of Solaire's sweetness in the form of a cookie dough gelato from Trattoria e Dolci. It set the tone for the rest of the stay. But it was the meals, taken across three distinct restaurants, that revealed what this resort in the north is truly about: culinary ambition tempered with gracious hospitality.

Finestra: Italian elegance on a plate

Lunch was at Finestra, the sleek Italian steakhouse helmed by Chef Joel Manchia. A native of Sardinia with over 20 years of experience across Four Seasons kitchens and award-winning restaurants in the UK, he now leads the kitchen atop Solaire North. And it shows.