Enjoy a meal in a 17th-century fortress — The elegant and retro La Paloma Restaurant in Macau

▲ La Paloma’s signature dish: Roast suckling pig with apple liqueur, served with tomato and sweet potato.

Text & Photos /Rudy the Bear



On a recent business trip, I visited the most established five-star hotel in Macau, the Santiago Fort Hotel, for the first time. La Paloma Restaurant offers quality cuisine at reasonable prices, with authentic and flavorful Spanish dishes.
This time, for an exhibition, I had the chance to revisit Macau. From my first visit to The Venetian to my second at Galaxy Hotel, I took advantage of work opportunities to explore more of this beautiful yet almost surreal place (but it’s genuinely luxurious).

And this time, led again by a colleague from a Hong Kong boutique brand, I came to La Paloma (La Paloma), located on the first floor of the Santiago Fort Hotel. At first glance, the place gave me the vibe of a historic site, and I couldn’t quite grasp how special it was. But after asking the staff a bit, I discovered that this Spanish restaurant was actually built within a 17th-century fort — yes, it was really a fortress...


Compared to typical high-end Spanish restaurants, La Paloma’s facade is rather understated and old-fashioned (but the flavors are incredibly unique).


The not-so-large entrance opens up to a tunnel-like corridor (it really does feel like the design of a strategic stronghold...), yet the carved handrail staircase brings a sense of private royalty.


This place has existed since 1629... (I’ve seen many modern buildings, but the atmosphere here is truly indescribable in words).

One more shot — the ambiance is really beautiful (it would’ve been perfect if the kitty could’ve come too...).


Ascending the stairs, you’ll feel a sudden sense of openness (and a more distinct restaurant-and-hotel vibe).




The executive chef here is no small name — he’s the internationally renowned Chef Hector Costa Fernandez from Barcelona, Spain, with 14 years of culinary experience, including stints at well-known Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe. Another new chef, Oscar Torres, once worked at elBulli, which was ranked as one of the best restaurants in the world.

La Paloma Restaurant mainly serves Catalan cuisine from Spain’s northeastern region. This local cuisine is characterized by its use of rich seafood, fresh vegetables, pork, and cheese. Almost all ingredients used at La Paloma are imported from Spain.

Ingredients such as saffron — essential for Spanish paella, olives crucial to Mediterranean cooking, Noras dried red peppers, and Iberian ham — are all insisted upon using the most authentic Spanish materials. It’s no wonder the restaurant was recognized by the Michelin Guide in 2009 as a selected dining spot in Macau. Don’t miss out on this must-eat delicacy when traveling to Macau.

Ding-dong!! This is the elegant yet classic-feeling La Paloma Restaurant.


The not-so-large restaurant carries an elegant Spanish style. It’s understood that both La Paloma’s design and the Santiago Fort Hotel were created by a renowned designer.

Including the direct use of the ancient fortress’s mountain wall as part of the interior, complemented by golden chandeliers and black-and-gold patterned carved stone flooring.


Dark wooden dining tables are set with luxurious silverware and porcelain (you could secretly pick up some tips...). Let’s just say dining here gives you a very refined feeling.


Since we arrived a bit late, most guests had already left (so I could take photos to my heart’s content!!).

Every corner is beautiful.


Crystal chandeliers.


Beautiful engraved crystal glasses.

Alright, now onto the dishes. For La Paloma, the most authentic offerings are Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. The staff suggested starting with a few Tapas as appetizers, then going for Spanish paella — that’s really the way to go. The first page of the menu also includes set meals that the two of us could choose from.


Let’s take a look at the TAPAS, starters, and soups!!


Meat and fish main dishes.


Rice and noodle dishes, along with the final classic dishes — most importantly, the Spanish paella.

For vegetarians, La Paloma also offers a selection of Spanish-style dishes (how considerate!).


After flipping through the extensive menu, even though I had already eaten (I’d stopped by MGM Café’s bakery in the afternoon), the first thing served was soft yet chewy Portuguese sausage bread (honestly, just this bread alone was amazing...). No wonder people gain weight — there’s a reason for it.....


The first dish to make an appearance is the Spanish-style croquettes (Macanese Pataca 115, approximately NTD 437).


These crispy, fragrant, and slightly salty croquettes, paired with black olives, make a great appetizer.


Next up is the Spanish cheese salad with Iberico ham (Macanese Pataca 160, approximately NTD 608).

The cheese salad with Iberico ham is rich and flavorful—definitely a favorite for fans of Spanish cuisine (the ham has a strong gamey taste, which may be a bit much for light eaters).


This soup is the star of the meal today—it’s an orange saffron fennel seafood soup (Macanese Pataca 95, approximately NTD 361).


The shrimp are sweet and incredibly tender.

Combined with shellfish and squid, and paired with a light yet sweet broth, every spoonful is refreshing, elegant, and balances out the richness of the previous dishes.


Wow wow!! And then there's this unforgettable dish—the Spanish-style lobster paella (Macanese Pataca 440, approximately NTD 1672). It's basically meant for four people, so if you're a smaller group, you can order a half portion.


This dish is also intensely flavorful, with the seafood and lobster essence infused into the rice (and you can even taste the heart of the grain).

Because everyone was being too polite, Rudy got to try the lobster—and it was super tender and juicy!!


Next, there's a grilled sirloin steak with red pepper sauce (Macanese Pataca 410, approximately NTD 1558).


The sauce was a bit too generous, which was a slight downside (making the original flavor of the steak less prominent), but overall the taste and doneness were really excellent...


And finally, before this dish was even served, Rudy was already very excited (because roast suckling pig is definitely a highlight of Spanish cuisine). This is one of La Paloma’s signature dishes—roast Spanish suckling pig with apple cider glaze, served with tomatoes and sweet potatoes (Macanese Pataca 295, approximately NTD 1121).


Normally, suckling pig isn’t perfectly shaped, but the chef here cut the skin into squares and then reshaped the meat into long rectangular pieces.

The skin wasn’t super crispy (but still good), but the meat was incredibly juicy (the best skin, Rudy says, can be found at Restaurant 8 in Galaxy Macau!!). As for the meat itself, it was simply irresistible. Even after all the other dishes, Rudy still highly recommends this one!! If you want great Spanish food without the noisy hotel environment or high prices, La Paloma is definitely your top choice!! (The Santiago Hotel upstairs is also fantastic!)


Author: Rudy the Bear-CatA couple of food-loving travelers who occasionally go wild splurging on eating and playing, but generally live by the motto “money is limited, appetite is endless.” They run a blog of the same name.《Rudy the Bear-Cat Eats the World》Updated simultaneously.

【La Paloma Restaurant】

Address:1st Floor, Santiago de Compostela Fortress Hotel, Seac Pai Van Road, Macau
Phone:(853)28378111
Business Hours:7:00 AM – 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM, 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM (Open daily)

Recommendation:In terms of food quality and restaurant ambiance, although the total price isn't exactly cheap, compared to other hotel restaurants, La Paloma offers great value for money with a unique taste and comfort level. Highly recommended for anyone looking for delicious Spanish food in Macau!!