Amidst all the hype and hullabaloo attached to the festive and high-spirited reputation Malate is known for, you will find right smack within it's center an intimate, fine-dining bistro that proudly stands as one of Manila's foremost landmarks in the area. Serving satisfied clients since 1979, Cafe Adriatico is slightly reminiscent still of the warm and historic old Manila abode it once used to be.
Though I would love to frequent this cozy charcuterie in Remedios Circle, I couldn't due to it's location which is far from where I stay. I'd grab any chance I could, though, to go and just as promised, I so did when I got an invite from a friend to do an errand with her in Malate.
Making a rundown of the menu and with such a sensitive diet, I immediately went for the healthiest choices they had and that was their pita bread and hummus with a siding of gherkin-shallot-olive appetizer and my favorite, Caesar salad.
Making a rundown of the menu and with such a sensitive diet, I immediately went for the healthiest choices they had and that was their pita bread and hummus with a siding of gherkin-shallot-olive appetizer and my favorite, Caesar salad.
The delicately roasted pita bread was cut into two and served with a hefty ladle of hummus. Sprinkled with chickpeas, it came drizzled with olive oil and had a salty black olive as an attractive centerpiece.
The gherkin-shallot-olive appetizer was a blast on the palate. Soaked in what I think is vinegar and olive juice (something I'm not quite sure of), it was definitely tangy with a hint of salt, making it the perfect partner to the mild and creamy hummus and pita bread combo.
I know this should've gone first but since it was the one I was really pining for, I ate the Caesar salad last. Very lightly dressed, it came with crouton cubes peeking through it's leafy mix. It also had a sprinkle of minced bacon that crowned this tasty delight. I had to, however, ever so gingerly pick out little bits of this succulent fried to a crisp pork belly strips for me to fully take on this fresh and crunchy plateful of healthy greens.
Their menu boasts of an wide array of authentic cuisine. Bestsellers include Lola Ising's Adobo Rice, Squid Tactics, Suman with Latik (well, a bestseller for me at least) and their famous Tsokolate Eh concocted with the use of a batirol, a small pot with a stirring rod that you rotate using your palms. It is used to make hearty chocolate drinks.
Their menu boasts of an wide array of authentic cuisine. Bestsellers include Lola Ising's Adobo Rice, Squid Tactics, Suman with Latik (well, a bestseller for me at least) and their famous Tsokolate Eh concocted with the use of a batirol, a small pot with a stirring rod that you rotate using your palms. It is used to make hearty chocolate drinks.
All in all, it was a dinner worth the travel. Good food coupled with a laid back yet classy ambiance that bridges the old world to the new is an experience everyone should, at one time, seek to indulge in if only to submerge oneself in a historical rendezvous with culture while enjoying superb Spanish-Mediterranean cuisine.
Sometimes, you need to go the distance for a feast that can fill the senses.
Cafe Adriatico is one restaurant capable of just that. With it's relaxing, comfortable setting and delectable dishes that promise satisfaction to the hungry and curious passerby, it certainly is worth all the effort.
Sometimes, you need to go the distance for a feast that can fill the senses.
Cafe Adriatico is one restaurant capable of just that. With it's relaxing, comfortable setting and delectable dishes that promise satisfaction to the hungry and curious passerby, it certainly is worth all the effort.
