cafe adriatico

i ordered the filet mignon and my wife ordered the carbonara. i asked for it medium, they gave it to me rare. the carbonara was bland. the guard walked away and street kids came up to us while eating.

always a favorite. this is my go-to comfort food place. for desserts, their crepe banane and claude 's dream are must tries! the cakes are no fail choices. personal favorites - all their breakfast sets, chicken ala kiev, callos, arroz caldo and lengua 😍 their onion soup is pretty good. i particularly like the old malate vibe in their adriatico branch.

excited for these truly inspired dishes that showcase the innovative minds of the chefs behind the ljc group!

✔️chicken karaage 350
morsels of japanese-style fried chicken with honey mustard and teriyaki sauce, served with rice and cabbage salad

the chicken were a bit dry, so dunking them in the honey mustard or teriyaki sauce really helped. i like thaat there is a hint of ginger in the teriyaki sauce, making it more appetizing. i recommend slathering honey mustard on the cabbage strips for added oomph!

✔️espresso panna cotta 195
chilled coffee dessert with with espresso syrup, whipped cream and coffee jelly

this was such a happy dessert mainly due to the delectable espresso flavor. one cup was not enough. each bite was bursting with sweet coffee flavor, making it a surefire favorite for the foodies.

experience these new offerings from cafe adriatico starting sep 5 2018 in celebration of ljc month!

#cafeadriatico
#theljcgroup
#theljcrestaurantgroup
#chizbun
#chizbuneats

let me preface this review by expressing my gratitude to the ljc group, and zomato for an exclusive invite to feast on some of the dishes (17 dishes in total! 😀) from all of ljc's nine food concepts, some of which are yet to be fully offered on their respective restaurant menus starting this september. ♥️ as for cafe adriatico we got to try their chicken karaage, and their espresso panna cotta. the karaage was predictably good. it's a dish that's hard to serve badly i guess, they have done it justice. among the dishes we ate, this was the only one served with rice, and i really appreciated that. 😆 the sauce that came with it together with the sesame dressing, rounded up everything nicely. next, a dessert which to be honest at first, i didn't expect much from, was the espresso panna cotta, yet it turned out to be one of the highlights for me. i'm not a coffee drinker at all, but i can eat this dessert any day! it was creamy, and rich. there's a generous heap of mousse on top, but finishing the petite glass, it made me feel everything was mousse, for even digging through the supposed jellied part of the dessert, it was still rich, and creamy, almost moussey in texture! love!

had the pleasure to be invited by the ljc group of resto to attend a private food tasting for their restaurants. one of which is cafe adriatico. these dishes will be available starting on sept. 5.

some of the food we sampled are:

chicken karaage p350
japanese style fried chicken with honey mustard and teriyaki sauce. comes with rice and cabbage salad.

espresso panna cotta p195
chilled coffee dessert with espresso syrup, whipped cream and coffee jelly.

i loved it all! especially the espresso panna cotta. 😍

located at malate, manila. cafe adriatico will give you the old heart of manila ☺️

they serve breakfast at a reasonable price and the serving & service is really good.

a must try esp for tourists!

this ljc group is has by far the best tasting, most authentic salpicao recipe meal for me. i just appreciate this one here so much. great great great marinade and softness/tenderness. will truly come back just to find the perfect salpicao here.

cafe adriatico is known as one of the favorite meet up places in manila. they serve filipino, spanish and continental food. the ambience in all of their branches is traditional, warm and cozy. when we arrived for the food crawl, we were asked if we would like some tea or coffee. i chose jasmine tea and they gave me a teapot with a tea bag in it. so generous! for the food, i'll just mention those that are exceptional for me. first is the ensalada esmeralda, which i liked because of the unique dressing: raspberry yogurt dressing. it also has almond flakes and chia seeds on it, making it more healthy! next is the super creamy prawns thermidor which i really really loved. it is composed of stuffed prawns with cream and mushrooms. last but not the least is the canonigo with mango balls which looks so heavenly! it is caramel meringue with custard sauce and mango balls. since i am a fan of sweets, i loved this one the most. it slowly melts in your mouth while your tastebuds enjoy the sweetness! just make sure that you will share this with someone or that you will drink lots of water since it is super sweet once you've had a lot.

to sum it up, this is a place that is worth going back to. the food, ambience and service are all great! really a good place to relax and unwind.

if you’re looking for healthy menu options, cafe adriatico is the one for you. their menu offers a variety of food from salad to seafood. we found this beaut sitting at the corner of remedios circle with a rather hispanic feel home.

we ordered the prawns thermidor and chicken a la kiev and it was worth every penny!

cafe adriatico has become an institution. from early 1980’s, it has been known to be the most popular date place in manila. my parents had their dates there before they even got married. years later it’s still a popular place for diners. cafe adriatico pulls into its embrace lagacies and generations of people who have always been coming. it usually starts when the parents had dated there, got married, brought their family there. those kids would bring their date there, get married, then bring their own families in turn.

cafe adriatico is one of the restaurants under the ljc group and obviously, the name was derived from the street name where it is located.

ambiance - 5.0/5.0
i personally fall in love with restaurants that has great interiors and at the same time, very artistic and has a historical value. i love how welcoming the interiors are -- not just for the ig feed but to just really relax and enjoy the entire restaurant.

service - 5.0/5.0
i really love the service because it is not only fast but also excellent. every staff is so accommodating. there was a time that i ate and i was really shocked because the head chef approached me and asked me about the food. it is rare to hear a head chef asking for feedback and comments on how they serve the food. indeed, they just really wanna provide the best to their customers, especially the patrons.

food - 5.0/5.0
my favorites are : ensalada esmeralda, akuw'a (yemeni oxtail), chicken a la kiev and canonigo with mango balls

i would love to highlight the canonigo with mango balls in this review - the canonigo is like a meringue with a twist of caramel but it is not sweet at all which i really loved even more.

the place was nice, across a well lit park. the ambiance was cozy with the staff being accommodating. i had pasta which was al dente, nothing extra ordinary, just comfort food in a cozy place

tried it here this morning. i appreciate the attentiveness of the crew. they're quick to assist. we ordered the tapa baka (for my hubby, i don't eat meat), spiced sardines plus french onion soup (i loooove soup). all were served at close interval with the coffee. i personally prefer that.

the food was nicely plated. you could say it's well-prepared. the quality is also good. the soup was really yummy! 😊 though, generally, pricing is on the high side. ambiance is homey. it's low ceiling, decorated with photos of some ladies and gentlemen. 😁 but a little rustic and has that old roadside lodge feel too.

overall, we're satisfied. we're recommending this restaurant.

tip on parking:
if you're coming from the right side of the restaurant, such that it's on your left, you may take a left in front of the restaurant or take a full turn around the fountain rotunda. there's ample space in that area.

café adriatico is a legend when it comes to great food and superb dining experience. they stood the test of time being around since 1979 and they continue to bring delight to their customers. they started the business as an antique shop that transpired to a café. they also pioneered the café society in manila which later on expanded to bistros and bars founded by larry j. cruz.

you can’t miss home whenever you dine in this cafe. the warm and friendly welcome of the guards, the waiters and the kitchen staff keep me coming back to this place at any time of the day- breakfast, lunch dinner and in- between. you can never go wrong with this resto, whether you are having a decent lunch/ dinner with family or celebrating good times with friends. definitely my top of mind whenever i am in malate.