I don't believe that Farfalla is a hidden gem. It's just not right, and I hope this review gets something going. Farfalla is the in-house restaurant of the Hotel Durban, a small but classy budget hostel in Makati's tourist zone. And while most of the time the terms "budget hostel" and "in-house restaurant" should be your cue to run far, FAR away from the joint, this is not the case with Farfalla.
Farfalla prides itself with making their own pasta and baking their own bread, and it shows in their dishes. I've eaten here a couple of times (I love staycationing in Hotel Durban), and it has never disappointed. The pastas are on point, the bread is lovely, and everything is reasonably priced.
But for me, the best feature of Farfalla is the outdoor seating. Overlooking Durban st, which connects the more chaotic P Burgos street and Makati Avenue, you will inadvertently be witness to the fascinating subculture only found in Makati's tourist belt, while being shielded from it. It's like being protected by a force field while you watch foreigners from every persuasion, "massage therapists", hawkers, and partygoers walk, scream, shout, argue, run, fight, and party in front of you. It's entertaining!
Something should be said about eating here on a Sunday morning. There you are, eating your breakfast (which is excellent, by the way), while the entire street is quiet and peaceful. Every now and then, you find a couple of tourists/foreigners/locals dragging themselves back to their hotels/homes. Again, very entertaining. read more