Artsy Café in Maginhawa lives up to its moniker. The restaurant has kitschy interiors, tall…read moreceilings and accent walls of turf, exposed brick and whitewash. It also has a charming fence separating its front porch from the street. The trellis outside keeps the heat out, making the outside seating comfortable and sheltered from the elements. When the rest of Maginhawa seem to embrace the fun and youthful energy of the students that frequent the neighborhood feeding holes, Arsty Cafe is one of the few ones that seem to have the entire family in mind. For one, the prices are not student-friendly, and thus, you would always see entire families or groups of friends dining here. The food is home-style, and it feels like it was made by your mom for your weekly family Sunday brunch. For a while, the restaurant was still on soft open, but what I really loved about their menu are the pastas, which are well-seasoned, al dente and restrained. Service is a bit slow, especially during the busy hours. The servings are quite small considering the price points, but you will appreciate the care and the thought that went into the creation of your meal. I recommend the Puttanesca pasta, with a bright and astringent sauce of pureed tomatoes and capers. I also love the Frutti di Mare Pasta, which is creamy and rich but not overwhelming. It's probably not the best, but it'll do when you have a whole family in tow and you want a quiet place that serves "real" food.There is usually a waiting list, especially during dinner service.

My brother and I can literally just talk for hours, and since he's usually out of the country…read morelately, we just never run out of topics. We've always known Artsy Café exists and we decided to try it recently and ended up staying there from around 6pm to past 9pm. It became one of our well-loved places to catch up. PROS: Artsy has beautiful interiors and quirky décor that lives up to its artful name. I love the mismatched tiles on the floor and the really high ceiling with the chandeliers. I wasn't expecting it to be so spacious inside when looking at it from the outside. Their porch is pretty cozy too if you feel like going al fresco. Plus, their expansive space is a one-up from the usual space-inferior hipster café/restaurant that litter the area; Our food was served quickly and with ample servings. CONS: Even on a weeknight, this place tends to get packed for dinner rush. We had to cut our convo short when we felt that the space we were occupying could be for other patrons who wanted to eat, so we left. TL;DR: Artsy Café attracts the pseudo-hipster/yuppie crowd but can satisfy anyone looking for a nice place to eat and have good conversation.

Our company had to do our annual board meeting and we were a bit challenged in finding a place…read morewhere we could chatter without disturbing other people. Then I remembered the Chambré room at Bizu's One Rockwell branch where my sister had hosted a dinner that same year. We made reservations and the meeting was set. With a minimum guarantee, you can get the private dining room with dedicated service. We got their cheese flambee and appetizer and two afternoon tea sets. The cheese flambee was wonderful and it was even put to flames as it was served, right inside the room. It felt like a mini show. It was so good that we had to ask for more crostini. Their afternoon tea set is equally lovely - served in a tier are the egg and watercress mini sandwich, smoked salmon and shrimp canapés, melon-prosciutto and gruyere skewer, petit slices of their Opera cake, panna cotta, macarons, lemon tart, and chocolate truffles, plus scones with clotted cream and preserve on the side. All these of course came with a pot of tea, which we had served a bit later as we were still enjoying our bottle of white wine, which they also served us. With good food and the beautiful setting for our meeting, we were inspired and had a very productive and insightful afternoon.

Went here twice during our stay. All the dishes were top notch and the friendly staff were on…read morepoint. Since it's the only breakfast spot open before 11 am, it can get busy. But the last visit tainted my view. At that visit, the wait was a little over an hour for four dishes, but we were not in a hurry. Actually, a couple left before getting their food saying to the waiter that the wait was too long. The food was delicious and the decor was pleasantly soothing. Hopefully, they can improve, get regular customers and rely on a generous customer base.

A nice coffee and snack cafe inside Greenbelt. We arrived and there were plenty of seats inside…read more Service was slow but efficient once the waiter took our order. I had the Bavarian sausage and it was pretty good. Although it was in a bun I ended up eating it with a knife. It was tasty but a little lacking in flavor. Staff do not rush the customers. Waiting for then check took patience but the prices were very fair. In summary we had a nice experience.

Recommended by my uncle to try. It did not disappoint . Cozy vibe - out the windows we saw some…read morecats enjoying some shelter from the rain. Breakfast prices are decent for Makati. Leisurely enjoyed our meal. Staff were efficient. Tried their egg casserole and was pleasantly surprised. Love the texture of the coddled eggs and the flavors from the cheese, mushrooms and sauce beneath it was some healthy spinach. Served with cut toast to dip and scoop up the delicious spread. The sausage platter was filling and would satisfy any meat lover. Large selection of items to choose from- will definitely come back to try more items on their menu.

Sala is Makati's old guard. A well-heeled institution of a restaurant that has seen lesser…read morepretenders come and go, Sala is one of the restaurants that deserves its storied reputation. Okay, I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to try this restaurant out anytime soon, as it literally takes a small fortune to eat here. I was lucky, however, that my boss treated the team out to dinner at Sala. I did have a minor heart attack upon seeing the menu, but it does look inviting. I had an order of Lamb Cutlets, which was cooked to perfection. The dessert was absolutely divine as well. I'd love to come back here someday, preferably with a hot date. Need to pull out a mortgage first.

I'm not sure why I never cared to ask what the"free" and tiny hors d'œuvre is officially called,…read morebut it seems that everyone I know who's experienced it absolutely loved it!

It's not Japanese at all, believe me! This restaurant offers American, Italian and some Asian…read moredishes that you'll be longing for after taking in your last bite. Starting from their Newspaper style menu, you'll know that you're in for a great time in dining here. I suggest that you go for Chicken Teriyaki Casserole, Chicken Parmigiana and their Pork Chop dishes! Definitely worth every Peso. Their desserts are also very much calling out to your sweet teeth, as they offer a la mode French toasts, mini cakes and some chocolate treats. Their staff is very welcoming and warm, they'll assist you in each way they can.

Signature salad is good, didn't like the truffle mushroom soup,preferred Mary grace mush room…read moresoup,tebasaki chicken is good, strawberry almond salad is also good

They're not all the same. Cafe France at the Shell station on SLEX has always been a favorite…read morebreakfast place for me when I'm on my way to my farm in Canlubang, my ancestral houses in Tagaytay, or my beach-houses in Lian, Batangas. And my favorite usually is the Breakfast Deluxe which is two eggs (over easy or malasado in the local dialect), two slices of baloney, two short links of hotdog, one slice of bacon, a short baguette with strawberry jam and butter, a mug of coffee, and a small glass of orange juice. So when I started to get hungry and it was past 730am already, I decided to look for a nearby Cafe France. I found the one in Zeta Building on Salcedo Street, in Legaspi Village. Thinking that it was also a Cafe France branch, I ordered my usual Breakfast Deluxe but what I go was a lot less than what the SLEX branch gives me. First of all, I only got one slice of baloney, one short link of hotdog and one slice of bacon. But what killed it was the cold baguette. Baguette must be served freshly heated from the toaster oven. A cold chewy baguette will ruin the entire breakfast. And so we learn another lesson today. They are not all the same. Never again to the Zeta branch. Sayang, malapit pa naman sana sa amin.

If we're talking about authentic French food, then this is as inauthentic as you can get. But, if…read moreanything, Cafe France is a nice, simple place to grab a decent, quiet lunch and some coffee, a place you can comfortably eat alone in peace, or can also be a nice place to eat with your friends....grandparents (haha, they love this place). If you're looking for a place to meet people for work meetings that isn't Starbucks or somewhere stiff and pricey, this place is a good choice For vegans, they recently added a No Meat Sandwich to their menu, which thankfully does not taste as bland as the name makes it sound. It's packed with some good veggie selections and the flavor is pretty okay, but I would personally slather it with mustard, though. They also have a decent, Fruit and Nut salad as well. I was also gifted with a small jar of Cafe France's Espresso Booster, which are ground coffee beans covered in dark chocolate. Not only is it freaking addictive, it REALLY wakes the hell out of you. Great for munching one while working on your desk! Also, it's non-dairy and vegan!

Comfiest cafe I've ever been!! Couldn't contain my excitement when I was about to enter the cafe…read more Printed photos greeted me, they even have a tree full of pictures of their customers who were having a good time in the cafe. The place was comfy not because there were couches everywhere but because you've-got-the-entire-floor-to-yourselves-with-comfy-pillows type of comfy. The place is not a typical tables and chairs cafe, what you'll see are sort of cabins with throw pillows that's enough for you and your friends to fit in. The place is also perfect if you have gadgets (wifi availability!), you can easily plug it on the wall socket if you ran out of battery. And every cabin has one. How generous, right? The place is great and cozy, the concept was superb. However, if you're planning for a quiet Me Time in the cafe, you might get distracted with other customers, they tend to get really noisy. The Main Event Travel Caramel Frappe Caramel Macchiato Blueberry Cheesecake I was told that Blueberry cheesecake was their best-seller so I've tried it, although it was great, it didn't stand out from other blueberry cheesecake I've tried. The coffees were just right, too. One thing that I love about this place? It's very Instagram-friendly!! We were billed less than P600 for 2. Inclusive of service charge.

Lasallian old-timers will remember Cafe Noriter above the Tapa King at the corner of Taft Avenue…read moreand Estrada St. Even older-timers might remember the pool hall there too where people used to sit and watch the Oblation Run offshoot when the Bar Exams were still held in DLSU. Or was that just me? Getting back on track and away from bouncing balls, the owner of Cafe Noriter opened a new place in the building right beside in, in Archer's Nook Dormitory. Lasallians, this is the building with the Yellow Cab and Army Navy. Take the stairs to the second floor and you'll see a very Korean coffee place, with a very Korean owner greeting you at the door, and very Korean pop music playing on low in the background. The restaurant itself is THE dream for students with extra-long breaks between classes. Like the old Noriter, it features double-deck loft-type nooks filled with the most comfortable marshmallow pillows you can imagine. I've fallen asleep on these pillows and I'm proud of it. Oh wait, I'm not. Remember that very Korean owner by the door? He's also very gorgeous and he carries a camera with him, and he takes a photo of every guest after they've settled in, which he posts on Facebook and on the main wall. Ladies (and men, I don't know) take note and prepare accordingly. The prices are a bit steep, but let's face it, you'll probably only order one slice of cake (if you do, try the blueberry cheesecake -- it's heavenly) and stay there for hours on end. Can't blame you. I've done that countless times.

I enjoyed the creamy sauce of the Fish Florentine though I couldn't taste the cheddar or bechamel…read more Bread was okay since I did like the butter. Single serving was pretty filling though I had to try one more dish. Spaghetti Al Tonno's strong points would be its simplicity and lightness despite the fairly big quantity. This was also a generous single serving. The capers were nice and they gave lots of tuna. Among all dishes I've ever tried, I'd recommend the Chicken Parmigiana. This is also a big serving. 50% Discounted Reservation via Eatigo

Cafe Shibuya is a stylish cafe that one can't ignore when passing by the third level of Glorietta…read more2. It's basically an enclosed space in the middle of the mall hallway overlooking the activity center on the ground level. My urge to try Cafe Shibuya had been very persistent, but every time an opportunity presented itself there seemed to be an excuse that prevented me from having a cuppa at this cafe. One reason would be the noise level in the area whenever there's an event at the activity center below. For me, an ideal coffee shop is a quiet place where I can read a book, do my work, or hang out with friends without yelling at each other. One lazy summer afternoon, I finally tried Cafe Shibuya. There was no mall event that day and several seats were available. I was excited, I couldn't decide on what to order. Although toasts are their specialty, I settled for Iced Matcha Green Tea because I was with my wife at the time and she was ordered by her doctor to limit her carbs. Meanwhile, she asked for Salted Caramel Latte with no whipped cream. I was very happy with my Iced Matcha Green Tea. It's one of the best that I've tasted so far. The matcha green tea was not overwhelming. I don't like the strong bitter aftertaste that some matcha green tea lattes leave in my mouth. My wife's drink, on the other hand, was saltier than it was sweet. Cafe Shibuya also uses Ghiradelli ingredients, which means their chocolate drinks are richer in taste. When I get a chance to try this cafe again, I will surely have their toast.