Restaurant Review: Cafe Platito atbp.

Many Filipino food lovers out there are well aware that Tagaytay is a must-visit destination for those who want to satisfy their cravings for all things delicious. There is a long list of hotels or restaurants here that are known for having the best food that one could ever try, and the list just keeps on growing. If you want to try out something new, head on over to Tagaytay, which is just about an hour and thirty minutes away from Metro Manila.

A popular food destination here in this city high up in the mountains is The Cliffhouse, a cluster of upscale restaurants that appeal to different kinds of people--who have the money, of course. One look at some of the restaurants here and one word would surely pop into your minds--pricey. Fancy champagne glasses, the finest wines, intricate table settings, dim lights, and good music are abound here, making it a popular dining destination for the sophisticated, discriminating crowd. 

While my family had originally intended to try out Buon Giorno, an Italian restaurant which has received much praise for those who have already tried eating there, we were discouraged by the large crowd already inside, and the number of people on the waiting list. We were told that we had to wait for about an hour to be accommodated, which is pretty ridiculous (it did, however, make us even more curious about the place). Instead, we decided to look around some more until we decided to settle with a more laid-back place called Cafe Platito atbp. 

Unlike its neighbors, Cafe Platito appears to be more simple. It had wooden tables that did not have fancy tablecloth draped over them, and also had simple-looking wooden or plastic chairs. Aside from being a dining place, it also doubled as a sort-of souvenir shop, which would explain the presence of wooden shelves filled with a variety of items on them. There isn't actually much space on the inside anymore, so most of the tables and chairs were outside (but given Tagaytay's coller weather, this was not really a problem).

A quick peek inside

The restaurant's entrance

Despite its Filipino-sounding name, their menu actually comprises of Western dishes. Some items on their menu include Fish n' Chips, Brazilian Rib Eye Steak, American Beef Burger, and Hungarian Sausage. They also have wines, margaritas, and desserts on offer, at pretty affordable prices (Cafe Platito atbp. actually seems to be one of the most affordable restos at The Cliffhouse, not counting the two ice cream shops and the frozen yogurt stand there). 

I ordered the American Beef Burger, while my younger brother ordered the Schueblig Sausage (which is served with rice, egg and either coffee or juice), and my mother ordered the Boneless Bonoan Bangus (served with three eggs, rice, and juice or coffee). Considering we were the only customers there at the time, our orders did get to us pretty quickly. While my mother was overwhelmed by the generous serving of fish (two!) and eggs (three!), I was pretty disappointed with the "burger". I wouldn't even like to call it a burger, actually, because it did not look like the typical burger.

I have already tried ordering burgers at non-fastfood restaurants before and I was not disappointed with the size of it. I would even be overwhelmed at times. For this one, however, their burgers seemed rather small, and the buns they used weren't the typical round ones people are used to. The bread seemed rather pale and does not look so appetizing. My brother's and my mother's food, however, was presented better, though they could have come up with better sidings instead of the usual peas, carrots and corn combination which already looks too generic and overused.

While my mother and brother did not really seem to have any complaints about their orders, I, being the more observant and pessimistic one, did notice some things about the burger. The bread, as expected, was rather dull, but was actually pretty soft. The meat is pretty good, though the taste of the meat is eaxily overpowered by the mayonnaise since they use too much of it. With every bite, you could taste more mayonnaise than you could taste meat. The fries that came along with the burger also did have too much salt, more than what I could normally tolerate on fries. In short, their burger fell way below my expectations (considering its price and the restaurant's "fancy" location at The Cliffhouse), and actually seems more of "cafeteria" quality than "restuarant-at-an-upscale-dining-place-in-Tagaytay" kind of burger.

As a person who has been partly trained ("partly" because I am still an undergraduate) on brand positioning and marketing, I also did notice some flaws on this aspect. As I mentioned earlier, the restaurant has a Filipino name, but its food choices consist mainly of Western dishes. With the wooden furniture, and the dominantly brown color scheme, it has a Filipino or a "cabin" feel to it, but they actually decorate the place with, among others, tiny colorful Japanese-style umbrellas you would expect young ladies wearing Kimonos to carry. The place seems "lost" and doesn't really seem to be able to make up its mind on what it really wants to be. Is it a Filipino restaurant? American? Japanese? This is very confusing indeed, and I can just imagine how those who would try to tell others about this place would struggle to find an exact word to describe the place.

I do not mean to bring down this place in anyway, because it does have it strong points. To sum things up, I would say that the employees are attentive and do try their best to make the customers feel at home. It has a more "relaxed" feel to it because it is generally less crowded than its neighbors, especially the Italian place Buon Giorno nearby. It is also more affordable which is an advantage that, if properly capitalized on by the management, would help them give their neighbors a little "nudge". However, they could work on their food more by improving on the way the food is presented (especially the burger), as well as the taste (too much mayonnaise = not good). A clearer, more specific sense of identity would also be better for them, to help them become more properly established out there in the market. A wider selection of food would also make the people want to keep coming back for more.


It was my first time to try this place out, but I would actually still want to come back and try out the other things they have to offer. Maybe their burgers just really happen to be their weaknesses--I wouldn't know for sure, but hopefully, they would be able to redeem themselves. The other items on their menu do look appetizing.

Score: 14/20