Andiamo a Mangiare (Let's Eat!): Caffe Puccini at The Fort Strip

Those craving for Italian food in Manila will find their craving easily satisfied as we are never far from an Italian restaurant anywhere in the city. From the more casual American fastfood chains serving pizzas and pasta on-the-go to the more sophisticated sit-down restaurants, there seems to be so many places that serve Italian food in the Philippines that choosing among them may seem quite daunting. 

For those craving for a more authentic (read: non-Americanized) Italian experience, Caffe Puccini located at The Fort Strip at Bonifacio Global City might interest you. Quietly situated

in what was once the prime hangout spot in the area (but sadly now overshadowed by the nearby Bonifacio High Street and Serendra), Caffe Puccini is an excellent spot for you to enjoy the company of your friends and family over wine, pizzas, steak, and pasta.

The entrance to the restaurant

The restaurant has only been around for about four years but has already done a pretty good job of building its credibility. Caffe Puccini has already been named one of the "Philippines' Best Restaurants" by Asia Tatler Dining, which rates and reviews the best restaurants in the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Macau. 

Design on the glass window

The atmosphere in the restaurant is very cozy and laid-back, despite it being a Sunday (Easter Sunday, at that). I really appreciated the "rustic" Italian trattoria look and feel of the place, as it only adds to the restaurant's "authenticity". The large crystal chandeliers look classy and somewhat homely, but the presence of a wood-fired oven which is standard in many authentic Italian dining places just seals the deal and just screams "authentic Italian". Kudos to the management for paying a lot of attention to detail.

A friendly waitress guided us to our table. Aside from our group of 7, the only other group in the restaurant was this large family of about 10-15 seated nearby. Having less customers at the time allowed the waitresses to immediately attend to our needs, and somehow makes the service more personalized. 

The restaurant wasn't really so busy, even on a Sunday

Front cover of the menu

For starters, we ordered Insalata di Mare, a salad which consists of assorted seafood in lemon-olive oil. We also ordered Insalata Greca, which consists of "lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, kalamata, olives, oregano, feta cheese and olive oil". Two complimentary bread baskets which consists of a selection of bread and an assortment of dips such as Foie gras and butter were also laid out in front of us. 

A part of their menu. For the complete menu, please do visit their website.

Basic table setting

Complimentary bread basket

Butter and tomatoes

Now here come the main dishes: 

Pizza Quattro Formaggio

I think this is Pizza Milano? I'm not too sure.

Puttanesca

We also ordered Fettuccine Carbonara (which I failed to take a photo of), which I pretty much loved. Come to think of it, I absolutely loved EVERYTHING we ordered. The salads weren't bland, the Puttanesca wasn't lacking in ingredients and flavor, and the Pizza Milano was just right. My favorites (and the ones I highly recommend), however, would have to be the Fettuccine Carbonara and the Pizza Quattro Formaggio. Simple as they may look, they certainly made up for it in terms of taste and flavor. Cheese lovers out there will surely love how the four different cheeses on the Pizza Quattro Formaggio go well together, without one overpowering the other. Every bite has a guaranteed burst of cheesiness that have you clamoring for more. The Carbonara, meanwhile, was creamier than the other one's I've had before, which can both be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you like it. For me, though, their Carbonara seemed to have that look and taste of "authenticity". It was most certainly not your generic cafeteria Carbonara. 

As much as I had wanted to eat some more, I had to restrain myself, so that everyone in our group would have a chance to sample everything. Oh, well; there's always a next time--there will definitely be a next time. 

Caffe Puccini
Unit 12, The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
www.caffepuccini.com
816-3055/09279173489
caffepuccini@gmail.com

Restaurant hours:
Sunday-Thursday 11am-12 midnight
Friday and Saturday 11am-2:30am