Garden Restaurants in Metro Manila
Manila, Philippines — Whether you’re looking for a private, intimate, romantic, or quiet setting, a garden restaurant will always fit the bill. If you really want a romantic and quiet dinner with a nature theme, then check out our list of 7 garden restaurants you should visit in Metro Manila.
Rustic Mornings by Isabelo
Owned by Portia Baluyut, Isabelo is one of the most private garden restaurants in Metro Manila with a rustic Italian look. During the day, Isabelo opens its breakfast services to the public as Rustic Mornings. It only becomes Isabelo at night to provide private and intimate dining. The owner Portia not only cooks deliciously decadent dishes but also specializes in home-style cuisine, making you come back again and again for another taste. Portia’s cooking combined with her mother’s artful taste in décor and design transforms their garden into a preferred dining destination. It has earned them the reputation of being one of the best restaurants not just in Marikina, but the whole of Metro Manila.
My Mother’s Garden
My Mother’s Garden is a converted ancestral home in Pasay City, a tribute to the late mother of its current owner, designer Malu Antonio Veloso. Ms. Malu cleverly decided to preserve the old-world feel of the place and turned the garden into a café where diners could enjoy a lazy and intimate meal with a beautiful nature view. The garden restaurant’s signature dish is the Mustard Chicken, but there are many other choices in the buffet spread. You will find seafood, malanzane, pasta with three different sauces, and a green salad with various dressings to name a few.
NINYO Fusion Cuisine & Wine Lounge
Quiet and intimate, do not let Ninyo’s local name fool you It boasts an exquisite blend of European-Asian cuisine, made possible with Chef Ninyo Laus at the kitchen helm. Among the specialties of the house are the Salmon Tataki and Coffee Crusted Tuna to name a few. Employing the mix of west and east culture, Ninyo can become an all-time dining place for you with its cozy lighting, lush greenery, beautiful pavilions, and Koi ponds.
Maria Luisa’s Garden Room
Like a dainty little house of every girl’s fantasy, Maria Luisa’s Garden Room is a favorite destination among food lovers. A secret treasure hiding in beautiful gardens of the Makati Garden Club, this charming French restaurant with its floral accents and mismatched chairs are perfect for the casual romantic, the wine lover, and those who appreciate fresh French bread every day with food that tickles your palate. If you want the house’s specialty, try Chef Robert’s superb fresh Chilean Mussels Two Ways with wine and cream or with parsley and garlic.
14 Four Café
With mismatched chairs, quirky wall designs, plush furniture, wooden benches, nooks around trees, and an open garden setting, dining at 14 Four Café is indeed a novel experience. The 14 Four Café garden restaurant serves all-day brunch and American style-breakfast food, but you will also find plenty of Filipino dishes to soothe your palate. The only challenge of 14 Four is that you have to really look for it as it is tucked away in Gregoria Heights Subdivision in Taytay, Rizal. Though the house offers a large array of dishes, the amaretto French toast, a 14-hour beef tapa, and their adobo flakes Panini are all good choices for first-timers.
Basil
There is an unexpected sight as you turn into White Plains Subdivision from Greenwood Avenue along Katipunan Road. Just at the corner, you will see what is obviously a garden restaurant, and it is Basil. It used o be a garden supply store, so the owners went with it by designing the restaurant with nature in mind with a cacophony of green and rustic decor. The more surprising thing about Basil is that it serves authentic Thai cuisine, so if you are a fan of Tom Yang and chicken green curry, this is your next date night venue.
Lemuria Gourmet Restaurant
If there is anything more romantic than going to a restaurant named after a fictional lost continent, it is the same restaurant offering private dining. Lemuria is one such restaurant, and it takes a little effort to find it if you are not from the area. Located in Horseshoe Village in Quezon City, it specializes in French-Mediterranean cuisine. It is charming and intimate, and the food is excellent. If you need suggestions, you should try their Grilled Salmon, and the Valrhona Chocolate Souffle Cake.
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