5 Dainty Restaurants in Metro Manila
There’s nothing like enjoying a meal while having the best conversations in a restaurant that looks good, feels good, and serves good food.
Here, we’ve listed down five of the most dainty restaurants in the Metro that are satisfying both to the palate and the eyes and are perfect for date nights, intimate dinners, cozy lunch dates, and even business meetings.
Originally located in Anonas, QC, Cinema ‘76 Cafe opens its doors to its new home in Tomas Morato. “Chefs Gene and Gino Gonzalez from the Center for Asian Culinary Studies designed the new menu, which varies from comfort food and all-time favorite snacks to blended coffee and classic cocktails,” according to the Philippine Star.
The resto exudes a contemporary vibe with movie posters plastered all over, and a menu named after historical films by TBA Studios like Heneral Luna (“Luna” is a chicken tocino meal with salted egg relish and tomatoes) and Goyo “Del Pilar,” adobo flakes, cream cheese, and pickled onions, among others.
💸 P80 – P300
📌 Monday – Friday; 1pm – 7pm
☁️ Toho Panciteria Antigua
Toho Panciteria Antigua is known as the oldest restaurant in the Philippines.
Located in Binondo, Manila, this historical restaurant maintains a vintage and classic atmosphere, despite going through renovations in recent years.
Aside from the place being a go-to by our national heroes like Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio (allegedly), this resto not only boasts an old-school legit Chinese resto vibe but also offers some of the best-tasting Chinese food in the country.
Try their meaty kikiam, lumpiang shanghai, miki bihon, and mouth-watering liempo asado.
📌 Monday – Sunday; 9am – 6pm
☁️ Moon Rabbit Cafe + Restaurant
Want to enjoy Asian-fusion food with a homey and peaceful ambience? Well, Moon Rabbit Cafe, located in San Juan city, is a place to consider.
How their dining area was laid out, with its sleek furniture and high ceilings, gives the restaurant a nonchalant feel but screams sophisticated at the same time.
A staple order for many is their crab rice served in a claypot. Another thing on their menu that will catch your attention is their chilled tofu served with a century egg. Their white chicken, a mix of the Hainanese and Malaysian varieties, and their flavorful scallop fried rice are also worth the price.
Oh, and don’t forget to end your meal with their infamous bunny panna cotta.
💸 P200 – P900
📌 Monday – Sunday; 10am – 6pm
☁️ Cafe GUILT
Whether you choose to eat indoors or outdoors, Cafe Guilt in Scout Castor, QC, provides a calming, tropical, relaxed atmosphere inside and out.
Adorned with lots of greenery, woven chairs, and tables, some of which have parasols attached, the whole place is just so welcoming and easy on the eyes.
Here are some of the dishes that you must try here: Salmon with Truffle Mushroom Adlai Risotto, a tender piece of pan-seared salmon with an adlai risotto oozing with truffle piquant; their seasonal Macopa Salad, straight from their own tree prepped with special dressing; and their Grassfed Ribeye Steak Rice, something meat lovers will love.
💸 P200 – P700
📌 Monday – Sunday; 10am – 7pm
☁️ Ilustrado
Experience the beautiful flavors of Spanish-Filipino cuisine at Ilustrado, a restaurant established in 1989 that is considered one of the best in Manila.
With its “Old Manila” look, Ilustrado’s Hispanic architecture has become one of the reasons why people visit and eat there. The place is ideal for intimate luncheons and even small events.
But, of course, it’s not all facade; the food is something to vouch for.
Ilustrado is famous for tweaking several home-cooked meals and taking them to the next level; such was the case with their Adobong Bagnet and Prawns with Taba ng Talangka. Who would’ve thought that a tender pork belly dish could be made richer by cooking it with crab fat?
But out of all their dishes, there’s no denying that the Paella Ilustrad is their most popular dish, even considered by many as one of the best paellas in the country.
💸 P200 – P900
📌 Monday – Sunday; 8am – 9pm
Have you ever been to any of these restos? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments!
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