Cafe Adriatico

The 38 Best Manila Restaurants | Eater

"Many consider Cafe Adriatico the restaurant that heralded Manila’s bistro and cafe culture when it opened in 1979. Journalist Larry J. Cruz converted an antiques store on the corner of Macario Adriatico Street and Remedios Circle in Ermita into a Parisian-style cafe that became one of the landmarks of the historic Malate neighborhood, the center of Manila culture in the ’70s and ’80s. The cafe remains especially famous for merienda items such as ensaymada (a soft pastry typically topped with sugar and cheese), suman sa lihiya (a glutinous rice cake and lye water), and tsokolate eh (a thick chocolate drink) served in a demitasse." - Toni Potenciano