1919 Grand Cafe

1919 Grand Cafe: Ambiance and Coffee Shine, Food a Mixed Bag 1919 Grand Cafe immediately impresses with its very spacious ambiance, making it an ideal spot for relaxed dining or catching up with friends. As expected, their coffee is a true highlight, living up to its reputation as a specialty. They also conveniently offer Carmen's Best Ice Cream, a welcome addition for dessert lovers. Plus, you'll find their restrooms commendably clean and spacious, a small but significant detail. Beyond the coffee, the culinary experience was a bit of a mixed bag. The pumpkin soup fell short, tasting more like a supermarket variety than a cafe-made dish, lacking any "wow" factor. Similarly, the salad was just "so-so." For main courses, the truffle pasta was notably creamy and loaded with mushrooms, which might appeal to some, but could be overwhelming for others. The salmon also leaned heavily on the creamy side. The standout among the savory dishes were the tacos, which come highly recommended. A quick note on service: if you need assistance, managers will direct your request to the server in charge rather than handling it themselves. However, they do listen attentively to concerns. Overall, you're largely paying for the excellent ambiance and quality coffee at 1919 Grand Cafe. If you go, make sure to take home a taro cake for pasalubong.

🍽️ What we ordered: Tried a wide spread: seafood pasta, carbonara, pasta negra, baked rice kaldereta, crispy pork belly, salt and pepper squid, 4 cheese pizza, margherita, clubhouse sandwich, and iced americano. Every dish was flavorful and satisfying, pastas were rich, pizzas had good crust and cheese pull, and the pork belly was perfectly crispy. Portions were generous and good for sharing. 🌟 What stood out: The café is inside a beautifully restored colonial-era building. High ceilings, vintage chandeliers, and tiled floors add a lot of charm. Food came out fast and was plated nicely. The seafood pasta and crispy pork belly stood out the most. 💡 Tips before you go: No designated parking — limited street parking only. Best to go on off-peak hours or ride-hailing. Great for group dining or brunch dates. Walk-ins usually okay but weekends can get busy. 🗣️ Final Verdict: One of Binondo’s best-kept brunch and dinner spots. Worth the visit for the ambience and quality of food. Highly recommended for families, dates, or food crawls. ⭐ Overall: 5/5 stars

The place was unique, cause it shows the heritage of the place and manila. Food was also good! Got the truffle pasta - tho would be nice to have something more cause there wasn’t anything much outside ordinary :) But generally was good! Would be better if they unique options or something more different

Very nice place for eating lunch and or dinner or even having coffee. We have not ordered anything that we didn't like. Baby back ribs, fried squid, desserts and various coffee variants sarap!

The food at 1919 Grand Cafe was excellent, and the atmosphere added to a memorable dining experience. However, the service was a bit slow and could use some improvement in terms of speed. Overall, still a great place to dine.

We had a nice dinner in the restaurant. Food was served hot and flavorful. Service was quick and staff were accommodationg. Atmosphere was really good. My observation was that the couch was so low so we had to sit on the cushions. No toilet in the 2nd floor. Food rating was based on our liking: 1 Shrimp Gambas 5/5 2 Pan seared Salmon Fillet with Truffle 4/5. (I would suggest to present the salmon skin-side up on the plate to enjoy the crispy skin of the salmon) 1 Ribeye Steak 5/5 We could have ordered pizza but were told it would take 30mins, so we skipped that.

The modern renovation didn’t take away from the grandiosity and rich history of the building. The high ceilings and intricate wall embellishments don’t feel intimidating, thanks to the warmth of the staff welcoming you in. They’re very attentive, serving lemon water as soon as you’re seated. Food is served promptly as well. This is my second time here, and my favorite spot is the loft area. On separate occasions, I ordered the Muscovado Latte, which is only available hot--it was smooth with a natural sweetness. I also tried the Honey Latte, which I didn’t quite enjoy due to the overpowering floral, jasmine-like notes that surprisingly didn’t complement the honey well. The honey tends to settle at the bottom, so you’ll need to stir it thoroughly from time to time, though this melts the ice faster than usual. I did enjoy the Truffle Pasta--very savory and generously topped with mushrooms. Most of their pastries are sourced from Clyde’s. The Japanese cake in particular is incredibly spongy and creamy.

A cafe and restaurant with a wide variety of menus. Very good coffee, delicious desserts. I recommend the Taro Roll Cake. The shop is beautiful and suitable for taking pictures. The staff provides good service and the prices are not expensive.

What a beautiful restaurant . I understand the owners spent a lot to renovate the original bank . Do google details on this restaurant . We were hosted and they served many dishes on the menu. I don't know where to begin . They also have an extensive alcohol list with very expensive items available . I have read that service can be bad but we did not experience it . The restaurant is in the Chinatown area but kinda hidden. Do eat here if you are ever in Manila

The ambiance of this place was nice considering where it is located. Both the top and bottom area were lovely. The service was amazing too! As for the food, I enjoyed everything we ordered from the mushroom soup to the salad to the main course. We got the baby back ribs and the salmon. I highly recommend trying this place.

We were visiting various historical sites around Manila when we stopped in at 1919 Grand Cafe for an early lunch. The restaurant wasn't too busy at around 11 AM on a Monday, so we were seated pretty quickly at one of the tables upstairs. We enjoyed the comfy bench seating and appreciated the modern ambiance of the place. We split the truffle pasta, salt and pepper squid, and baked rice caldereta between 4 of us and were more than satisfied. Everything was so delicious!!! We weren't able to try any of the desserts or drinks, but next time I would love to try their taro cloud roll and Japanese cake.

After 2 yrs I'm back as promised! And it did not disappoint me. The serving was way bigger than before. Great service and friendly staff. Made a reservation this time to avoid wait time. I will be back again

First, I cook and I am good. Ordered crispy pork belly, superb crispness. Unfortunately, the dipping sauce is meh. Bland tasting, forgettable. Dipping sauce did not do justice to the crunchiness of the pork belly. Will go back but not to the pork belly.

Been meaning to visit this cafe since it opened, and fortunately, I finally found the time! I expected it to be somewhat like a Starbucks in an old 1900s bank with a little hint of a Great Gatsby theme. But what welcomed me as I walked through the enormous doors was nothing short of magnificent and way more elegant than what I was expecting. It was a restaurant more than it was a cafe. It is the classic version of UCC Clockwork (which proudly boasts its modern style.) During breakfast (7:00 - 11:00 AM), they offer rice meals with unlimited coffee and tea all for PHP 380. For the food, I got their Homemade Beef Tapa, (because of course, you have to choose the food that says homemade or specialty if you want to see their kitchen's strength!) The flavor was medium but the meat was very tender. It made me feel that it's one step up my usual tapa dish. I also had their Iced Caramel Macchiato. Now, I'm very picky with caramel drinks but I can safely say that I will for sure come back to have another Caramel Macchiato from there. The staff was courteous, friendly, accommodating, and always quick to their feet. A+ for customer service! The whole place was spotless as well. On the second floor, they have exclusive rooms that would be perfect for a group meeting. One of the rooms (Room Geisha) even has the original bank vault opened in it! Overall I would give this restaurant a high remark, and it most definitely deserves a ton more of customers. I'd suggest going here for group meetings may it be for work or for school. Also, if you want a nice, affordable, but sophisticated looking date spot you might want to bring your special someone here. I, for sure, will definitely come back!

I always order ribs here, they are so good but inconsistent with flavor, sometimes it's just right, sometimes too salty and they sometimes lack in flavor. Crispy pork belly is delicious and crispy 10/10 comes with gravy sauce. Gambas shrimp was bland.

New Cafe in Binondo! There seems to be a lot of meetings held here during lunch. Everything inside is so neat and clean. They seem to have everything from Italian to Chinese. Cakes look so good on display, I'll come again to try them one day. I wasn't too hungry so I just ordered soup. It wasn't as warm as I wanted it to be and it wasn't as tasty as I expected it to be. Taste was slightly bland and I don't think it matches what I paid for. Inside is spacious and the bathroom is clean. Customer service is excellent. My friend forgot one of her bags and a waiter asked if it were hers. My friend said that this is quite rare (!) that staff or anyone would let people know so I'm so glad that they didn't let us leave it behind.

Historically, an interesting place. Gastronomically, it's anything, but interesting. All our orders came out one at a time, with about 20-minute interval between each order. By the time my coffee came, cake is gone. After a 20-minute wait, the mushroom soup that my mom ordered came out cold, with no salt, pepper nor bread stick to go with it. Server is nowhere in sight to refill glasses with water or ask if there is anything else we might need.

I waited 50 minutes to get a bad batch of salty mushroom soup and it was in a half an inch bowl. Disappointed in both the customer service and taste of the soup.

I had to check this place out after the new mayor of Manila talked about this place in one of his interviews. It used to be the old HSBC Bank right at the edge of Jones Bridge. It has that Biltmore vibe with delicious food and awesome coffee. As you enter you are greeted with black and white photos of old Manila with high ceilings. My friend and I were here for dinner and we started off with a fresh plate of green salad with sesame dressing and shared a pasta dish and ended the night with a delicious slice of cheesecake. The waiter mentioned that they do have high tea. I loved the place and wanted to go back the next day for lunch before heading to the airport, but canceled as the traffic in Manila as always was pretty crazy...till next time.

My girl went there tonight and she told me that service was bad. The waiter was rude and cashier was abrupt. The place looks great and updated but the staff seems like are not happy with what they do. I wish their staff would treat their customers better.

We paid a visit to this newly opened cafe called 1919 Grand Cafe in Binondo, Manila. The overall experience was pretty good because the food we ordered taste divine (Tuna Cheese Sandwich, Chicken Sandwich, Kung Pao Pasta, Blueberry Cheesecake and Taro Cloud Cake for dessert). The ambience is classy and cozy and you can still feel the old vibe of the repurpose building, that even some of the fixtures are still apparent including the bank vault in Geisha room. The 2 storey cafe used to be the headquarter of HSBC bank in 1919. The cafe/restaurant boasts with different array of food from Chinese to Italian and desserts are to die for. I personally love the Taro Cloud Cake which is one of their bestsellers and according to my sources the same cake that the current Mayor (Isko Moreno) also raved for. Although, I must say the restaurant should also train the service personnel because they are the frontliners of the cafe/restaurant. Nevertheless, I would recommend the cafe/restaurant to all who loves to experience the old manila vibe while enjoying the palatable dishes they offer. Keep it up!