Cafe Adriatico

Worth the visit, worth the penny (4.5/5) While we've read recommendations on what to try, we decided to have a freehand and base it on vibe/what we want at that time! Haha We had chorizo in garlic as appetizer, Polpetta and Rabo de Toro as mains. The highlight is Rabo de Toro, this is one of their new dishes. We love how tender the meat was, and the sauce !! Topnotch Ordered two desserts: Canonigo with Mango and Cappuccino Cheesecake. I liked how Canonigo's sweetness is just right! It completes our meal. My personal favorite however is the Cappuccino Cheesecake, it just hits different. My partner preferred the Canonigo because he felt like the coffee notes was too strong in the cheesecake but I love it that way 😀 I honestly can't stop thinking about it again now that I'm typing about it Since we’re history and heritage enthusiasts, we definitely loved the ambiance. They said that the E. Aguilar Cruz Painting is an original one! Tip: We made a reservation because we dined here Saturday night. I figured it was challenging to get a table during 6-8 pm and I was right because some who didn't have reservations had to wait outside. Looking forward to our next meal here, next time we'll go for the bestsellers and drinks!

Special bibingka isn't available today For the serious foodies: They're an institution and whatnot but honestly the food isn't superb, we even got their signatures The Lola Ising adobo rice pork was dry, stringy and without much flavour. See attached video. Rice was mushy. The simple sweet sour green papaya pickles were good tho The beef salpicao is I think ribeye lightly braised in a sour sauce. It's not terrible but not terribly good either.

Cafe adriatico is a classic. I’ve been eating here occasionally for the past 13 years. The food honestly is a hit or miss but the atmosphere and sense of history is unbeatable. The key is to not be overwhelmed by the menu choices. Great place for meeting new people over breakfast

Food here is good. Most people that dine here are from the upper class. I just have an impression based on my own experience that restaurant staff here is discriminating. As a member of the working class I felt I was not welcome. Courtesy here is selective.

Absolutely loved Café Adriatico! The food was delicious full of flavor and beautifully presented. The atmosphere is cozy, stylish, and full of character the perfect place to relax and enjoy great food. The staff were friendly and attentive, making the whole experience even better. Definitely a must-visit spot in Manila! 🌸🍽️✨

We were pleasantly surprised by the generous portions here! What we ordered: ✅ Farmer's Breakfast (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) – A delicious balance of sweet and sour flavors from the pork and egg, perfectly paired with garlic fried rice. ✅ Landlord's Breakfast (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) – The smoky, flavorful sirloin, textured sausage, and well-cooked scrambled egg all come together beautifully with garlic fried rice. The rice itself is decent but feels a bit average compared to the high-quality main components. The fresh, sweet mango adds a refreshing touch to the meal! Each dish comes with a complimentary black coffee + milk and a glass of cold water—such a great bonus! The staff were incredibly friendly and enthusiastic, explaining the menu in detail and even advising us not to order extra drinks since we already got free ones. Though the space isn't too large, it's still cozy. We were lucky to get a seat by the window, offering a great view of Adriatico Street, adding to the authentic Manila experience. Highly recommended if you're visiting the Philippines and will spend some time in Manila!

We always come back to Cafe Adriatico to enjoy their food. There is always an endless choice from their excellent selections. This is in addition to the favorite orders we never tire of, especially their exceptional desserts. Once the staff gets familiar with you, you are always expertly taken very good care of. I highly recommend CA anytime!

Same good as 20 years ago, not only tasted, its memories.

The food was delicious and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. i was so admire and happy the ambiance was so great..I'll definitely be back!" I had a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend this restaurant to others. The food was delicious and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. all food was tasty and flavorful, i love it.

Still my favorite in Manila. Lola Isings adobo is to die for. More gravy please. Delightful staff. Not the best area but a classic. Highly recommend.

This restaurant is great. Atmosphere and ambience is special and Filipino food is great also nice selection of desserts. One of my favorite menu selections is mango salad with vinaigrette dressing. Simple but delicious .?

If you're staying in the Malate area, you just have to dine at Cafe Adriatico at least once. The granddaddy of the Malate restaurants, Cafe Adriatico has both history and class, and you really can't go wrong dining here. Malate isn't the vibrant community as us 90s kids remember it, but it's places like Cafe Adriatico that make sure that the old spirit never dies. Stepping inside the cafe feels like you're being transported back in time, seriously. The old school fixtures, the amazing vibe, few places in the metro has it like this branch of Cafe Adriatico. The food is pretty good too. They now have a adobo flakes dish that is super enjoyable to eat. Their bangusilog is one of the best in the country (According to Carlos Celdran, ha). They also have lovely coffee. Trust me, you got to try this place out. At least once.

Café Adriatico is just a few blocks away from UP Manila where I study. A lot of foreigners and students would often dine here or just chill while having their coffee. The interior has this old vibe that'll make you feel like you're living in Old Manila. Despite having a vintage feel inside, once you step out, it's not as enticing but hey, it's not that much of the café's fault. I highly recommend the star of their menu, the lengua estofado along with the very classic and historical Tsokolate eh which is usually mentioned in history books and Rizal's novels. Too bad their Eggs Benedict is no longer available but hopefully, they bring it back on the menu. Their selection is Spanish-inspired but there are some Pinoy foods that you'll find in there like Lola Ising's adobo ang the Claude's dream which is like buko pandan but with ice cream made of buffalo milk.

The ambiance is old world, the food here is good, and the service is adequate. I had the arroz a la Cubano. It was delicious except for the fried bananas. The oil they were fried in was old. I couldn't eat them because of the rancid taste. Also, their red velvet cake is fake. It's just yellow cake with a lot of red food coloring. In real red velvet, the combination of buttermilk and cocoa creates a deep red color and a light, fluffy texture. Their cake had good flavor but it was heavy and bright red.

I grew up with Cafe Adriatico. Cafe Adriatico was aspirational chic when I was a college student and as a young adult a hangout place for good food, wine and conversation with friends. It was and still is the place to go for good food with friends or simply for reading a book. Lola Isings Adobo Rice is s favorite and the knockout knuckles is another one. Yum.

I am always in the mood for hot chocolate, and no place serves a better cup than Café Adriatico. For some reason, their hot chocolate choices (Chocolate eh! and Chocolate ah!) are registered trademarks, which is quite weird because I know for a fact that it's a wise system of class segregation from Noli me Tangere. It was said that the stingy friars in Rizal's time would serve "chocolate eh!" or chocolate espeso (concentrated, thick) to wealthy guests ,and "chocolate ah!" or chocolate aguado (watered down, inferior) to less influential visitors. The LJC Group of Restaurants must have thought it amusing to borrow from Rizal's satirical novel, and made it into one of their trademark recipes. I would usually order the chocolate eh!, which is thick, gritty and very rich. Word to the wise: don't get too excited with your chocolate eh! Wait for it to cool down a little bit; drink it too soon and you risk the very thick chocolate scorching your esophagus like napalm. I love going back to Cafe Adriatico's flagship cafe in Malate, with it's old-world feel and very nostalgic ambiance. The warm wood, the antiques and the very Filipino interior design treatments just lend a classic feel to the place. Since Cafe Adriatico is run by LJC, you can be assured the food is great and the service is stellar. They have made quite a name in the restuarant business, and they have consistently delivered great Pinoy food to their patrons.

I wanted to eat at a restaurant with the best Filipino classic dishes and Cafe Adriatico did not disappoint! My group ordered Salpicao beef, Lengua Estofado and Pork short ribs. Every bite was glorious and it's every bit reminiscent of olden days when these dishes were served in special occasions with family. We also had great dessert: the Canonigo was excellent and the Toffee Sans Rival was heavenly. They weren't overly sweet as feared initially. Lastly, we tried the hot chocolate which was also a classic. I would have put a 4 star except for the fact that we were seated in a dim corner with a very small table. But otherwise, this restaurant is a must try and shouldn't be skipped when visiting Manila!

Awful. My food never came. We were there for nearly 2 hours. The cuts of steak were not what was on the menu and the food that did come was below average. I had hopes for this restaurant but it was an extreme let down. I left disappointed and extremely hungry.

I grew up on LJC food because my dad worked for this amazing restaurateur in the late 90's. I've tasted just about every dish they have on their menu but the selection from Cafe Adriatico will always be my favorite. While they now have more modern-looking restaurants in Gateway and in Mall of Asia, I still prefer the Old Manila charm of the Malate branch. I love the stained glass windows, the heavy mahogany chairs, the wooden floorsboards and the overall vintage feel of the place. My top picks from this restaurant include the Beef Spareribs Ninja (with a strong ginger-chili flavor) and the adobo flakes. Our family's favorite dish is the Chicken Ala Kiev. Now you may think it's just stuffed chicken, but you are dead wrong. it's a very lovely dish made with breaded breast, stuffed with garlic and herbed butter. Order it with rice and cut the chicken on top of rice then watch the melted butter ooze out lend the flavor to your rice. It's heavenly!

Cafe Adriatico now has a branch at the Gateway in Cubao but their original branch in Malate is the one that I like better. They have the same menu but the rustic feel of the Malate branch is what draws me in. It has two floors both of which has windows looking out to Remedios Circle. Surrounded by newer establishments and a multitude of them catering to Korean customers, Cafe Adriatico stands defiant with its Old Manila charm. I usually go here with friends for a taste of their famous Sanz Rival. Dig in to this sweet dessert while catching up with friends. Their serving of Sanz Rival is large enough for sharing. If you're after something more filling then their Beef Caldereta is the one I'd recommend. Caldereta cooked to perfection with beef so tender. Or just have a cup of coffee and imagine yourself looking out to the grandeur that was Manila.

Great location, and nice Filipiniana decor. The salpicao is not as good as I remember though.

This place is famous for it's hot chocolate? Then all those poor folks must not know what a hot chocolate is supposed to taste like. The character of the place is good, and their caramel cake is ok, but the hot chocolate is of.inferior quality to instant hot cocoa.