The Cozy Restaurant Verbena in Tagaytay

For a relaxed, leisurely meal in Tagaytay, there's always Restaurant Verbena at Discovery Country Suites.

Although not quite fine dining, Restaurant Verbena is popular because it has such an inviting atmosphere coupled with good service and reasonably priced food. 

Complimentary Bread

Soft Shell Crab Salad

Shrimp Cakes

Soup of the Day

Lucban Longganisa Risotto

Truffle Risotto with Bacon

Verbena Sampler Plate 

Restaurant Verbena is located at Discovery Country Suites, 300 Calamba Road Tagaytay. For more information, call (046)4134567 or click here.

The Old Breakfast at Antonio's

I'm such a bad blogger! 

Breakfast at Antonio's has already moved back to its original home along Tagaytay Ridge and here I am sharing my experience eating at its old location.

Facade of Breakfast at Antonio's

We went to Breakfast at Antonio's when it was still located inside the estate of fine dining restaurant Antonio's and it looked very much like Antonio's with its black and white tiles, pretty chandeliers, and al fresco dining area. 

The similarity ends there though as service was a big letdown the day we had lunch at Breakfast at Antonio's. We had to wait for quite some time before our orders arrived. 

Mesclun Salad w/ Boiled Chicken Salad w/Cider Yogurt Dressing & Shaved Parmesan (450php)

Fresh and light. Good appetizer to start the meal. 

Seafood w/Pesto Sauce (480php)

Loved the texture of the crust. Pizza needed fresher ingredients though.

Foie Gras Raclette (700php)

The pizza had a funky smell and taste that didn't seem right. Poor quality foie gras perhaps?

Antonio's House Burger (385php)

My kind of burger! One bite and I knew that high quality beef was used to make the patty. 

Spaghetti Bolognaise (495php)

Flavors were a bit subdued. Our least favorite pasta.

Spaghetti Carbonarra (495php)

My carbonara loving brother had to have another serving! It obviously had his seal of approval.

Portobello Targliatelle w/ Truffle Cream Sauce (495php)

Creamy with strong truffle flavors.  A good vegetarian dish.

After the meal we also had to follow-up our bill several times. At least Breakfast at Antonio's was aware that their service sucked and they gave us complimentary dessert while we waited.

Homemade Yogurt Topped with Lemon Curd

Here's hoping that the experience at Breakfast at Antonio's has become more pleasurable with the the move.

Breakfast at Antonio's is now located along Tagaytay Ridge, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay.  For more information, call (046)4130738 or click here.

Sonya's Garden Meal and More

For over a decade now, Sonya Garcia has been welcoming guests to her private sanctuary, Sonya's Garden. 

Sonya's Garden is a Tagaytay institution known for serving country cuisine using fresh organic ingredients.

It's been a long while since I last visited Sonya's Garden and it was time that I make a return trip considering my new found desire to eat healthier this year. 

Street To Enter for Sonya's Garden

Sonya's Gate

The path leading to the main dining hall is surrounded by greenery. Most guests explore the garden before eating to take pictures and appreciate the calming scenery.

The al fresco dining area, at least to me, looked like a greenhouse with its transparent roof and clear walls. It was spacious with a relaxed atmosphere making it the perfect venue to have a leisurely meal.

A Portion of the Dining Area

Sonya's Garden offers an eat all you can set menu at 610.00php per pax. It is comprised of: 

Dalandan Juice

Refreshing but nothing special

Wholewheat Sesame Bread with Homemade Dips  (mushroom pate, white cheese or kesong puti, bruschetta tomato, basil pesto, anchovies)

The bread was freshly baked and tasty. I adored pairing the bread with the mushroom pate because it gave the bread a creamy texture with a slightly sweet flavor. I also enjoyed the white cheese and basil pesto toppings. The dip I liked the least was the anchovies as it was too salty.

Green Salad of Lettuce and Arugula

With Mango, Broad Beans, Pineapple, Cucumber, Jackfruit, Eggs, Nuts plus Sonya's Secret Dressing

This is the small serving of  fresh and crunchy vegetables that I had. My salad creation was such a joy to eat because it had  a lot of mangoes, nuts, eggs, and jackfruit in it. Healthy though, it was not.

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato and Creamy Chicken with Mango Sauces plus toppings such as ratatouille, salmon belly, shitake mushrooms, black olives, capers and grated parmesan cheese, pepperoncini. 

The sauces have the tendency to taste old after a few forkfuls so I usually combine both sauces to achieve a more complex flavor. The salmon was overcooked more than usual during our visit.

Mini Turon

I have always loved turon and it was no different with Sonya's version. Extra props for it not being overly sweet and oily.

Glazed Sweet Potato

Too rich a dessert for me

Tarragon Tea

Warm tea to cap a surprisingly full and heavy meal at Sonya's Garden

Aside from eating at Sonya's Garden, one can also...

Buy Herbs,

Purchase Organic Products,

Have A Massage,

Stay at the Bed and Breakfast,

and Visit the Panaderia.

From all the activities to choose from, I headed straight to the Panaderia (unsurprising I know!!!).

The Compact Store that Could

Sonya's Panederia Menu Board

In order to compensate for the healthy meal that I had, I bought some goodies from the Panaderia:

Homemade Chocolate Cake

The cake was actually served with the set menu and I loved it so much that I brought home a whole cake. Soft, moist, and has the right level of sweetness. 

Adobo Roll

It has strong adobo flavors with big chunks of chicken inside. It was too salty though.

Spanish Bread

The creamy consistency and exquisite ingredients elevated this neighborhood panederia staple to another level.

Raisin Bread

Generous amount of raisins with strong cinnamon flavors

Cheese Hopia

One of the Panederia's bestsellers, the hopia is made from pure parmesan cheese. I especially loved the combination of sweet hard crust mixed with delicate salty cheese. So addicting to eat.

As you might have noticed, I failed to have a healthy meal at Sonya's Garden because I went crazy with the  breads at the Panederia. 

Admittedly, I did enjoy the Panederia more than the set menu offering but I would still recommend the restaurant because one hasn't truly experienced Tagaytay without having a meal at Sonya's Garden . 

Consider it as a rite of passage to Tagaytay.

Sonya's Garden is located at Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines. For more information, click here. 

Reunited with Antonio's

I was back at Antonio’s with my family.

We dined at the upper floor and it felt like we were in our own private garden.

Once we were comfortable in our seats, complimentary bread was served. 

Onion Rye Bread

Not my favorite as this was hard and had little taste.

Appetizers to start the meal:

Pork Loin (250php)

New appetizer which our waiter recommended. Perfect! This was very light and yummy. Good flavors and textures all around.

Tempura Scallops with Mango Orange Sauce and Lumpfish Caviar (450php)

I have been craving for this. Second time’s not as earth-shattering though as the scallops were smaller and lacked the clean smooth taste I remember it having. Brilliant still and would order this again next time.

Again, a meal in Antonio’s includes soup of the day, house salad, main course, dessert, and choice of coffee or tea.  A kid’s meal, on the other hand, comprises of only soup, main course, and dessert.

Soup of the Day: Turnip Soup with Pancetta

Good clean taste with the pancetta giving the soup the right saltiness. I prefer this one over the mung bean soup.

House Salad

As crispy and fresh as before. I still don’t enjoy my vegetables though.

What I Had:

Herbed Roasted Rack of Lamb with Cardamom Buerre Blanc (1700php)

I could not stop eating this. The lamb had a very clean taste and was very tender. The sauce also complimented the lamb very well. Certainly better than the beef plancha I had before.

What The Rest of the Family Had



Carbonara (550php)

Pelgene Parkus had a kid’s meal of his eternal favorite, carbonara. A restaurant as renowned as Antonio’s will not fail with a simple pasta dish. Pelgene Parkus was extremely pleased.

Striploin Steak (650php)

Having a hard time deciding what to order, Ulrich opted for a kid’s meal of steak. Ulrich has a hearty appetite but left dinner feeling very full because of the very generous portion.  I’m sure the steak tasted yummy too.

Mixed Seafood Thermidor of Scallops, Prawn Mussels, and Sea Bass (1450php)

Barney was underwhelmed by how tiny this dish was. He said that it was good though.

Gratinated Grilled Beef Fillet Gratin with Mild Mushroom Sauce on Mashed Potato (1800php)

Murtle, who usually asks for my help polishing her plate, had no problems with this order. Truly a testament to how good this was.

Grilled Chilean Seabass topped with Shiitake Fish Belly Farce on Mashed Potato (1650php)

Nina wanted something healthy and opted for a fish dish. It was perfectly cooked and well seasoned.

Unlike last time, I was able to take pictures of dessert!

Dark Chocolate Souffle w/Cardamom Crème Anglaise

Felchin Maracaibo Chocolate Terrine w/Double Cream & Roasted Pistachio

Poached Pear in Port Wine w/ Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Lamington w/ Extra Virgin Coconut Ice Cream



Watermelon and Calamansi Sorbet



After the memorable dinner at Antonio's with my family, there's no question in my mind that Antonio's is truly the best restaurant in the Philippines.

Until next time!

Antonio’s is located at Purok 138, Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay City. For more information, do visit http://antoniosrestaurant.ph/.