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7 date places for Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is as good time as any to get out and sample Metro Manila's date places — be it for the casual coffee date in the afternoon, an after-hours cocktail session for a blooming office romance, or the all-out commitment levels.
RELATED: Valentine’s Day: Celebrate the day of love at any budget
Below, we recommend seven:
1. For the early birds and their morning-afters: Flossom Kitchen + Café
Flossom Kitchen + Cafe's plant and flower walls will definitely get your girl gushing. Tucked inside a quiet side of San Juan, Flossom Kitchen + Café seats a few at a time inside. Pair that with massive serving size, and it makes for a truly intimate breakfast. We say, it's a great way to kick off Valentine’s Day.
The Ultimate English Breakfast is good for two very hungry people. But if you feel like ordering smaller plates and then sharing those, there is a lot of choose from: eggs, Avocado toast, a Flossom Breakfast, which is a choice of mostly Filipino favorites with rice or bread, and more. Flossom Place, 187 N. Averilla Street, Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Greater San Juan, San Juan City. 8am-10pm Sunday - Thursday, 11pm Friday. Price range: P280 to P750 for breakfast
2. For First (Date) Timers: The Test Kitchen
On the menu since day one. Chilean seabass, fennel and smoked dashi For reservations +639772885751
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Trying new things together is all part of the “getting to know you” stage of every possible couple. What better way to bond than by trying out new food together? The Test Kitchen is all about that — inventive flavors and new ways of serving dishes.
The two-storey restaurant is best enjoyed at night, when the lights are down, and you can get a table for two downstairs, and watch the chefs in action. While the main courses are on the expensive side (as what you would expect from a place that serves Wagyu and sea bass), their appetizers and wine are fairly affordable. A first date in this place will definitely be one for the books — or give you something to talk about. The Test Kitchen. G/F One Rockwell, Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City 11am - 3pm, 6pm – 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Price range: P120 – P5,800
3. For the Lunch Rush: Aruga Cafe by Mesclun
Here’s a secret – having a lunch date may not sound all that romantic, but it has its perks. One, it has a time limit. Unlike a dinner date, it can’t drag out til the next day. Two, you can think objectively about your date — aka, without too much wine or spirits (to alter your judgement.
If you want to avoid the crowds, Aruga Café by Mesclun is an intimate space, with a lot of quaint tables and quiet corners to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Lunch options are abundant in this caterer-run resto, and you’re sure to find what you want, from their famed sisig spaghetti, to tenderloin steak. They have a great selection of pastas, pizzas, and sandwiches, too. G/F Aruga by Rockwell, Waterfron Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati. 6am - 10pm daily. Price range: P195-995
4. For a casual coffee date: Verse Café 3:16
#VerseCafe316 #TomoCafePh #VerseCafe @versecafe316 @tomocafeph
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Verse Café 3:16 is a roomy yet cozy restaurant that has an extensive coffee list; their cold brew will keep you awake for days.
Expect big servings, good enough for two, Here’s what to pluck out from their all day breakfast menu – Big breakfast plate, or their chicken sisig. If by any chance you extend your coffee date to lunch, their beef and mushroom risotto or loco moco—a grilled US beef burger served with rice among other things—are amazing! Top your meal off with a long list of desserts; the matcha crème brulee cake and dark chocolate mille crepe are must tries. 108 P. Burgos St., Brgy Addition Hills, San Juan City. 7am-12am. Price range: P125-P485
5. For the super cosmopolitan couple among us: Dr. Wine
The Doctor that you would like to see... #drwinemanila
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Now this is the kind of doctor that no one would be scared to visit! Dr. Wine has three floors to choose from, from the bar, the third floor for events, and the Kartel Rooftop Bar. They have a very good and varied selection of wines, as expected, for every price range and for every taste.
They also offer other spirits, like cocktails, and whiskey. If you’re feeling hungry, you can choose from their cheeses, charcuterie boards, and even main courses. If you come in right after work, they have happy hour from 5 to 7 pm, with all the house wine you can drink! G/F 5921 Algier St., Brgy. Poblacion, Makati. 5pm-2am Tuesdays - Sundays. Price range: P190 and up
6. For the cool and super romantic: La Cathedral Café
Thanks for these photos ?? ???? @thelostboysph
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A coffeeshop that embraces where it’s at—La Cathedral Café is all that and more. While the café has a ground floor that’s open bright and early for the breakfast crowd, it’s the roof deck that gets the most attention.
No other café in this side of Metro Manila can boast of a glittering view of Manila Cathedral. It's the standard fare of pasta, Filipino dishes, sandwiches, cakes and pastries but that's fine. You c ome here for the view, and for the “hole in the wall” feels of it all.
The twinkling string lights, dinner for two, al fresco while underneath a spattering of stars, with one of the most famous churches in the Philippines as backdrop – it can’t get any more romantic than that. 398 Greenfield Building, Beaterio corner Cabildo streets, Intramuros, Manila. 8am - 11pm daily (ground floor), 4pm – 11pm daily (roof deck). Price range: P150 – P240
7. For the all-out romantic date: Mon's Restaurant
Under twinkling fairy lights, floral garlands, a gauzy canopy and a table and cushions on the grass, that’s definitely going to be a date to remember. And since you came all the way there for it, let us tell you that the food is also worth the drive. Filipino food is made better since they get their ingredients from their own organic farm.
Mon actually stands for “Meant for Organic and Natural,” and they truly take it seriously. And with their own catering service, you can only imagine the inventive things they come up with, such as one of their original dishes, the adobong manok sa Tablea, and the sinigang Trio. Camp Benjamin, Alfonso-Maragondon Road, Brgy. Taywanak Ilaya, Alfonso, Cavite. 7am-10pm. Price range: P1,500 and up
Whichever place you would choose to bring your date to, no matter what you order or what you spend, what matters in the end is you enjoyed each other’s company, got to know one another, and had a great Valentine’s! — LA, GMA News
