It was the birthday of my dear friend, Tely, when I first ate at Galileo Enoteca and Deli, and boy, oh boy, was it an extremely great experience! It opened several years back but this was the only time I knew about it. What a shame! Hehe! I never knew that such Italian restaurant actually exists here in Manila. Well, not that I’m discriminating the Italian restaurants here. In fact, there are a number of Italian restaurants that my family and I love, but Galileo Enoteca is just exceptional. Why? Read on…
On the way to Galileo Enoteca, I couldn’t stop wondering how my friend knew about this restaurant. The directions is just overwhelming! There were just too many turn rights! Hehe! Tely has been longing to try out this restaurant and since it was her birthday, she finally had a reason to make a visit. When we finally got to the place around half past eight, it was very surprising to see a lot of cars parked outside. You wouldn’t even believe that such restaurant can actually hit it off in the vicinity. No, really! We went to their Mandaluyong branch and the restaurant was still full at that time. It was only then I knew that you could hardly be accommodated if you do not have any reservations. Good thing, Tely called up the restaurant early on for reservations.
When I went inside, the more I got surprised with what I saw! You can’t imagine how amazed I was to see that there is an Italian restaurant that beautiful. Okay, for those who haven’t been there, you might expect too much. It’s actually a small restaurant, but it’s the architecture and the interior I’m really surprised with. I suddenly remembered one of the dinners my family and I had in Italy. Seriously, it is very, very similar- the gorgeous paintings on the wall, the wooden seats, the dining area that seemed to be divided into rooms, the bricked walls, the winery all over. Oh my gawd! Deschavu it is! I honestly felt I was in Europe already! No exaggeration but it’s really similar to that restaurant in Italy we ate. Sorry, but I just can’t forget about it!
Well, I thought my fascination stops there and then. We ordered their cheese platter, meat platter, parmigiana and their oil and garlic pasta (which I don’t know the name… hehehe), and of course, 2 bottles of sparkling wine to complete the meal. While waiting for our orders, the bread arrived with two kinds of sauce, tomato and pesto. I honestly hate pesto. I never liked food with any herbs. But I guess I get to eat foods with herbs just as long I have no idea the food has herbs. Hehehe! Anyway, this pesto sauce is different! For some reason, I got curious and I tried the pesto sauce with the bread. Oh my, believe it or not, I loved it! I really, really L-O-V-E-D it! This is the first time in my life I appreciated pesto! Hehe!
Then our orders started coming. We first tried on their cheese and cold cuts platter. Every kind of cheese and meat are very tasty! Waaaah! Heaven!!! Hehe! Half way through, our pastas were served. Geesh! One order is good for 4 to 5 persons already. Of course, this depends if you are a big eater or not, but both pastas are so rich that you can’t eat that much. Surprising but you will certainly feel full right away! Oh, and I need to commend their sparkling wine. I love sweet wine, which is why I super love ice wine. For me, Ice Wine is the best of all wines. The down side, it’s very expensive. But this sparkling wine I tasted here in Galileo can somehow match the Ice Wine that I soooo love. Though, it may not be exactly taste the same, it can be a good substitute since I don’t know any winery here in the Philippines that sells Ice Wine. Well, that’s expected since Galileo Enoteca and Deli distributes the best tasting wines produced in Italy.
As for the price, the first time you look at the menu it may look expensive. But hey, is there a cheap Italian restaurant? Besides, we are talking about authentic Italian food and ambiance here. This is the reason why famous personalities, foreign dignitaries, businessmen, socialites, politicians, and yuppies choose to dine here.
Whew! Now, I’m feeling hungry! I will definitely go back here with my family. If you love Italian food and if you wanna feel like you’re dining in Italy, the real thing is here in Galileo! When they say they are authentic, I believe they really are an authentic Italian restaurant that is located at the heart of Manila. Italy is not that far after all!
If you want to try Galileo Enoteca, you can go to any of their two branches- one in Chino Roces, Makati and the other in Mandaluyong (where we went) Take note that reservation is a must, or else, you might not be accommodated. They are also close on Sundays. For more information, you can call the numbers below.
Ground Floor, Reyes Gym
Calbayog corner Malinao Streets
Mandaluyong City Philippines
Tel. No.: 532-0482
Ground Floor, La Fuerza Plaza
2241 Don Chino Roces Street
Makati City Philippines
Tel. No.: 817-9118
Mobile: 0917-8470061
