It's a Sundate: Breakfast at Antonio's

So, we spent our Sunday morning at Breakfast at Antonio's along Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway, about 4km away from Taal Vista Hotel Tagaytay.

It was a cloudy and cold morning perfect for an early road trip. We love going up to Tagaytay early in the morning before it gets too crowded and traffic. We usually head to Bag of Beans for breakfast dates, but we wanted to try out this lovely restaurant, Breakfast at Antonio's.

We ordered Sauteed Corned Beef with rice, Sausage with rice, Classic Pancakes, brewed coffee, and hot chocolate. The price range was about 400 to 500++ pesos per meal except for the drinks priced at 120 to 180 pesos.

View of the entrance and pastry shop

Hot chocolate

Classic Pancakes with pineapple and a slice of banana

Sauteed corned beef

Sausage 

View of Taal

Signage 

The ambiance is great. The place is perfect for families, couples, barkadas, and even business meetings.

The food is filling but its nothing to rave about plus a bit pricey compared to Bag of Beans. Overall budget per person is about 500 to 700 pesos per head.

The staff is warm and polite. Even the limited parking space is organized. It's probably a long drive for those coming from Manila, but for us located near Nuvali area its about 30-45 minutes with less or no traffic.

Overall, I love the experience of dining at Breakfast at Antonio's. I would recommend it to friends who won't mind spending a bit and those who would like an intimate breakfast date. I'll probably be back when celebrating a special occasion.

Tagaytay Road Trip

View of Taal

It was just an ordinary Saturday when we drove to Tagaytay. It has long been planned but Voltaire, being a new driver did not have the guts back then. So, this is a significant achievement for him as he drove to Tagaytay.

Our original itinerary was just Bag of Beans and Taal Vista. So, we took off around 9am and headed on to our first destination to grab our early lunch at Bag of Beans. There were a lot of tourists by that time which was a blessing in disguise as we have to maintain the moderate speed.

It was generally a smooth sailing drive to Bag of Beans. At first, we felt like we were lost but thanks to google that we found it a few meters away from the busy commercial area. Parking to Bag of Beans was quite tricky though because we had to drive down and we thought of the problematic way up considering Voltaire's driving skills.

So, we parked the car and went inside the restaurant. It has changed a lot since the last time I visited the place. They had a buffet area already and a separate area for those ordering ala carte meals. It was cozier because the wooden furniture gave a homey ambiance. We ordered pasta meals and iced tea which were very filling. We also bought some goodies from the bakery. Vo got some raisin bread, and I bought a pack of Robusta ground coffee.

Front door of Bag of Beans

pasta meal from Bag of Beans

After the satisfying meal, we headed off to Taal Vista. It was indeed one of the prime hotels in the area. I couldn't say much about the place except that everything was EXCELLENT. The staff were really warm and accommodating. It has the perfect spot for viewing the beautiful Taal Volcano. The hotel itself was imposing modern and vintage elements altogether. The buffet meal was superb, but we also ordered snacks from TWG restaurant. It was a lovely experience to set foot at Taal Vista. We even spotted an ongoing wedding photoshoot. In the evening, they have an outdoor movie which I highly recommend to families. 

Taal Vista Hotel

clubhouse sandwich from TWG

TWG menu

wedding photoshoot at Taal Vista

View of Skyranch from Taal Vista

Skyranch was just a few meters away from Taal Vista, so we took a short walk to check out the amusement park. I would say there isn't so much. But the huge ferris wheel would definitely give you a good view of Taal.  It was really a place where kids and kid-At-heart would enjoy.

huge ferris wheel at Skyranch

Tomas the Train at Skyranch

horseback riding at Skyranch

If you need a breath of fresh air, Tagaytay is one of the most relaxing places. There are many restaurants and coffee shops that you can hang out either with your friends or families. I am genuinely grateful that we were able to drive back and forth safe and sound...'til our next adventure! 😄

Picnic at Nuvali: A First for 2014

I consider this as my first blog after a long time of not writing blog entries. It's the first day of the year 2014, and I am just so proud to share a new experience. Well, Nuvali is a budding eco-business hub here in the South. For first time visitors, Nuvali can be a really cool place for hanging out, dining, a venue for events and other family activities like PICNIC! But for someone like me who passes by the area every single day, it could just be another ordinary place where I can drop by and do my personal errands.

However, on the 1st day of the new year, I finally experienced sharing a hearty lunch under the shade of the trees along Nuvali. It was a fantastic start of the year matched with the great, breezy weather. So, after hearing the Holy Mass, "somebody" suggested that we drive to Nuvali and go on an impromptu picnic. We drove to the nearest Jollibee branch and bought chicken meals. Mr. Somebody had fruit salad and fruits from their house, but it will not be enough for two starving creatures (it seemed that he had it in mind already). So, we drove off and found a spot where we can eat and lie down lazily.

View of Nuvali

I was expecting that Nuvali will be full of visitors as it is always the situation especially during holidays and weekends. Indeed, the place was flocked with families carrying loads of food. Some even had tents for the kids! I wish we could be as prepared as them since we only had taken out food from Jollibee. Hehehe :)

Nevertheless, it was a fun, relaxing, carefree experience. A good kickoff for the year 2014.

Happy New Year!

Food Tripping in Tagaytay City

We went on a road trip to Tagaytay one weekend. A road trip which turned out to be a food trip as well. Years back we visited Gourmet Restaurant in KM 52 Aguinaldo Highway Tagaytay City. It has an old-vintage feel with a grand piano on the center of the restaurant. After 3 years, we visited the place and it has transformed into a whole niew modern Greek-inspired restaurant. I must say that I miss the old restaurant which has the "homey" and warm atmosphere as compared to what it is now which is like a one big reception hall.

Well, just to share some photos of the food we ate:

menu

fish and chips

i forgot the exact name of this dish but it was chicken with olive oil and herbs

 After lunch, we proceeded to Cliffhouse in Tagaytay and splurge on a variety of crepes for dessert at Cafe Breton.

I wonder where will be our next food trip this holiday season. Happy Food Tripping everyone! :)