Tavolino's is one of the newest cafe restaurants that opened recently in Antipolo City. It specializes in good cafe grubs and is poised to be one of the favorite hang out places in the area for both locals and tourists. A brainchild of five friends who loves good food and coffee, Tavolino's can be considered as an off shoot of Corretto Caffe in Quezon City which is owned by one of the owners.
I am running an Antipolo Food Trip Blog Series here at YedyLicious where I feature cafe and restaurants all over Antipolo City here in Rizal hence I was more than happy to be introduced to Tavolino's.
Tucked along Taktak Road, it will probably took me a while to discover this new cafe had I not been invited by one of its owners, Ms. Abby. A gracious host and a charming conversationalist, Ms. Abby spent an afternoon introducing me to a number of good things that Tavolino's has to offer.
The place is decent enough to accommodate group of diners who seek respite from the usual food scene in the area. Neatly decorated with cute decors that do not overwhelm, Tavolino's at a glance has this minimalist ambiance conducive to a relaxing hang out coupled with good food and coffee.
To some who might have a hard time finding the location, the landmarks to remember are LTO Antipolo Branch and Clinica Antipolo Hospital.
Our afternoon feast at Tavolino's started with a serving of Fresh Green Salad (Php80). It was basically a plateful of fresh greens mixed with sliced plump tomatoes and some small chunks of grilled chicken as well as parmesan cheese. Diners have the option to choose from honey mustard and ranch for the salad dressing.
I honestly cannot remember what was the dressing on the salad served to us mainly because I can survive on a salad without dressing. What I remember however was the freshness of the vegetables and the fact that it was such a good deal considering there's some meat thrown in for a good measure despite bearing the minimal price tag.
One of my personal choices on Tavolino's menu happened to be their Big Johns Burger (Php160) which somewhat reminded me the struggle I had in finding a good restaurant in Antipolo that serves good burger two years ago when I moved back here in my hometown. That was of course before I met Sons of Burger, an amazing joint that serves gourmet burger in the heart of Antipolo.
Now, add to that Tavolino's. Although theirs are not gourmet burger that can be compared to S.O.B. but the goodness of homemade burger patty at Tavolino's I deem very impressive. Made me feel thankful that the Big Johns Burger got two patties on it.
We also had the Johns Home Boy BBQ Burger (Php130) which gives out a smokey flavor brought about by the authentic John Cookers BBQ Sauce generously spread on the patty. It also got some good ol' onion rings which makes the grub all the more filling.
As with any burger you can find all over the world, Tavolino's burgers are best enjoyed while hot. But for some weird reason, I also developed a great liking to it even if it is already void of warmness.
The Fish Fillet Sandwich (Php100) was an equally delightful treat. It is the best option for those who are dodging meat consumption and wants to keep calorie intake at bay. The flavor I find impressive but what impressed me the more was the generosity of the size of the fillet.
I almost skipped the Fries (Php60) good thing it was offered otherwise I will be missing out on one of the most perfectly cooked and delicious fries there is. Honestly, it was a good combination with the burgers and can also be eaten on its own and it can still make one happy all on its own.
There are several rice meals on Tavolino's menu but there was an impending diner feast I have to attend to that day so we stick with couple of pasta instead.
First one was the Spaghetti Meatballs (Php180) which is a perfect choice for those who is not fond of seafood. It is simple but as good as a classic can get. What makes this dish special was the homemade meatballs stewed in Tavolino's pomodoro sauce.
As I love and probably cannot survive without seafood, I also opted for Tavolino's Seafood Locinello (Php210) a complete pasta meal that features seafood pasta, pork chop, and some vegetable salad. It can be a good choice for hefty eaters or for those who wants food for sharing.
It has a generous seafood thrown in on it such as shrimps and squids while the tomatoes and olives balances out the flavor. It was very light as it was an oil based pasta, nonetheless it was filling because of the generous serving portion.
Since Tavolino's is primarily a cafe, they do serve different coffee and other drinks. I was able to try their Cafe Latte (Php100) which I find perfect to my liking. I also tried the Mangonilla Freezies (Php135) and the Guyabano Shake (Php135). Both were good that I wouldn't mind having them on my next visits.
As with any cafe, Tavolino's also offered cakes and desserts. I find their White Chocolate Sansrival highly impressive but it was the Mango Crepe (Php150) which stole my heart. It's taste is nothing like any mango cake I have tried before which easily makes it one of the many reasons why I will go back to Tavolino's.
Antipolo City's food scene in my opinion is slowly but surely picking up and getting more exciting with the opening of new restaurants here and there. Tavolino's is one of those which I deem worthy to recommend because not only their food choices are good but the prices are all very reasonable as well.
So if you happen to be in the area or if you by any chance you visit Antipolo, I suggest you give Tavolino's a try. You can hang out there while enjoying their food, they got free Wi-Fi as well.
Tavolino's by Corretto Caffé
Taktak Road (Pinagmisahan St.)
Brgy. Dela Paz, Antipolo City
Contact No.: 634-5816
Website: tavolinosph.com
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @TavolinosPH
