Grissini Ristorante, Marikina City

There are a lot of restaurants and food parks in Marikina City but if you are craving for good Italian food, there is Grissini Ristorante along Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue that you might want to consider. Grissini offers delicious Italian cuisines with price tags that are not meant to burn a hole in one's pocket.

Breads are freshly made and baked everyday. So are the pizza dough which are hand-rolled on the spot once an order has been made. Fresh pasta noodles have spot on their menu alongside other Italian dishes. Garnishes, herbs, and some spices came fresh from their garden.

From where I am there aren't many Italian Restaurants. So, a trip to nearby Marikina City is always a good idea when hankering for Italian food made with care.

There are numbers of things to love about Grissini Ristorante in Marikina and one of them is the ambiance. It features a very cozy interior with beautiful natural light coming in. The place is spacious which makes it a perfect venue for gatherings and celebration of special occasions. 

During our visit, there were handful of diners considering it was a weekday, an hour early for lunch time. It only goes to show how Grissini is well-loved by people. And rightfully so since based on my experience, I find the service very efficient and thoughtful. Add to that the quality of food as well as the reasonable price, Grissini is deserving of the love it is getting from its diners.

First on our table during this particular visit was a complimentary serving of Foccacia bread and Grissini coupled with olive oil and balsamic combination. A classic Italian prelude to the upcoming feast. Good enough to whet the appetite and to prepare the palate for the melange of flavors to come.

For antipasti or appetizer, we had the Bruschetta Al Tartufo (Php190) which is basically a set of grilled bread topped with sauteed fresh mushroom, truffle paste, and parmesan cheese. I love mushroom and I am crazy about truffle hence, despite the simplicity of this dish, it just hooked me in until I almot finish everything.

The Insalata Dello Chef (Php240) was highly recommended and I can understand why. The generous serving of mixed greens fresh fruits, and roasted nuts creates a beautiful combination in terms of texture and flavor. The raspberry vinaigrette lends a delightful sweetness and tanginess to the mix making it a satisfyingly delicious salad one should not miss when dining at Grissini.

I personally love cream-based pasta with mushroom so, upon seeing the Farfalle Tartufo (Php280) on the menu, I know I got to have it. This pasta dish is essentially bow-tie pasta with mushroom in truffle cream sauce. The flavor wasn't as assertive as I want it to be, perhaps the cream overpowers the flavor of mushroom and truffle essence. Nonetheless it was a delightful addition to our feast.

The Spaghetti Maremonte (Php248) on the other hand was one of the best seafood pasta I have had recently. The combination of mixed seafood, chili flakes, and pomodoro sauce was just perfect. The spice level gave a kick in flavor without overwhelming the palate. 

The Lasagna Al Ragu (Php265) was equally delightful of a pasta dish I really enjoyed. It is baked lasagna pasta layered with meat and bechamel sauce topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. It was the very first pasta dish I asked our kindly food attendant to include in my order selection and I am glad I did.

For the pizza we had the Capriciosa (Php270/10inch, Php370/14inch). This thin crust pizza tagged as one of those highly recommended pizza selection boasts of generous toppings comprised of Italian sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, bacon, bell pepper, onions, anchovies, capers, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. If you love meat, I highly suggest that you go for this pizza.

While I find the previous pizza impressive enough, the one that stile my heart was the Patate E Pancetta Pizza (Php260/10inch, Php360/14inch). It is basically thin crust pizza topped with bacon, onions, cream, mozzarella, and homemade potato chips which makes it all the more delicious. 

The Ossobuco Milanese (Php390) reminds me of the Ossobucco I enjoyed in Boracay. It is one of my favorite beef dish and I am glad that Grissini gives justie to the way they serve their version of ossobuco complete with equally delicious risotto Milanese, vegetables, and gremolata.

Another satisfying dish we had was the Porchetta Con Patate (Php260), a roast pork loin dish stuffed with basil and served with herbd gravy and marble potatoes. The pork was tender and the flavor was light that the addition of gravy came handy resulting to a delicious dish most of us in our group loves.

I love salmon and Grissini's Salmone Rosa (Php395) did not disappoint. I love that the grilled pink salmon in lemon caper sauce comes with aglio e olio pasta making it a complete meal. Light yet satisfyingly filling. 

One of Grissini's strongest suite is their baked creations. For dessert, we had two equally impressive cakes; Tiramisu (Php180) and Blueberry Cheesecake (Php155). Between the two, I am all for the cheesecake but that is a biased opinion because I have always been crazy about cheesecake. 

Aside from delicious Italian food and baked goodies, Grissini also offers coffee shop drink selection. I tried their Chocolate Smoothies (Php100) as well as their Mango Smoothies (Php110) and find both are downright satisfying. I love the chocolate smoothies more simply because just like the cheesecake, I am always partial to chocolate when it comes to drinks. 

All in all, our experience at Grissini Ristorante was really good. I really love how clean and spacious the restaurant is. It just gives out that really good aura so I don't mind staying there for hours and hours while feasting on their good food. The food selections are impressive, even more so the reasonable prices. 

So if you find yourself in the area or if you are in search for good Italian restaurant with affordable price tags, I recommend Grissini Ristorante. 

Grissini Ristorante
L3 B4 Mayor Gil Fernando Ave.,
Sto. Nino, Marikina City
Contact No.: (02) 275-8578
Email: grissiniristorantemnl@gmail.com
Facebook: @GrissiniRistaranteMNL
Instagram: @grissiniristorante