Food Trip: Caffe Pascucci - First Visit

I've been noticing this new cafe called Caffe Pascucci at the new Glorietta wing for a while. It looks pretty chic from the outside and is located at a somewhat secluded spot along Hotel Drive. My friends and I considered going there some weeks back, but somehow we ended up somewhere else. I finally had the chance to try it out when I met up with my friend Irish last week.

Red and black

THE VIBE

We were looking for a quiet place for an afternoon of catch-up talk, so when we saw the place looking really peaceful in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Makati on a weekday, we went in immediately. It gives off a very Euro, very polished vibe with its black and red interiors, but it also has a homey, coffeehouse feel to it because of the menu shown in a pretty font on the walls, as well as the cozy lighting. It's an Italian international coffeehouse chain, that's why.

 Treats on the counter

The first floor

The place only had a few tables on the first floor so we went up to the second floor, where there was more space. They had really cute tables and chairs but we felt they were a tad too tiny. We wondered how some larger people would fit in them because we barely could, heh. Once we managed to squeeze ourselves into the chairs however, we found them too be really comfy and cozy. Fortunately, there were a few booths too for larger groups and those who don't want to have to squeeze into the adorable but minute chairs. 

Tiny but cool

Bigger booths

We loved the colorful graffiti walls. It was a little strange though seeing the names of Latin American countries when it was supposedly an Italian cafe, but it added a certain cheer to the place. It was chic all right, but it was also a little hippie, a little Bohemian.

 World coffee?

Who doesn't want that, right?

THE FOOD

We ordered cakes and coffee of course. Irish got the Caffe Gianduio, which was nutty and chocolatey and seemed like a chocolate mousse dessert instead of a drink. She liked it. She also ordered the Arancione Cheesecake, which was delicate, orange-flavored, and was the perfect cake to go with her chocolate-y coffee. We both loved it because it was light and airy.  

Caffe Gianduio

Arancione Cheesecake

I had the Paspuccio, a cappuccino with chocolate and caramel syrup. It was like a chocolate-y caramel macchiato, which was the drink for me because I'm all for anything chocolate and caramel. I made the mistake of ordering a chocolate-y cake though because it was just too much chocolate. I got the Dark Belgian Chocolate cake, which wasn't too exciting. We couldn't decide if it was too rich or too bland.

 Paspuccio

Dark Belgian Chocolate

The presentation was fantastic. The food and drinks were gorgeous. My coffee looked like it had a spiderweb on it. Irish's cheesecake looked fun and bright with yellow and red sauce dots on the plate. Even the little logo circles on the cakes were edible. We felt like we were at an artsy, fancy place.

Pretty and fun

THE SERVICE

We had no complaints about the service. When we came in the baristas walked us through their menu. They pointed out their specialties and were patient when we asked questions. A lot of the items on the menu were in Italian, so there were times when they had to explain things to us. 

  Smiling girls

MY THOUGHTS

Caffe Pascucci is the place to go when you want to avoid the crowds. It's nice, quiet, and pretty intimate -- perfect for long conversations. My friend even said she really liked how chill it felt there.

The food and coffee were pretty good. Not "wow" good, but good enough. The cheesecake for example, was definitely to die for, and I like that my spiderweb coffee was yummy and its flavor was something new to me. I would say this cafe serves typical coffee shop fare, but what separates them from other coffee places is that their cakes and coffee are beautifully presented. The place just oozes chic. I'm planning on going back there to try their sandwiches and cold drinks next time.

p.s. About the prices -- the hot coffee's in the P125-135 range, which is pretty normal. The cakes are priced at P195 each, but heed my advice and share it with a friend. We couldn't finish our orders as they were rich and hefty. [Thanks for asking about this, Ryan!]

Caffe Pascucci can be found along Hotel Drive at Ayala Center. It's in Glorietta 2, but the entrance is outside.

Have you tried Cafe Pascucci? What do you think of this new coffee place?