Lucia Ristorante in Hotel Celeste: The Newest Place to Go To When Craving for Italian Food
When in Manila and can’t get over Italian food, the Lucia Ristorante located at Hotel Celeste is a new destination to satisfy your every Italian craving.
A few weeks ago, Frank and I had dinner here during our short staycation at Hotel Celeste in Makati. It has been a long time since I last did a purely restaurant feature so I’ve decided to do it again to fully describe our whole dining experience. I believe I can safely say that I’m somewhat familiar with Italian cuisine with my work exposure at Santis Delicatessen and its group of fine dining restos. The specials which we tried at Lucia Ristorante wasn’t really alien to us and we found the whole meal as well planned and complimented each other pretty well.
Lucia Ristorante’s savvy chic intimate ambiance
When dining at Lucia Ristorante, here are the dishes which you definitely must try..
For antipasti, try their Mozzarella di Bufala Ai 3 Pomodori
This is definitely a real way to pamper your tastebuds. We’d often indulge in Burrata cheese at work and having this for appetizer was simply fabulous. Nothing beats fresh mozzarella with fresh garden greens sprinkled with Italian vinaigrette. It also included 3 kinds of tomatoes namely, sundried, globe and cherry tomatoes which I equally enjoy and appreciate. Personally though, I also prefer enjoying it with glazed balsamic vinegar for a more heavenly experience!
Over the years, as our taste buds become more educated and exposed, we have learned to realize that the best pizzas are the ones with the lesser toppings! hihihihi Their Pizza Napoletana was something which wasn’t too overpowering. It had the right crispy crust, delicately flavored with herbs, spices with the trio of tomatoes, cheese and basil. It sure complimented our pasta well!
The Spaghetti “Lucia” at Lucia Ristorante offers a medley of fresh seafood such as clams, mussels, squid and giant prawns. Contrary to what is popularly known, Italian food isn’t just about meats and cheeses. Italy is also known in having an abundance of seafood and Italian cuisine has countless seafood dishes awaiting to be discovered by Filipino eaters. We strongly suggest you retire from the usual bolognese and alfredo and try out other Italian delights such as carpaccios, a variety of insalatas and even osso buco for a change.
For our sweet ending, they recommended their creamy Pannacotta del Piemonte. Pannacotta may be my least favorite Italian dessert but I still gave it a try. As promised by the staff, it was indeed creamy and I definitely saw the fresh vanilla beans. Though it honestly did not make me into a pannacotta lover, it was indeed one of the ones worth remembering. Next time, I’d like to try their Tiramisu as well.
The Cucumber Lemonade at Lucia Ristorante tasted very refreshing however, we think it didn’t pair well with the whole meal. I believe this nice tropical beverage would be fitting for a light snack or dessert and while spending a leisurely casual afternoon with your friends. We also think that making this beverage into a smoothie would be better so we can also sip and consume all the cucumbers with ease.
Their Cafe Latte tasted really nice though and made us feel very relaxed after eating….
All in all, our Lucia Ristorante experience was another meal which ignited so many food insights and memories. The only thing lacking was the white wine. That night, we realized how wine was so vital in every Italian meal. I’m sure it would have elevated the entire experience into new heights. Next time, we will never forget to order a glass or two of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc depending on what we order. It would also be a privilege to meet the Chef next time. =)
I’m sure there are still a lot of great dishes to discover in their menu and we can’t wait to try out their other specials!
02 San Lorenzo Drive Corner A. Arnaiz Avenue, San Lorenzo Village, 1200 Makati
operating hours: Mon – Sun: 11:00 – 23:00
contact #: (02) 836 0023
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