Cafe Publico

I made another resto discovery last week: Cafe Publico, which opened in Promenade, Greenhills just over the holidays.  When I saw the interiors of the restaurant, I was instantly taken in. It seems to be inspired by public squares in Italy (which I simply love), complete with a mini lionhead fountain and a sky-painted ceiling, bringing the look of the outside in.

 

Before ordering, I got to chat with Peter, the guy who seems to be in charge of the place.  I told him I liked the charming ambiance of the restaurant, which was not so usual with the commercialized ones in the vicinity.  He told me that they envisioned Cafe Publico as as a place for hanging out, and most of their customers are the after-dinner crowd. In fact, there's a big rectangular table in the center with board games, which entice diners to stay awhile and chill.

Their menu was only those posted on boards on the walls (nothing printed yet since they're still somewhat on soft opening) and I noticed that indeed, most of them are made up of light food and snacks (pasta, open-faced sandwiches) and paired with wine and coffee concoctions. 

 

We ordered the bestsellers recommended by Peter: arroz con pollo (P325) and spicy tuna spaghetti (P280). We also got to try the pesto spaghetti (P280).

My favorite was the spicy tuna spaghetti---the sauce was light and not too oily but I still got the kick from the spicy flavor that I wanted.

They also have a good selection of cakes and pastries for desserts. We had the molten lava chocolate cake, which was simply so good.

A visit to Cafe Publico will not be complete without trying their specialty gelato, which they make on their own. Try their white chocolate coconut---you won't regret it!  Their gelato flavors are very concentrated, and you'd really get the feeling that you're eating real gelato, and not just any old ice cream(P105 for small, P160 for medium and P210 for large).

I'd love to go back to Cafe Publico and spend a lazy afternoon in their charming interiors and try out their opened faced sandwiches and other gelato flavors. Oh, maybe wine with pasta too. Cheers!

 

Cafe Publico is located at the 2nd Floor of Greenhills Promenade Mall
Greenhills, San Juan
Tel. No. (632) 919-0519
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight