Il Padrino Caffe Ristorante - Porta Vaga — Restaurant in Baguio

I'm from Baguio, but working in Manila for 3 years now makes me feel like a tourist everytime I get back home because of how Baguio has been continuously evolving through the years. So, when a friend suggested that we meet at Il Padrino Cafe, one of the recent cafes to take up residence in Baguio's famous Session Road, I eagerly agreed. I have visited the cafe once before, probably a year ago, and except for a photo of what I ate, I barely remember anything about the place.

The cafe's menu is quite extensive; they offer caffeinated and non-caffeinated hot and cold drinks, pastries which are beautifully displayed at the counter, and a number of rice and pasta dishes. It was a cold January afternoon when we went so we decided to go for hot drinks and pastries. They were good.

But more than the quality of the food, and the cozy ambiance, what I really liked about the place was the service. It was exceptional; the crew were all smiles and they seem very eager to assist. I was so impressed to the point where it made me want to be a part of their team too.

That's an experience I want...

Located along Session Road, I tried their breakfast meal priced at PHP 190 with service charges, which included fried rice, egg, bangus and brewed coffee.

Rating the place first 5/5 for ambiance, it’s cozy and inviting. Service also gets a 5/5 for being attentive and friendly. However, I hope they can improve their breakfast. The fried rice didn’t have much flavor, and the egg was dry not cooked the way I expected. The bangus was fine, nothing special. Minus points as well for plating; it was a bit messy, so I had to fix it myself just to make it look nice for a picture.

Fun fact: this was actually the breakfast I was eating when my dental filling broke. So my breakfast cost PHP 190… and my dentist visit later that day cost PHP 1,800 😅. On the bright side, their coffee was delicious. Maybe their other menu items are better. it might just be the fried rice and egg that...

Terrible customer service. Wouldn't recommend.

We were still dining at past 6pm when the waitress already handed the bill to us even without asking for it. (Note that their closing time is 10pm and that our table doesn't have a "reserved" sign) At 7pm, she advised us that a group would be using the section where our table is located for a meeting by 7:30pm. We were finishing up our food when the expected group of middle aged adults and elderly arrived and seated at the long table next to us --- to which they all fit. We were just dumbfounded with the multiple times the staff would make us feel that we have to leave the place when there were still other vacant tables. Also, they weren't that attentive to us when we asked for additional orders. It seemed like they were rushing to leave our table without waiting for my friend to...