Abaca Baking Company® (Restaurant) - Base Line Center — Restaurant in Cebu City

Regular breakfast buffet review

Finally got to try Abaca's buffet offering and it felt like a dream. Pardon the exageration however, for someone who really enjoys the pastries made by Abaca, having a buffet version of their baked products is a real dream come true for me.

The interiors are unmistakably Abaca showcasing art pieces from featured artists however they toned down on the black dominated interiors of their cafe and went for a more classic and clean white. The wood and metal components gave so much warmth inside.

In terms of their selections they have a fairly good amount of mains, salads and desserts. It looks less expansive than most of the usual buffet spreads of bigger hotels however, since it's Abaca, the highlight are their baked treats. The mains are mostly options they have on their virtual food hall. That time we had Beef Pares, Chicken Curry and the usual Filipino breakfast options. What I really appreciated was that they served ham for their carving station which you rarely find in most breakfast buffets (at least post pandemic). The ham was not sweet and had that lechon taste while the danggit was a bit chewy. The other mains were good. Everything were great as expected with Abaca.

Of course the highlight are the baked options which literally occupied half of their buffet set up. From breads and rolls of various types to danishes (3 types at that time) and croissants (chocolate and regular). They have most of the usual favorites that you find at their smaller stores. They also had a wude selection of dessert. All were absolutely heavenly. You can taste Abacas mastery in baking and creating these pastries and desserts as none of them tasted bland like fillers that only make you feel satiated.

I ended up having more pastries and desserts with my mains portion ending up the size of what you would usually have for desserts. If Abaca's daily breakfast buffet tastes like this, I am surely looking forward to trying their weeked themed...

Thoroughly Disappointed – Abaca Base Line Falls Far Short of Expectations

I’m very familiar with the Abaca brand in Cebu and have always associated it with quality, consistency, and great food. Unfortunately, tonight’s experience at Abaca Base Line was an enormous letdown across the board—food, service, and value.

Upon arrival, I asked about the Patty Melt, only to be told it’s not available for dine-in, but oddly available through online delivery. So I could sit in my car and order it—but not enjoy it at the table? Strange and frustrating policy for a supposed fine dining restaurant.

I instead ordered the Reuben, which turned out to be a lifeless combination of a soft bun, bland sauerkraut, and what seemed like plain salad dressing. No depth, no texture—just sad. One guest at the table ordered the Alfredo pasta, which both of us sampled. We agreed it tasted like something out of a can, simply poured over boiled noodles—uninspired and forgettable. The burger? Overwhelmingly salty, with a strong garlic powder aftertaste that masked everything else.

Worse yet, the service was apathetic at best. No check-ins after the food was dropped off, no offer for drink refills, no sense of hospitality—yet a 285php service charge was conveniently added to the bill without informing us. With each main dish priced at over 650php, I would expect attentive service and quality execution. We received neither.

The final clue should’ve been the empty dining room at 6:30 PM—a clear sign we missed. After this experience, I won’t be returning to this location. Abaca has built a reputation for excellence in Cebu, but Base Line feels more like a gimmicky tourist spot than a refined dining experience. Disappointed doesn’t even begin...

Unprofessional! No manners! Bad Crew!

I stayed in Citadines hotel for 2 nights @16th floor, And My Sister & Brother in-law(Foreigner) @19th floor. I'd like to report what I've experienced when I was about to have free breakfast at the Ground floor(ABACA BAKING COMPANY). So I entered the Restaurant at the Ground Floor Alone @9AM while waiting for my Sister & Brother In-law, and I told the girl crew(SMALL CHUBBY) "table for 3 please". The girl crew replied: Have a seat Sir, offering the single table with two seats. I told her again "There are 3 of us". Then She replied: Sorry Sir we don't have available table for three, you just wait for the vacant tables. Then after a couple of minutes My Sister & Brother in-law(Foreigner) came in. Then my brother in-law told the girl crew "Table for 3" Then all of a sudden The Girl Crew assisted us on the Table for 3. I was shocked because there's a lot of vacant tables good for 3 or more on the latter part of the restaurant. Just wondering why She lied to me and saying there's no available table for three? Just because I'm a "LOCAL" that's why She treated me like that?

Please do something about this incident. Educate your people on how to treat customers with fairness, just & equality regardless of the gender, status and especially the "RACE". I am very disappointed with that Girl Crew. This happened in March 03, 2024 at ABACA BAKING COMPANY BASELINE Cebu...