Il giardino di Luciano — Restaurant in Davao City

Sharing a very honest review of the place although difficult because of the Italian owner’s kindness and eagerness.

We tried the place on a Friday evening.

GETTING THERE:

The place is quite challenging to reach due to traffic during this time and the direct street to it being closed

I used Waze to get there but it’s not that easy to spot their sign as it is together with other signages of HQ Compound.

No problems with parking space, they have a whole empty lot across for this

AMBIENCE:

I can see the outdoor look they were going for but my problem is the place being right next to a fighting gym that also caters to its members outdoors. So imagine trying to relax and dine while hearing gym goers box and grunt and what not. BTW you also need to pass those areas before reaching the dining area of the restaurant.

Some tables are positioned right across the pizza brick oven. So when we initially tried sitting there, all the smoke blew our way while they cooked our pizza. So we transferred.

Their toilet is a shared toilet with all other establishments here. So it is not something you would expect from a Classy Italian Restaurant. It would not have been an issue if the price range was parallel to the ambience.

NO INDOOR DINING AT ALL. You will need to wear something light and be prepared for flies. They have small fan-like things to shoo the flies. These barely do anything.

FOOD:

ARUGULLA PIZZA 4/5

Neapolitan style pizza, ingredients were fresh and pizza was cooked perfectly. Only issue was that the Arugula wasn’t prepared properly. The thicker bitter parts of the stems were all in place

Truffle Pasta 3/5

Legitimately freshly made pasta, which is great. Also perfectly al dente. My problem is how oily it was and the fact that the dish didn’t make the truffle its highlight. Black truffle is paired with other mushrooms and a strong balsamic base that takes away the delicate flavor of the truffle that should be the highlight. Also it is spicy, thus crowding your taste buds too much, for you to enjoy the truffle in all its glory.

Lamb Chops 2/5

Really sad portioning for the price (comparing it to other classy restaurants in Davao that serve the same dish with better ambience), the cook of the lamb was very inconsistent. We asked for medium rare and got areas it was medium rare but other areas it was under or overcooked.

The lamb chops sit on top of very soggy and oily spinach that were quite cold and didn’t have any other flavor other than spice. The flavors pair poorly.

Pistachio Cake 5/5

The dessert was the saving grace. It was perfectly balanced in terms of the flavor and texture.

STAFF:

Italian owner was really nice, kind and eager to please. It was refreshing to see, just sad as to his other staff and partners.

Local owner was very un professional. Calling his staff LOUDLY on the phone right next to us, asking to restock the cheap wine - which by no means is deregatory. Those words came from the mouth of the owner himself which Is why it bothered us. Kept asking us very loudly how the food was and trying to small talk weird topics when we just wanted to enjoy the food.

Staff at the counter didn’t care at all when we wanted to pay the bill. Raised my hand for more than 5 minutes. Only the Italian owner noticed and called the attention of the staff.

OVERALL:

Ambience and the food are not worth the price, we have experienced better dining quality for the same price (specifically the lamb and pasta). At least have a bit of indoor dining and have an exclusive entry. But other things could be overlooked if the food was great. Hoping they can improve as there is...

Before I posted this, I checked the recent reviews that may have something to do with my comments, this is for the readers so they can see the comparison and so they would have a fair assessment.

FYI, the Italian restaurant used to be a separate entity, the owner had to give up his original place.

AMBIANCE and LOCATION

One of the reviewers commented about not having an indoor area...however, the restaurant's name is Il Giardino di Luciano, translated to Luciano's Garden, which is an obvious hint that this will be "al fresco" or an outdoor setting.

Also, they were not going for an outdoor look, the owners just had to work with what they had. It doesn't look like your normal classy restaurant, and from the looks of the other patrons, it doesn't look like they're expecting a fancy resto either.

There are no tables across the brick oven, it's the kitchen. The nearest table is approximately 15 feet away. The few times I've been there the smoke has never gone out of the oven.

About the shared toilet, the place is called HQ Compound. Different entities and establishments. It's just like MTS, with lots of different establishments and shared toilets.

Also, it may be a bit challenging to find it but the first time I was there I used my phone's GPS. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, I believe you have a cellphone with GPS and you'd find the place. However, I like that it's "hard" to find, it guarantees fewer crowds, especially the undesirable ones.

FOOD

A reviewer made a comment about cheap wines, not sure if that was a derogatory remark against the owners/establishments. Yes there are cheap wines, but not bad. Even the classy restaurants here in Davao have cheap wines, not everyone can afford the "expensive" wines. Also, just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it tastes great.

I've eaten all the pizzas that they have, and I keep on coming back. My faves are the Arugula and Prosciutto, Tartufo e' Funghi and 4 cheese. Please be advised, their 4 cheese is made up of 5 cheese!!

I also requested for a pasta that they don't have on the menu, and they did a great job.

THE PEOPLE

It's a mixed crowd, but all have the same thing in mind...to relax and let their hair down. From students to yuppies, a lot of people like it here.

I haven't met the Italian partner, but he used to own THE BEST ITALIAN restaurant here in Davao, and usually, it's the top 1% of Davao that goes there.

The Filipino owner is a young cool guy who knows how to grind. He is still showing his staff the ropes on how things go so there are times that he is hands-on so he can show the staff how to go about their jobs.

MY TAKE

They are not trying to be a classy or fancy restaurant. The entire place is a work in progress, and it has come a long way.

Some complain about the ambiance and price, but I think that complaint is somewhat lame. If they think the price is high, lol...the other fancy Italian restaurants here in Davao cost more or just the same, and they all have the same supplier of imported authentic Italian ingredients.

I like the ambiance, and I...

I like how the compound area makes it feel like a nice casual dining space to eat great food and hang out with good friends. It doesn't feel uptight and i think those who want to dip their toes in this cuisine would feel comfortable here. The outdoor area is also quite open and clean and they have indoor rooms for groups. The food is delicious with wonderful complex flavours and i definitely enjoyed their 7 devil pizza. The wine is great too, it was fruity and it wasn't too alcoholic to drink. It also had a nice rating on the Vivino app ☺️. The owners are also very nice and passionate about their food and it was fun to discuss with them about different types of cheeses and good wine pairings among other stuff. All in all, i would highly recommend this place if you want good italian food without all the fuss of a...