Aria Restaurant — Restaurant in Malay

Title: Disappointing Dining at a Seaside Spot

My expectations for a lovely dining experience by the sea were dashed during my recent visit to a well-reviewed Italian restaurant. The online booking process was smooth, and the welcome from the hostess was warm, which added a touch of promise as we were escorted to a balcony seat with an enchanting ocean view. However, the delight ended there as we noticed the dirty balcony rail that we had to clean ourselves—a poor start.

Service hiccups continued as we were served calamari before our wine, disrupting the usual dining rhythm. While the calamari was fresh and flavorful, this was one of the few highlights. The Rotolini marchigiani that followed was disappointingly bland and desperately needed seasoning.

The major letdown came with the spaghetti vongole, where the pasta was indeed al dente, but the vongole themselves were underwhelming and improperly prepared, with nine unopened shells indicating they were not fit for consumption. Alerting the staff only resulted in a deferred discussion rather than immediate attention or apology, which dampened the experience further.

My wife’s fettuccine a mare suffered from a similar fate; the pasta was fresh, but the seafood was clearly from a frozen mix, undermining the authenticity and quality of the dish. Additionally, the lack of WiFi in a location where it’s commonly available was another inconvenience, further highlighting the restaurant’s disconnection from customer needs.

While the staff generally maintained a friendly demeanor, one individual in a blue shirt exhibited a disinterested, almost dismissive attitude, which contrasted sharply with the otherwise amiable service. The apparent oversight in not offering us complimentary water, as was provided to other tables, left us feeling neglected.

In summary, aside from the decent wine and calamari, the rest of the meal was forgettable. Given the numerous issues from cleanliness to food quality and service mishaps, I find it hard to recommend this restaurant. Would I return next...

Who would have thought that you could find world class Italian food in the Philippines!!!

I was a fine dining Chef for 30yrs, and I can say without a doubt that this is some of best Italian food I've ever had! Chef Luigi and Chef Salvatore have nailed it! I ate there 3 times in my 2 days in Boracay! Normally, I would never consider it, but every dish I had was impeccable and better than the last! The carpaccio is to die for! The pasta is perfectly al dente. The bread and pizza doughs, as well as the marinara sauce are made fresh daily. While we're talking about pizza, this is not just the only real pizza I've seen in the Philippines (by any American standard, Phillipine pizza is garbage), but top notch by American or European standards.

I tried a pretty good cross-section of the menu and couldn't find fault with anything. Across the board, everything was way above standards or expectations. You really can't go wrong there.

On a personal note, I chatted with Chef Salvatore several times, both casually and professionally. He is not only a warm, friendly, and funny guy, but also a very talented Chef. His menus are well designed, his kitchen staff is well trained, and he pays attention to the details all day long. He's really a class act!

Thanks for making my trip so memorable. I'll be talking about the food for years! (January 2024)

Update: the Chefs have moved on, but left a well trained kitchen behind them that is holding it...

FOOD POISONING

We visited Aria and ordered a pizza, a pasta dish, a glass of wine, and a beer. While the service was acceptable, the pasta arrived lukewarm. We shared the dishes, something we hadn’t done at other restaurants during our trip. A few hours after our visit, both of us became severely ill. Since this was the only restaurant where we ate the same food, it was clear this was the source of our food poisoning.

Unfortunately, this ruined two days of our vacation as we had to seek medical treatment and medication. We reached out to the restaurant via message, but they never responded. When we later went back to request a refund for the meal, the experience became even worse. It took nearly an hour for the manager to tell us they needed copies of our passports and a written account of what happened. We complied and sent the requested documents, only to be told the next day that we wouldn’t receive a refund. Instead, they offered us a free meal at the same restaurant—a baffling suggestion given that we became sick after eating there.

We declined and left with a firm decision: we do not recommend Aria. The food was subpar, overpriced, and evidently unsafe. The service was chaotic, and their handling of a serious issue was both unprofessional and dismissive. Boracay has so many better dining options. We highly recommend Maya, Spicebird, Muchos, or Dini Beach instead. Do yourself a favor...