La Cathedral Cafe — Restaurant in Manila

Go here if you want the aesthetic of the place

What we've ordered: Bistek Tagalog, Chili Garlic Prawn, Strawberry Shortcake and coke for drink. Would want to try some of their blended drinks but it was too hot (they only do Al fresco) For the food, price is fair enough, a bit pricey but good enough.

What I didn't like is their service or rather their non existent service. We came after lunch of March 25, 2023 and there's actually not so many people so I expected the service to be alright. There are many staff but no one is hands on, I don't think there's even assigned table for each server. Even though there seems to be sufficient number of server, getting their attention seems to be a bit hard.

Here are some of the scenarios I've experienced~

First, my glass accidentally fell on the table which of course completely my fault. No one even bothered to help us do the cleaning or even offered a tissue. This would be alright to me if not for the next scenes. For the 2nd one, the server accidentally bump into my umbrella which was on the chair. His reaction was so slow and he didn't even apologized. It's almost as if he wants me to be the one to get the thing he dropped. And for context, the chair my umbrella was in isn't so in the way for it to be actually an inconvenience and the server is not holding anything heavy, hence my confusion on why he's hesitant to get the thing he dropped. Other scenes I'm gonna just explain loosely -cook ringing the bell many times just to get the attention of any server, once again the cafe is not on full house -I hear the servers talking having dilemma on table numbering (very unprofessional) -There were many times servers were just waiting there on the side looking bored but cannot be bothered helping guests on small things. -We're asked if we're the ones who ordered the strawberry shortcake when they should have keep in tab our table number (this one seems really petty but after all those scenes I've said before, this just seems to be a product of incompetent and poor service/training) -We ordered canned drinks and not served with glass on the side (bruh shouldn't this be a common thing) -btw, even giving the cafe menu seems like a hassle to them lol, you get your own menu from the nearby table because it's not in the table you're seated in. When there came another guests who needs the menu, they will get the menu on your table without even excusing themselves .

I will surely not recommend this cafe to anyone lol. Was considering to give 2 stars but after recalling the events happened, 2 stars is a bit too generous.

Don't be a server if you don't want to serve! Food experience will definitely be affected by your behavior towards the guests.

TLDR. Food is alright Place is nice for picture taking Service is so poor, it'll piss you off

PS. they charge 8% for their...

We came to La Cathedral Café on a quiet Monday, well within opening hours. The place was practically empty — just us and one other table. With more than enough staff on the floor, you’d expect the service to be attentive, if not excellent. But that wasn’t the case at all.

Despite the light crowd, the service was frustratingly slow and indifferent. The servers seemed disengaged, uninterested, and inattentive. They didn’t accommodate our requests, missed basic details, and moved with no sense of urgency. You’d think with all that free time, they’d be a little more on top of things — but instead, it felt like we were being ignored.

The food? Disappointing. It was just meh — nothing memorable, certainly not worth the price. The menu is priced like Mary Grace, but without the flavor, quality, or service to match. It honestly feels like you’re paying for the fact that it’s near the cathedral — and nothing else. Also, there’s no service water — you have to pay for bottled water.

Then there’s the bill-out process, which was a test of patience. Even with only five tables and around six servers, it took so long. I noticed the table behind us had already asked for their bill — so after about ten minutes, I decided to request ours early, expecting delays. And sure enough, despite already being done eating and just sipping water, we still had to follow up. In the end, we got our bill before the other table who had asked earlier. That’s how disorganized it was.

To top it all off, there were small, persistent insects flying around our food. It was uncomfortable and unhygienic. You’d think the café would at least light candles or take basic precautions to keep them away, but there was nothing — and that really ruined the dining experience.

Now, I’ll be fair — the ambience is the only redeeming quality here. The setting is beautiful, charming, and Instagram-worthy. So if you’re just coming for the vibes and cute photos, go ahead — order a drink, snap some pictures, bill out early, and leave.

But if you’re actually thinking of dining? Don’t bother. Between the overpriced food, the subpar service, and the insect problem, there are definitely better places nearby that offer both quality and value. If you’re looking for great coffee, beautiful ambience, and much better service, you’re better off at Belfry Café.

TL;DR: La Cathedral Café has great ambience, good for photos — but that’s where the positives end. The food is overpriced and mediocre, the service is slow and inattentive, and there are insects flying around the food. No service water, disorganized billing, and a service charge that’s not even earned. Just grab a drink, take your pics, and leave. For a better experience, go to Belfry...

Came for the view, blown away by the coffee

While searching for a place to have breakfast before visiting Fort San Pedro, Le Cathedral Cafe was one of the options we were considering however I assumed it would be pretty hot out since it's set on an open and elevated area from what I saw online. They were one of the cafes that were already open (at an early time) when we got to Intramuros so we gave it a try.

Getting there was a bit tricky for me as you had to go through several establishments until you make it to the third floor. For a moment I doubted we were in the right place but you cant miss it as there was a huge sign on the street to indicate where the cafe was located. Tip: Just follow the trail of artificial flowers and it will lead you to it. After what seemed like endless flights of stairs, we made it to the top and what immediately beckons you is a spectacular view of Manila Cathedral. When we got there, my eyes were just glued to the scenic view of the cathedrals' teal copper roof.

The area was quite big and can surely accommodate a lot when full. While most tables were under the open, there were several tables under shaded areas and and surprisingly they had outdoor fans available (thank God!). The wait staff (he was all alone that time) immediately guided us to the most comfortable table with a good view of the cathedral. Menu can be viewed online and only had breakfast meals for breakfast so no pasta. They also had some pastries available but we opted not to fill ourselves too much. We had Daing na Bangus, Beef Tapa, White Chocolate Mocha and Red Velvet (Holy size...yes their biggest size is named Holy). Wait time was enough for us to take some snaps of the view and of ourselves with the awesome view. Our orders came and the servings were a bit bigger than what I expected. The Bangus was good, not as spectacular, the Beef Tapa was on the sweet side but the vinegar sauce made both better for me. I must say I wasn't expecting much about their coffee as I was under rhe impression that tgis is just another novelty cafe where their selling point is something else and not the coffe but I was completely wrong. I really liked their White Chocolate Mocha. It had a different kind of sweetness to it and the coffee was still very present, and evident. I wish I could have had more of it and more time to spend here.

Overall, it was a great experience. Service was great even though there was only one wait staff around. The views were great and the White Chocolate Mocha was...