Tartufo Ristorante - Grove — Restaurant in Pasig

This is on my list of really good Italian restaurants around my area. They have tables outside; in case you want al fresco dining. Inside the restaurant is quite cozy; and the ambience is conducive for romantic dates.

Their Zuppa di Pomodoro is one of my favorites on the menu. It is very rich, creamy, and deep in tomato umami. I do not tire of this soup.

The Zuppa di Zucca Arrosto is a soup made from roasted squash. It has a deeper, less sweet flavor than most squash or pumpkin soup I've had.

Their Pasta Ragu alla Bolognese Speciale has the meatiest ragu sauce I've encountered in a restaurant. Their ragu sauce version is more savory, and rich; while other restaurants have a lighter, tangier flavor. They also include an open roasted bone where you could scoop the marrow to mix with your ragu (have your cholesterol meds ready). So good! So decadent!

Their Pasta con Polpette is not the Abruzzo version (small meatballs). This version borrows the Italian-American style big meatballs. Still delicious.

I found their Pasta Carbonara very delicious. They do not use cream in the Carbonara sauce; yet it is rich and creamy. They do, however, have their twist on the traditional recipe. Instead of guanciale or pancetta, they use salsiccia sausage. The result was surprisingly good.

Their Pasta Alle Vongole is among the best I've had anywhere; even abroad. There is something deeper in the flavor that I don't remember from other pasta vongole I tried before.

I also recommend their Risotto alla Milanese. This restaurant is one of only two Italian restaurants where I actually enjoy the risotto.

Something I've seen abroad, but I got to see only here in the Philippines: the chef cooking pasta on a wheel of Parmiggiano Reggiano. It's fascinating to watch; and can build up an appetite.

Something new I did not see before is the live music they hold at night. Though I'm just not sure if it's...

Poor service, ordinary food with just good presentation. I called the restaurant a night before our family lunch and got a table for four, lunchtime 12:30. On the day itself, we were running 10 mins late and so I texted the restaurant number saying that we’ll arrive at 12:40 instead. They called me asking if I want a table indoor or outdoor. I told them that I already made reservations for an outdoor seating. The girl told me that their outdoor seating is available but only on the barrel tables but it would be uncomfortable for a family of four to dine on a barrel table so I said no…. She offered to have us seated indoor instead. Obviously, they DID NOT TAKE NOTE OF OUR RESERVATION and possibly gave our outdoor seat to someone else.

We ordered Bistecca Steak (Php 5,100), Quattro Formagi (Php 590), Gamberoni Al Forno Prawns (Php 920), Meatballs (Php 390).

Our table was empty for 30 to 40 mins and they finally served the meatballs. Nothing special about it… my family already finished the meatballs and we were waiting for the pizza and the other orders that we placed and the Lady served us complementary breads instead. It’s already 1:30 and they served the prawns next. It’s almost 2:00 and they haven’t served our main food yet and also the pizza… my dad was getting so impatient, and us, kids, too. We were planning to cancel all of our orders if they failed to serve it at 2:00…. I was observing the workers the whole time and they seem so disorganized, confused, and always in a hurry. They are clearly unprepared and again, confused with what they're doing. They finally served the steak and honestly, nothing special about it too. Mamou’s steak is just 4k + and it’s really tasty. But Tartufo’s? 5k? yet ordinary. just “okay.”

was excited to dine here but we clearly did not have a good experience with this resto. Not planning to go...

Last night, my partner and I celebrated his 25th birthday in Tartufo. We didn’t plan anything for his birthday since both of our schedules have been tight. I then remembered this fancy restaurant I always passby when I’m at The Grove. This is our first time to dine in Tartufo. We sat inside on the couch by the windows. The ambiance was perfect for a date night. We were assisted promptly by Miss Belle, and she helped us choose the best starters and main course. It was Miss Elsa, on the other hand, who served our food. Likewise, she was very friendly and helpful. I actually noticed that the staffs knew a lot of their customers which is a good thing. I think it makes the experience more personal when your favorite restaurant remembers you. As for the food, it was excellent. 5/5!!! We ordered an appetizer (Funghi), and two pastas and a main course. My favorite one was the freshly made pasta with shrimp and 5 herbs. The flavors explode in the end. As for the beef, it was so soft that it can honestly melt in your mouth. We also had oyster linguine with caviar, and amareto sour. We also met the chef who was also very kind. I just can’t express enough how my partner and I enjoyed our dinner in Tartufo. Overall, the food, ambiance, customer service and experience are worth it. ✨ We’ll definitely go back here with our...