Al Dente Pasta Bar — Restaurant in Taguig

2024 I've been wanting to come here when I got to know the opening of Al Dente from Chef Donatello :) As a fan of Italian dishes, my go to order is always pesto or truffle! Got to try their Pesto Siciliano which has a sun-dried tomato base and their famous truffle sausage that are made fresh daily! I rarely try cold cuts and cheese board, but their cheese board is just wow! I love the small pieces of cheese, but my friends prefer the blue cheese (not sure if i'm right with the name). Pesto Siciliano, truffle sausage, and ragu are our favorite dishes! ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 2025 August (My second visit) finally brought my family to try this restaurant that my cooking instructor opened last year! 😊 This time, their second floor is already available and fully functional! My first visit was last year with my college friends, when they were newly opened.

🍸 Frozen Aperol Spritz — tastes fruity (mango and orange, but for some reason i tasted papaya as well), with a light hint of alcohol (+prosecco)

🍸 Hugo (sib's order) — tasted like margaritas, but also reminds me of gin and tonic 🤔

🍕 Pizza Aperta#1 — loved that pizza dough, so light and soft 😍 And those toppings (meat, red paste, white sauce, pistachio crumbs) mixed together, flavor is just 🤯

🍆🧀 Eggplant Parmigiana w/ Bread Slices — first time trying this dish and I absolutely love it! 😋 I thought it would be very herby for sure, but i love how the flavor is kept simple just with the red sauce and cheese! (I love herby dishes, don't get me wrong, but I also love exploring and appreciating different authentic cuisine and cooking styles 💛)

🤫㊙️🍝 Secret Pasta — it's a secret until it's served! 🤫 My only request is that no peanuts will be used. You can choose your pasta shape, but I asked to be surprised instead, so everything is a secret until the end! 😉 We were surprised with an anchiovy alici pasta in green sauce 🤯🤯 I loved how the saltiness of anchiovy was just right, and the sauce was kind of creamy but slightly runny. I paired the remaining pasta sauce with the bread slices from other dishes 🤤🤤 (no wonderful creation shall be wasted!)

🍧 For dessert, we ordered their Italian Gelato and Cannoli Siciliani, both in Pistachio flavor. The gelato was mindblowing — flavor is so creamy and nutty, but not the very sweet kind on the throat (perfect for me 🤌🏻)! Texture was a bit different from other gelato stores I've tried before, not the very soft kind that melts easily.

I'm saddened that they are not selling their homemade truffle sausages (frozen) anymore, but still available when you dine in!

Would I come back again? Definitely! I haven't tried that tiramisu yet! 😆 AAANND so many more other dishes on that menu! (I feel like I am Tikki from the animated tv series Miraculous, on that episode when she had that galette craze 😝)

Italian dishes are something I love to keep on exploring! They always keep things simple, but always so flavorful 🤤🤤 I told my sibling that if possible, I want to apply to be an apprentice of the chef and their cocktail master 🤭 their creations are absolutely divine 🤤😋😍 (suddenly missed those cooking classes that they used to offer 🥺 can you bring back those...

Recently dined with my girlfriend and overall we had a good experience. The place is beautiful, with a welcoming atmosphere, and the service was impeccable, the staff were attentive and professional throughout.

We ordered Spaghetti Carbonara, Rigatoni with Salsiccia, and three Arancini (Carbonara and Truffle variants), along with two Aperol Spritz. The arancini were absolutely delicious, crispy outside, creamy inside and the Rigatoni Salsiccia was flavorful, though personally, I found the fennel seed notes in the sausage a bit too strong for my taste. I also really appreciated that their pasta is freshly made daily as they display it in their kitchen. We also loved the complimentary focaccia that came with the food, a very nice touch!

However, both me and my girlfriend found the pasta slightly overcooked, especially considering the restaurant’s name “Al Dente.” We were expecting a firmer, true al dente bite, as we’re used to eat it that way and that’s how I always cook it myself.

As for the Carbonara, I had very high expectations cause it’s my all-time favorite pasta, and I basically grew up with it in Rome. Unfortunately, it didn’t fully capture the authentic Roman flavor, the portion was kinda small missing that bold Guanciale and Pecorino Romano character(in the Arancini’s filling the Pecorino flavor was much stronger). The portion of guanciale itself was also very small, maybe not even 40/50 grams. I shared this with the owner, who kindly explained that they make their own guanciale in a dry ager instead of importing it from Italy. That explains the flavor difference, but I’d recommend using authentic Italian guanciale or refining their curing process especially since the restaurant proudly displays the phrase “Carbonara is not an opinion.” If that’s the case, it really deserves to taste like the real deal.

The total bill was ₱2,250, which included a 10% service charge and an additional 12% VAT. The service charge was expected, but the VAT was a bit surprising, as most restaurants in Manila already include it in their listed prices. Also, their Google Maps menu should be updated, since the actual prices at the restaurant are around 20–25% higher than those shown online.

Overall, the 4 stars are mainly for the great ambiance, excellent service, and beautiful location if it were based purely on the food and pricing, it would probably be a 3. Still, it’s a lovely spot with potential, and with a few adjustments, it could easily become one of the best Italian dining...

Bad service. Bad owner. Mediocre food. Over hyped.

The only positive I could say is.. They make their own pasta. That's it. Would rather go to A Mano than this restaurant.

-No server attended to us right away for the menu when we sat down. -Carbonara is so watery like too much pasta water. -Meatballs were okay. -Tiramisu is way overpriced for its taste. -Pesto was bland. -No service water. -Arancini was okay.

But my main disappointment was.. Their customer service and the owner itself.

They double punched the Tiramisu and only realized it a few days after so I went back to their restaurant.

The owner literally said that it was my fault that I didn't flag it on the night itself. They still have to verify with the server that night if he/she really double punched it. So what if the server couldn't remember? What happens to my complaint? Lol.

Yes, it was our fault that we didn't double check the receipt and flagged it the night itself. But first of all.. It's your server's job not to punch wrong orders. When we visit a restaurant, our purpose is to have fun, enjoy the food, and our time with family / friends. Our least concern is triple checking the bill, when in fact, this is the server's responsibility.

Didn't also appreciate the fact that the waiter asked me to talked to the owner and 2 waiters already approached the owner and mentioned I was there waiting. He knew I was there. But he just said to wait for a while and he'll come back to me while he's in front of his laptop. Like as if his time is only important and couldn't care less for others. I know he's a foreigner and might think he's powerful or something but hey.. It won't hurt to be polite and humble in a foreign country where you built your business.

I was literally asking if I come back, will it be a wasted trip? No answer. Bottom line is, I was the one who made a solution. I asked if I can just message in IG. He said okay. I said I'll send photos of the food we ate. He said okay. Lol.

I did receive the refund which I'm grateful but the long process and how the management dealt the issue was just very unprofessional.

It's sad that I was so excited to try this restaurant but I WILL NEVER COME BACK. I should've believed the...