Sand Under My Feet: Patio Vera Restaurant: One of Marikina's Hidden Gem

Although I love to dress up and I like stylish stuff, I was never the extravagant type. If I can find the save versus spend item, even if I have extra to spare, I’ll definitely go for the “save”. I am also the same when it comes to spending for special occasions, I would rather spend some quality time with my family and a few friends over a great lunch or dinner out and I don't think I would ever throw a huge party and invite all the people that I know. As I mature, I have come to a realization, for most aspects of my life, that quality is more important than quantity. I’d rather nurture quality over having a lot of relationships. Which was also evident in the most important occasions of my life.

So for my 30th birthday, I decided just to have a late lunch with the people who I love the most in this world, my family. I decided to treat them in Patio Vera Restaurant in Marikina. Not only that I was intrigued by this place after seeing it featured in one of the local TV shows, it is also very near to where my family lives. What enticed me to try Patio Vera was the beauty of the place and the story behind it. I’m a sucker for restaurants with great ambiance. Although it is just a plus point, I love if the place is well-decorated and is very Instagram-friendly. I think it does something to the entire dining experience.

Patio Vera is located at 70 General F. Santos St., Calumpang Marikina; it is very near Marcos Highway and SM Marikina. But since there are so many one-way streets in Marikina and if you’re not familiar with the area, it can get very tedious to get there. What I suggest though is that you use Wayze or Google Map if you plan to go there. It is located in a residential area and will be quite easy to miss, but once you enter the street of General F. Santos it's just a few meters away and on the left side.

Patio Vera is an ancestral house/compound owned by the Caballes family, a family of shoemaker (an industry which Marikina City is known for) turned into a cozy and inviting restaurant that serves heirloom dishes. I love how the it is decorated with vintage stuff and family memorabilia. Everywhere you look is a teat to the eye especially the vintage bikes displayed in the garden area (remember it is a part of my birthday wishlist?).

I wanted to stay at the outdoor area but it was unfortunately reserved, so we ended up siting in the air conditioned hall which turned out to be ok because it was kinda humid that day. We had the room all to ourselves until it was dinner time and people started pouring in.

Patio Vera serves mainly Filipino and Spanish dishes. They also have desserts, beers wines and cocktails. A cozy place plus good food and drinks gives you the the perfect setting for meaningful and funny conversations with friends or family.

Below are photos of what we ordered. Sorry for the not-so great quality of the photos, I took them just using my phone's camera.

Fritos Platter

Classic Kare-Kare

Spare Ribs

Butterfly Tilapia

Crispy Pork

Paella Mariscos

Chicken Binakol

Tres Leches Cake

Leche Flan

Fried Halo-Halo

how they serve the bill :-)

You can check out their menu here: MENU1 | MENU2 | MENU3

The food at Patio Vera was good but not great. My favorite was the Chicken Binakol, which is the first time I tried that dish. I thought the taste would be very sweet because coconut juice was used for the soup but it wasn't. Some of their serving was large but not all. As for the dessert my mumma enjoyed her fried halo-halo and I did like the Tres Leches cake. Though you can go at Patio Vera as walk-ins, I suggest you call to reserve a table because it gets full especially on weekends.

We did have a great time though, even if my brother and her gf was super late (lol!) I hope to visit more restaurants like Patio Vera because you kinda forget you're in a restaurant but instead dining at your own house. Patio Vera also kinda made me feel nostalgic because I remember our old ancestral house in Pasig and my grandmother's cooking.