Pinto Cafe by Peppermill at Pinto Art Museum Antipolo

It has been a habit of mine to look up something before visiting a place so that I know how to navigate my way to it and what to expect. A few weeks ago I and some friends decided to check out Pinto Art Museum where during my research I found out that they also have an in-house restaurant. Based on the things posted on the web, the restaurant is supposedly being operated by Bizu Catering (a well-known pastry and desserts restaurant in Manila). I dont know if that still stands true to this day. Anyway, you can read about Pinto Art Museum  itself which I blogged about a few days ago by going to this link right here: Pinto Art Museum - Antipolo

As I read the reviews of Pinto Art Cafe, I found that a handful of the reviews did not give  good feedback. Most of them were a bit disappointed with the taste, quality and price of the menu offerings. In lieu of that I will be at my very honest self while I do this review. But before we get into that let me first share about the ambiance being evoked at Pinto's in-house resto.

Just like the rest of the museum the cafe will give you an atmosphere that will transport you to a place that will remind you or play with your mind that you are anywhere but in Antipolo or the Philippines for that matter. 

They have like 4 dining areas mostly alfresco. There's two near the entrance, one is on the courtyard one is indoors. Another is on the roof deck near the pool and the other one is tucked in one of the corners of the museum grounds near the two galleries.

We ate at the one near gallery 2, from what I can remember. We haven't had our lunch yet and we've roaming around the place for around 30-45 minutes already and were pretty tired and thirsty. We were just planning to get drinks and some rest but decided to try some of their food. And to our surprise we ended up ordering a bunch from the menu... lol! A full course meal actually! So here are what we had:
Salmon and Mango Salad - I actually loved this salad, both texture and taste-wise. I am a fan of seaweed and with it being mixed with salmon and mango was awesome. The dressing was good too. The only downside was the size of the serving. I think if you're sharing it with someone who has small appetite it won't matter.

Dragon Sushi - The sushi roll is great and I am not saying this because I am a sushi lover. I love the crunch that the flakes gave. That definitely spruced up this  would-be-just-another-sushi-roll. Love! Love!

Margherita Pizza - I like the overall flavor and the crust of this pizza. The crust had the just-right crispiness,  crunchiness and thickness. I highly recommend their pizzas. The serving size is also very reasonable for its price and taste.

Mediterranean Pasta - I like white/cream sauce with my pasta so this a thumbs up for me. It has the right amount of spiciness that I can tolerate. They also did not scrimp in the ingredients which was good. The serving is reasonable enough to be shared by two persons.

Beef Salpicao - From the other reviews that I read, they say that the best-seller at Pinto Cafe is the salpicao so I ordered that. I really don't know how a salpicao would taste, but this one has nothing so special about it except that the beef was super tender. The serving size is only good for one.

Sangria - My sister and our friend ordered this. This is chilled wine with fruits. I didn't try it at all because alcohol makes you feel warm and it was already too hot and humid. But with a landscape reminiscent of Tuscany/Italy/Mediterranean I guess to drink wine was just irresistible. The servers gave them chilled glasses by the way but did not serve the sangria submerged in a bucket of ice.

Peaches and Cream Shake - They have a variety of shakes and the waiter told me that the peaches and cream is one of their best sellers. It did not disappoint though. It was super yummy and refreshing. You can taste both the peach and the cream. Perfect for the summer Sunday afternoon.

Well, over all it was a hit for the four of us and we were filled to the brim. I honestly can say I enjoyed the dishes that we had at Pinto Cafe. Price-wise it is on the pricier side, yeah. But it was acceptable, there are no alternatives nearby and we were too lazy to look for another place to eat around the area. I was too full that Mike and I decided to just stay in one of the courtyards where I received another pep talk which was very mind opening. Another way of the universe talking to me about how and why I should follow my dreams and go for what my heart longs for. One of those conversations that will push you to take risks and get up everytime you fall down.

That was one kind of an afternoon... enjoying art, food and good conversations  with people who thinks and dreams just like you do. I can't even express how that one Sunday afternoon etched a lot of things on my mind to ponder on...

PINTO CAFE AT PINTO ART MUSEUM 1 Sierra Madre St., Grand Heights,  Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines Contact Nos: 697-1015; 986-1804 Email: pintoartmuseum@yahoo.com Twitter: twitter.com/pintoartmuseum Facebook: facebook.com/Pinto-Art-Museum-281376918562097

  For more information, complete menu and restaurant reviews, check out their Zomato profile: 


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