Eat Cebu: Bellini Champagne & Cocktail Bar: A Pre-Valentine Date

Me and Mr Kyme are big on adventure especially when it comes to food. We are the type who enjoys new dishes, discovering unfamiliar tastes and answering the quest on where to eat in Cebu . This is probably one of the reasons why we click as constant companions. This is also the reason why we ended up in Bellini Bar two days before the official Hearts Day for 2012.

Deciding where to eat in Cebu is not really hard. When it comes to special occasions though, there is ample reason to take the effort in decision-making a notch higher. A couple of weeks before the actual date, we chanced upon Ensogo's voucher for a romantic dinner for two at Bellini Bar. It was valued at P1220 but was offered for half its price. That really got me hook, sinker and all.

So, we bought the voucher and made our reservations for Sunday before the 14th so we can avoid the crowd and just go home directly after work on that day. After church time on Sunday, we were on our way and quite excited about it. After all, we both don't get to such expensive places frequently.

Upon arrival, our mood turned sour even before we got off the car. Their parking lot is so small. The car ended up with small dent, and the guard was nowhere to be found. We ended up parking behind another car. That proved to be a hassle when the owners of the said car decided to go home.

This is what welcomed us to the place. I initially thought it was part of the voucher. The voucher though mentioned two glasses of champagne only and not an entire bottle.

The one that came with the voucher is this. One of this is for me, and the other is for my date.

Sipping our drinks (little by little so we would have something to pair with the highly-anticipated food), we enjoyed the sights and sounds. The entire place seemed like it sat on a cliff and was designed to be like a long and narrow porch. Since it was very open, the cold night air found it easy to get to everyone there. The structure was efficiently done though since water, no matter how little amounts, did not get to us and the other guests when it started to drizzle.

Cozy and comfortable

A brighter nook

Other sitting arrangements available

Minimalistic

After a wait time that lasted for 30-45 minutes, dinner was served.

Our jaws fell down to the floor!

Pizza Roulade bursting with mozzarella cheese, roma tomato and oregano

Baked Pork Ribs glazed with shite sesame honey plus mashed potato on the side

Crispy Calamari Rings served with light mayo tartare dip

Overall

To make it very clear, we did not expect a cheap place. After all, it is not a very accessible place to be. It should be expensive. However, I would have to criticize the way the whole package was described. It was supposed to be a romantic DINNER for two. With the serving size of the food, they should have indicated in the voucher that it was a DINNER for two people on a diet. At least, we would have come more prepared psychologically.

Anyway, there was nothing we could do with the food serving. We just laughed it off instead and added a lesson for the day "The higher above sea level, the pricier" :)

Since we were really hungry, we scoured their menu and ordered an additional dish.

The Spaghetti Carbonara

This one came after 25 minutes, which is longer than the promised 20 minutes. It was understandable since the house was full. Unfortunately, this was not worth the wait and especially not worth its price. The pasta smelled like it was burnt, and the entire thing was too salty. At P300, the serving is large, but I would rather go for quality than quantity. This one totally failed to deliver. I am sure there are other places to eat in Cebu that offer something better for special occasions like Valentines day.

Hungry for more (not food) that night, since it was our official Valentines Day date, we went to the nearest Jollibee and enjoyed some P36-worth choco crumble sundae (a favorite) and some fries. They saved the night for us.

To rate Bellini Bar:

Billed: P400 plus for the pasta (P300) and canned soda (P75) plus service charge And P599 for the Ensogo voucher. It was not worth it at all.

Service: So-so. I would choose to be kind since one of the ladies explained that they were serving Anzani at the same time, and both Anzani and Bellini were full at that time. However, they are not the most accommodating people. It was also noticeable that they lack coordination especially when dealing with the customers who were there with their Ensogo vouchers like us.

Ambiance: Great. Perfect for romantic nights. Can really drive away the stress. However, it simply cannot make up for the other aspects of the experience.

Overall: I am not recommending the place. I am sure there are other places in the city that offer the same relaxing ambiance yet still offer great service and good food.