For my birthday celebration, I wanted to bring my family to a restaurant that they haven’t tried before. I noticed that Chinese food has always been an option for special occasions, so I wanted to skip that. I also considered the nearness of its location to our place because I don’t want to be strained with the long travel time. Befitting the occasion, budget, and venue, Italianni’s Highstreet was on top of my mind for this event.

I wanted to hold a simple yet intimate dinner with my family since this also serves as a thanksgiving celebration for my successful surgery and my grandmother’s recovery from her ailment. We’ve been through a lot lately that I think they deserve this treat just to break the monotony of hospital routines and dealing with health issues.

In addition to that, I was satisfied with my previous experiences with Italianni’s so I am quite confident that my family will likewise do the same.

The Ambience & Service

The branch in Bonifacio Highstreet is spacious compared to the ones in Venice Grand Canal and Uptown Mall in BGC. The high ceilings, wooden accents, warm lights, and ornamental plants altogether give that cozy vibe of the restaurant.

I also commend the staff’s hospitality and courtesy. They were always smiling despite handling too many customer requests during those peak hours. They were kind and swift in attending to our needs.

The Food

For our orders, my sister and I chose a combination of meat, carbs, salad, and drinks. They have dishes good for solo and group sharing so there are many options for the serving sizes.

We were served with the complimentary bread that comes with olive oil. It was so soft and delicious! I just forgot to take a photo of it.

To start off with appetizers, we had the Italianni’s Salad (Php 795) and Eggplant Parmigiana (Php 495). The salad had the perfect mix of fresh lettuce, cucumber, grapes, walnuts, avocado, pancetta and drizzled with Italian vinaigrette dressing. The pancetta added flavor and balanced out the sweetness and sourness of the other ingredients.

We also loved the Eggplant Parmigiana, it was actually a top family favorite! It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside that you wouldn’t think you are eating a vegetable. The mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce were combined well to create an outstanding appetizer. I tasted this first when we had a team dinner in the office with one of our managers in New York, so I promised to myself that if ever I will dine again in Italianni’s, this would be on my list. Surprisingly, my family adored it as I did.

For the mains, I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet (Php 795) in large size and the Half Baby Back Ribs (Php 995).

The Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet was equally delicious and the huge serving was suitable for family sharing. The batter was crisp but we find the caper cream sauce a bit odd. It was slightly bitter and sour. I just squeezed in the lemon to make it taste a bit different. It also comes with mashed potatoes and vegetable sides.

The Baby Back Ribs, unfortunately, was too dry and thin. It was not flavorful and juicy for its price. It’s good that I only ordered the half size instead of the full one. For Baby Back Ribs, we would still go for Rack’s or Gringo’s.

The two pastas I ordered was a combination of the classic version and the non-traditional one. We had the Carbonara Classico (Php 895) and Seafood Cioppino (Php 895) both in large serving sizes.

The Carbonara was too bland for us. I was guessing that they patterned it from the Italian’s version that is lacking in taste to highlight the saltiness of the proscuitto. I woudn’t recommend this one from Italianni’s. Shakey’s or Racks’ version is even better.

To redeem the Carbonara, the Seafood Cioppino was hailed as the winner. It was so good!! The marinara-based pasta had the right balance of acidity and spiciness and it was generously topped with seafoods such as shrimps, clams, mussels, and squid.

The pizza came too late as were already full with everything we ate that night from pasta, salad, and mains, so we decided to take out most of it after having a few slices. I ordered the Quatro Staggioni Grande, a 17-inch pizza great for sharing. It was a fusion of four-flavored pizza pepperoni, mushroom and artichokes, shrimp and black olives, and all-cheese. All flavors tasted good and it can be seen that they used fresh ingredients. The dough was still soft even after reheating it at home.

For the refreshments, we ordered different fruit beverages such as Freshly Squeezed Lymonada (Php 175), Peach Mango Lemonade (Php 175), Orange Lemonade (Php 175), Ripe Mango (Php 185) and Watermelon (Php 185). All were refreshingly good! They used real blended fruits so I could say the prices are worth it.

Bistro Restaurant Hacks

I’m the type of foodie who is always on the lookout for discounts and promos. When I learned about Metrobank’s 50% discount for Bistro restaurants, I did not hesitate and made a reservation at Italianni’s right away! Our total bill was around 7k but I only paid 4k using Metrobank credit card. Of course, I paid it immediately online to avoid debts. I prepared the budget ahead. During that time, I also learned that BDO and BPI have ongoing or just recently-concluded promos with Bistro restaurants.

If we can look for ways to enjoy dining at lower costs, why not use these promos, right?!

I also read online from a customer’s experience that diners may request for the unlimited complimentary bread after the first serving. Not sure though if it is true. Just make sure to leave some room for the main thing.

Closing

To summarize, my family and I had a good time at Italianni’s for my 36th birthday. Good food, good service rolled into one. At first, I was hesitant to bring my family here because they are not used to eating just pizza and pasta. They have been teasing me that I chose Italianni’s because I love to eat pasta. After our dinner, they were all satisfied and forgot about ordering rice.

Just remember my recommendations: Seafood Cioppino Pasta, Eggplant Parmigiana, Quatro Stagionni Pizza, fruit drinks, and Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet.

More than the delicious food, it’s the chance to celebrate with my loved ones and an opportunity to thank the Lord not just for the added year, but for the 2nd life.

Italianni’s
Bonifacio High Street
Quadrant 5, Space 1E14, Bonifacio Global City
Phone: 8856-3890
Website:https://www.italiannis.com.ph/