Tagaytay Food Trip: Chateau Hestia

The final leg in my food trip was Chateau Hestia. I didn't know about this restaurant until I read about it on tripadvisor and saw that it had some pretty good reviews. When I checked the official website and looked up the menu, I knew I had to visit.

 
Hestia is the Greek Goddess of hearth and home so you can expect to feel at home and quite comfortable here. The lush walkway leading to the restaurant entrance evokes a sense of tranquility and discovery, as if you are about to find a secret hideaway.

It was 1pm on a Wednesday when I had lunch here, and as it turned out, I was the only customer. I can't say what the service is like when the place is packed, but obviously it was pretty good when I was there since I was the only one being served. :) Being the lone patron also meant I could take photos freely without bothering anyone else. The restaurant design seems to be a charming fusion of European and Filipino themes.

They had a special set menu, complete with starter, soup, salad, main course, and dessert for P670 which is a pretty good deal but I wanted to try a few separate items. I decided to kick things off with the Forest Mushroom Soup (P145). Most mushroom soups have cream but this one either didn't have cream or had only a bit of it. As such, it tasted light and fresh while still being hearty with the strong flavors of the mushrooms coming through.

I followed that up with the Fresh Hestia Green Salad (petite size, P140). The menu says they use organic fresh greens in this salad, and the julienned carrots and sliced cucumber add texture to the dish. The vinaigrette dressing was pretty good too. I think the salad I had in Buon Giorno was better but this was still pretty good.

My main course was the Osso Bucco Milanese (P590), their version of a traditional dish from Italy of beef shank slowly simmered in tomato sauce served with mashed potato and mixed buttered vegetables. The beef was well-cooked and tender, the sauce was rich and flavorful, and the portion size was pretty good. I guess a couple of people can share this dish, although of course I was able to consume it all by myself LOL.

That said, I was stuffed by the time I polished off my main course that I didn't have room for dessert anymore so I just ordered brewed coffee (P95). I can't recall if the coffee came with just one refill or if it was bottomless, but I did have two cups.

I am glad I read about Chateau Hestia online because it's like finding a hidden gem in Tagaytay. I enjoyed my dining experience here - from the quality of the food to the portion size to the atmosphere. With a lot more choices in the menu that I would like to try, I'm pretty sure I'll pay this place a visit again, maybe with family or friends next time.

*****

Chateau Hestia Garden Restaurant
Purok 5, Brgy. Bukal, Silang, Cavite, Philippines 4118
http://chateauhestia.com/
0929-711-32-89
dine@chateauhestia.com

How to get there: the Chateau Hestia website provides a decent map that you can easily follow. Check out the directions here.