[Legaspi Village Cafes #2] CAFFE OTELLO, Italian Fastfood
link to Cafe Otello Main Menu
link to Cafe Otello Beverage Menu
Caffe Otello is the newest italian cafe that is making a buzz from the Makati lunch crowd because of its lunch buffet of home cooked italian food. It is hidden on top of a Starbucks, corner of Rufino St. and Dela Rosa. On a Saturday lunch, we had this place all to ourselves which was quite fine with us so Aidan can freely walk and roam around without disturbing other customers. We also preferred to order ala carte vs. buffet since the food is cooked on the spot and served hot.
Otello means “playboy” in Italian (?) according to the servers and it was named after the Italian who started up this cafe a few months back. He already trained a cook on the italian way of doing things so you get a close to authentic experience with the food. All the dishes are around P200 less and the prices in the menu is already inclusive of VAT and service charge. We preferred eating here for a casual lunch versus the more intimidating La Grotta Cucina Italiana located just around the corner along Rufino street.
Spaghetti Alio Olio Mare (P180). Olive oil & garlic with seafood.
This was the highlight of the meal for us– a healthy serving of tasty pasta with the right amount of garlic and seasoning. The seafood tasted crunchy fresh and the serving was good for two already.
Tortelli Padrino (P180). Spinach Ricotta Cheese Ravioli in Tomato Sauce.
I liked the spiciness of the tomato sauce such that the plate was totally cleaned afterwards (in a proper way =p). It had three (3) huge pieces of the ravioli but we barely tasted the ricotta cheese =(.
Lamb Leg Al Forno (P310). Baked Lamb Leg with Plain Rice or Pure
Uh-oh! We’re so full that we wished we didn’t order this one anymore! I should’ve listened to my wife who was hesitant in ordering this in the first place. Oh well, too late…so we had to munch it but didn’t get to appreciate it much. The lamb meat was tasty enough but not as tender as it should be.
Complimentary Dessert of the House! Fried pasta drizzled with confectioners’ powdered sugar. it tasted like the fried bicho bicho in a chip texture.
“A new Italian deli located at the center of Makati City. Enjoy our mouth-watering authentic Italian foods for a very low price. Open from 9am to 6pm at the 2nd floor of Plaza 100. “
Lunch Buffet is served at P265 from Monday to Friday, 11.30am to 3.00pm.
Choices: 2 Pasta, 2 Main Dish, 2 Side Dish, Soup and Fresh Fruit
Caffe Otello Italian Fast Food
U 202 100 Rufino St. corner Dela Rosa St. Legaspi Village,
San Lorenzo, Makati City
(building with Starbucks)
Those waiters and maybe that Italian chef are probably having you on. Or they don’t know their Shakespeare. Otello is just another way of spelling Othello, the tragic Moorish king.
Are we going through a low/medium cost Italian food glut I wonder?
Forgot to add that La Grotta is not that intimidating. They just have higher prices. Food can be iffy at times, although their pastas are good.
Is it me or does the menu was designed like Amici’s? The font and the color looked the same as I recall. Hmmm…
This place is absolutely awesome in my book! The seafood risotto is to die for. I’ve tried pricey risottos from posh and proud italian restos but they still fall behind Otello’s in terms of price and flavor. Also their battered seabass is heavenly…crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. And they serve Illy which is a big plus!
I think the food here is better. check it out!
http://www.lagrottamanila.com