Antonio's: Breakfast with a View

In my opinion, there are only two things worth going to Tagaytay for: the spectacular view and good food. Better if you can combine the two together. That was what we were hoping for, at least, when my friends Gladys, Adrian and I decided to have breakfast at Antonio's.

bright sunshiny day

Breakfast at Antonio's is one of the more high end food place in Tagaytay. Normally, I'd be perfectly content to have pancakes at Pancake House (cheaper too) but we decided to try this place out since everyone has been raving about it.  

busy Sunday morning

No need for reservations. We came in on a Sunday morning but was able to snag a table with no problem. First thing you noticed is that the dining hall was open and airy. The big Veranda windows not only lets you see the unobstructed view of the famous Taal volcano but it also allows a fair amount of the cool Tagaytay air in. Too bad all the tables near the window were already occupied when we arrived. 

Devil's Delight P260
Chocolate Pancake with Strawberries, Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream
and Drizzled with Chocolate Sauce

Of course, we chose the most sinfully described pancake in the menu named Devil's Delight which, unfortunately, wasn't as delightful as it sounded. The pancakes were a bit dense, unlike the fluffy ones at Pancake House and wasn't as chocolaty as I would have liked. I thought there'd be fresh strawberries but it came out in a form of a jam. Nevertheless, the jam was good - not too sweet and had a fair amount of strawberry chunks. I think the best part is the ice cream which my friend swore tasted like the one sold by Magnolia.

Eggs Benedict P400
2 Poached Egg, Smoked Ham on English Muffin Topped
with Hollandaise Sauce

The Eggs Benedict were surprisingly small. The size of the english muffin is comparable to your ordinary pandesal. The eggs were soft but not too runny. Ham was good (not your typical grocery ham) but really couldn't taste the "smoke" effect. The hollandaise sauce was a disappointment. I was expecting this rich, smooth and creamy sauce but instead got a thick, almost dry, bland sauce that did not add anything to the dish. Worst, they put mustard on the bread which overpowered the taste of the egg and ham. 

Fresh Corned Beef with Swiss Cheese and Russian Dressing Frittata P400
Slices of Corned Beef and Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, Onions and Parsely
with Horseradish, Mustard and Russian Dressing on top of a 3 Egg Frittata
with Hash Brown, Panini Bread drizzled with Sundried Tomato Pesto (whew!) ..
with a small cup of baked beans

The title itself is a mouthful! Among all the things we ordered, I had low expectations for the Frittata since I am not a fan of corned beef or Sauerkraut or Horseradish or ... you get the drift. Also, it didn't look too appetizing and I thought that the black thing on top was bagoong (fermented fish/shrimp paste). Turned out it was the sundried tomato pesto (oops!) :p 

Surprisingly, this was actually good. The corned beef is homemade and not your typical canned variety. It was very tender, flaky, and just plain mmmmmmmm .... delicious! All the things I mentioned I was not a fan of really melded well together and complimented the creamy eggs. Even the baked beans was good. I really liked this dish and was more to my expectations of what was served at Antonio's.

Hot Chocolate Grande P230

I don't drink coffee much so I usually order hot chocolate. The one at Antonio's was good but I had better ones at Cafe Adriatico.  

with food buddy, Adrian

The place is along Aguinaldo Highway and easily accessible by car or public transportation. To go there, turn right at Tagaytay Rotanda going towards Nasugbu, Batangas. Go past Taal Vista and Bag of Beans. Once you reach the turn for Puzzle Mansion (you won't miss it since you will see a sign for this every few meters), start looking to your left. After about 5 minutes, you will see a white building with white picket fences - this is Antonio's. If you see Residence Inn, you have already passed the restaurant. Ample parking space.

The Verdict? 

Expensive for breakfast, a few misses and a hit. The menu doesn't have pictures so you just pick based on how the item is described. The waiters were attentive and patient. Some of the food items were good, others were just too hyped up. The place is simple but very elegant. Too busy, thought, for one to have a leisurely and quiet breakfast. Try to hold out for a table beside the window. Personally, I would think twice before spending P500-P600 for breakfast. If you got money to spend, good for you! There are some items on the menu worth exploring further.

Breakfast at Antonio's

Brgy Bagong Tubig
Tagaytay City, Batangas
Tel (046) 413-0738