Marcia Adams: Charming Garden Restaurant in Tagaytay

Marcia Adams is one of those places in Tagaytay that you hear being talked about but people seldom get to visit. One, because it is a bit expensive and two, because the food they serve is not something a lot of Filipinos are familiar with - Greek/Mediterranean - or would probably enjoy.

Admittedly, I was wrong on both counts.

It starts with a simple wooden door at an
unimposing lot in Alfonso, Cavite

There is no one to greet you or point out where the entrance is to the restaurant. Although, there's a small house across with people inside who will helpfully guide you and sell you Espasol at the same time :D

You follow a small path in the midst of what I can only describe as a wild garden. 

small fountain welcomes you

entrance to the restaurant

The main restaurant is small which can fit about 20-25 people. Very cozy and the windows were open to let the nice breeze in. I've never been to Tuscany or anywhere in Europe for that matter which is where the inspiration for the building came from. However, I can certainly appreciate the stone walls, timber ceiling and wide open windows that made me feel that I'm not in the Philippines anymore. 

main dining space

Outside the main building is an open dining space.

lots of light created by transparent ceilings and glass wall windows

One side of the open dining area can be opened to let more view in. It could be closed if the breeze becomes to chilly. 

We opted to have our lunch inside another room what I believe they call the sunset room. A smaller space but with nice open windows on both sides.

I don't know what is it with white embroidered tableclothes/napkins but I always associated it being "sosyal". Maybe because it's so impractical but pristine at the same time that I feel only rich people would use it. Loved the white charger plates as well.

On to the food!  Basically, they have a minimum cover charge of P700/head with 10% service charge added on. The minimum cover charge is consumable, don't worry. You choose a main course and the price will include an appetizer and dessert of your choice. For the complete list and price of the dishes, please click here.

Appetizer

With my main course, I chose Amalfi Prawns. The prawns was a little bit on a small side. But the taste is absolutely spot on. Nice, crunchy, not too salty and perfectly bite sized. With a bit of lemon squeezed in, it was the perfect appetizer and could probably have eaten a dozen with no problem.

Crispy and succulent prawns marinated in salt, pepper, olive oil,
parsley, coated with bread crumbs and fried

My friend chose the Soup of the Day. The clear broth was really good and very hot which was perfect on a cold day. Very flavorful, perfect amount of seasoning and plenty of bacon cubes. I appreciate that they don't scrimp on the ingredients. I asked the waiter to split it into two so I can also have a taste. Good thing too since my friend said she couldn't finish the entire bowl if it was only served to her.

Clear broth soup with vegetables and bacon

Main 

Whenever I go to a restaurant, I always get the best dish of the house or the one recommended by the waiter (you can't go wrong). For Marcia Adams, this was the Aromatic Pork. They described this as pork belly massaged with aromatic spices & herbs. My take is that this is one heck of a very good grilled pork liempo.

The size is big. Good enough for two or one hungry customer. The meat is tender enough that you don't need to use a knife but not too tender that it falls apart on you. The flavor has just that right amount of sweet/salty combination. No overwhelming spice that leaves an aftertaste in your mouth. The best part? No fat (no kidding) but it is still moist and juicy. That for me is amazing.

I know the food is Mediterranean and all but man, what I wouldn't have given for a a saucer of Ilocos or even Tagaytay vinegar with a bit of garlic! Hay naku ...... but I had to restrain myself and eat it plain as how the owner intended.

My friend had their Corsican Beef Stew. Initially, it was a letdown because when you think of stew you usually have this image of chunks of meat in a bowl of tomato based thick sauce. Yes, they have the chunks of meat which was not exactly fall of the bones but was still very tender. The meat was good and tasted fresh in the true tradition of Tagaytay beef. But the sauce was a bit watery and reminded me more of Nilaga, another Filipino dish. However, the stew does have nice combination of spices (which I couldn't identify). After the initial disappointed, we did enjoy the dish. Wish there were more sauce, though. 

Described in the menu as a hearty rich stew

Dessert

After that good appetizer and main course, I was more than ready for dessert. For myself, I had the Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce. Eventhough I hate anything sour, I still ordered this because it's one of their recommended dish.

My first thought is that anything that green can't be good. Well, I was wrong again. By itself the Panna Cotta was firm enough and creamy. With the lemon sauce, it elevated it into a whole new level and all I can say is WOW. Not too sour, not too sweet and like what Goldilocks said, just right. The sauce blended perfectly well with the Panna Cotta and even without. It was that good. We scraped the plate and licked our spoon and could have called it a day :D

lemony goodness

Glad we had the Panna Cotta first because the other dessert was just okay: Grilled Orange with Vanilla Ice Cream. My friend said it would have been better if it was grilled pineapple but I guess that won't make it Mediterranean. Ice cream was Selecta and the entire dish was drizzled with honey.

Between the main dining hall and the sunset room where we were seated is the small kitchen. It's open and you can see your food being prepared.

Flowers were everywhere and I liked that. It adds a nice touch and made me smile.

Our bill was given in a nice purse which added to the experience. The bill for 2 appetizer, 2 main course, 2 desserts and 2 drinks with 10% service charge is about P1,900. It may be a bit more than what my usual budget is but all things considered, I think it's well worth it.

The Verdict?

Do not expect too much - the place is simple and not professionally decorated, the garden is not that well taken care of, the view was not that good since there were a lot of trees or plants blocking what should have been a fantastic view of the rolling hills behind the place and the food was executed well but rustic. However, for some reason, everything just melded together to create this charming place. That, I believe, is the magic of Marcia Adams.

A nice place to visit and enjoy the food and company.

Marcia Adams
JP Rizal St
Brgy Sikat
Alfonso, Cavite
0917 801-1456 (text only)

Directions is ridiculously simple: from Olivarez Rotanda in Tagaytay, turn right and go straight until you reach Residence Inn. Turn right on the road immediately after the arch with the pineapple. Look for the wooden door to the left about 150 meters. 

Reserve to make sure you have a table, cash only.