Hi, everyone! Welcome to Greta’s Junkyard, a lifestyle blog where I like to dump topics on beauty, fashion, travel, and more. My name is Gretchen Gatan Fragada and I’m a writer and editor based in Metro Manila. I’m also a veteran fur mom to a 12-year-old dog named Booboo and a 6-year-old cat named Bellatrix; a first-time mom to a toddler daughter named Cambria; and a wife to Cayo!
Recently, Cayo and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. Last year, we celebrated at Acuatico Beach Resort, where Cambria experienced going to the beach for the first time. But because we have a few trips lined up in the next few weeks, we decided to have a simple dinner date at La Spezia in Quezon City.La Spezia: A Well-Kept Secret in Quezon City
According to Tatler Asia, La Spezia is a well-kept secret in Quezon City known for traditional Italian food done well. It’s perfect for a casual date or a get-together with friends because they clearly demonstrate the ideals of Italian cuisine: refinement, simplicity, and authenticity.
When Cayo and I were looking for restaurant options for our date, we wanted it to be close enough to our house, the #FraggyHome. This is because we’re both very hands-on parents with no help or nanny. So we just asked his parents to look after Cambria while we were out!
My sister recommended La Spezia because of how much she enjoyed the food there. Her exact words were it was pricey but very worth it!
We scheduled our dinner early — 5:30 PM — and arrived on time. Because our anniversary fell on a Wednesday, and given the time, there were no other patrons. So parking was easy and we got to enjoy the restaurant to ourselves. The nice and very attentive waiter allowed us to choose our seats, so we went with a booth.
What We Ordered
The same waiter answered all of our questions regarding the menu items. What I liked about their menu was how short it was. So it didn’t feel overwhelming to choose what to eat. We were also informed that some items on the menu are staples while some will eventually be changed, depending on the chef’s preferences. This helped us decide what to order:
- Appetizer: Burrata – P720
- Pasta: Aglio Pesca: – P720
- Main: Bistecca Rib Eye – P5,500
- Wine: LZ Rioja – P320 per glass
The delicious burrata, as expected, melted in our mouths. It reminded me so much of my mom’s kesong puti, which I can never get enough of. We went seafood for our pasta to balance out the steak, and also because our waiter highly recommended it. He explained that loyal patrons order that particular pasta often. For our main dish, we were deciding between the Bistecca Rib Eye or the Vino Rosso Agnello. But in the end, we told ourselves to go for the steak and then just come back another time to try the lamb.
Everything was cooked to perfection and serving sizes are also very generous. In fact, we ended up going home with so much pasta and steak that we ate it for lunch the next day.
I would definitely recommend dining in La Spezia for an unforgettable culinary experience that combines the freshest Italian ingredients with a rich tapestry of flavors. With its charming atmosphere and warm hospitality, there’s no doubt Cayo and I will be returning with our families so they can try as well!