Makati’s Il Ponticello
Located at Unit 203 2/F Antel Corporate Center, 121 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati, Il Ponticello is a gastropub that offers authentic Italian cuisine. They’re open from 11:30 am to 2:00pm on Mondays to Fridays, 6:00 pm to 12:00 am on Mondays to Thursdays and 6:00 pm to 2:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Il Ponticello’s ambiance is great for having intimate conversations with friends or for business talks if you wish. Their chairs are very comfortable and the furniture and decors have been customized to showcase the gastropub’s brand. A suitable amount of lighting contributes to the overall homey look of the place.
Il Ponticello offers starters, pizzas, pastas, main courses, and desserts with prices ranging from Php 150 to Php 550 (for sharing), while they offer drinks with prices ranging from Php 50 to Php 300. Here are some of the dishes that me and my friends ordered:
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| Mozzarella in Carrozza – Napolitana Mozzarella panini pan-fried in butter, drizzled with balsamic reduction. Definitely a great starter. I was thinking of ordering one for take out so my office mates could try it out… But I don’t think I’m that generous yet. =) |
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| Spicy Pork Belly – Slow-braised pork belly in arrabiata sauce, mashed potatoes, glazed shallots, balsamic reduction. This dish wasn’t as spicy as I thought. The mashed potatoes were great and the pork belly was really soft. |
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| Lasagna Carbonara – Homemade lasagna, Mozzarella cream, Pancetta tesas strips, Grana padano cheese, egg yolk crown. At first me and my friends found it weird to have an egg on top. I mean, how are we even going to mix it since it’s a lasagna? It tasted a bit toasted honestly, though I’m not sure if that was how it was supposed to taste. |
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| Pizza Valdostana – Chef’s Signature Recipe – Parma ham, Gorgonzola cream, Mozzarella, and aragula. The crust was crunchy like all other thin-crust pizzas (which I’m not a fan of) , and you could clearly taste the parma ham even if you had removed it from the crust. The Mozzarella always tastes great! |
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| Cheesecake Caramel Panna Cotta – Delicately cooked cream topped with silky cheesecake crumble and caramel. The Panna Cotta was wiggling all throughout, it was so much fun shaking it and watching it bounce. Cheesecake was great with the caramel, and the panna cotta was silky smooth. Even the way it broke off was smooth! |
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| Tiramisu – Imported Savoiardi layers dipped in Ristretto and Amaretto, mascarpone dusted with cocoa powder. I really can’t say much about this since I was already too full when tasting this dessert but the chocolate, cocoa powder and the Savioardi layer went well together. |
So that’s it! It was an overall great experience and while costly, the food were really worth the price.
P.S. Don’t go on an empty stomach since the food takes some time to be served, although it’s definitely worth the wait!
P.P.S. To get to Il Ponticello, you’ll have to enter from the left side of the building (if you’re on Valero Street, that’s where the entrance can be found) and take the stairs to the second floor.
