Cafe Mary Grace: Ensaymadas, Tsokolate and More

Mary Grace has been known to offer ensaymadas which are to die for. And although it has been around for quite a while, I haven't had the chance to actually try their sweet goodies. Good thing the pastry business had already expanded and put up Cafe Mary Grace, an easily accessible café carrying breakfast items, sandwiches, pasta dishes and pizzas, along with their famous pastries.

Among the eight Cafe Mary Grace branches currently scattered around the Metro, the beau and I got to try the Greenbelt 2 café for an afternoon snack. I've already passed by a few Cafe Mary Grace branches before, but never did I imagine the place to be very quaint and cozy, and filled with vintage trinkets. There were a ton of frames with old photos, books, candles and whatnots. The ceiling was also filled with paper lamps of various sizes.

We got tables on the mezzanine and I can't help but be in awe of everything I saw. Just merely staying in the café gave me a sense of comfort. But of course, since we're actually at Cafe Mary Grace to grab a quick merienda and not just to gaze at its interior, we asked for a menu and ordered a pasta dish for sharing.

We had the Spanish Sardines and Olives Pasta (P212) which is an aglio olio dish with Spanish sardines, tomatoes and mushrooms for that extra zing. Although I'm not a big fan of spicy dishes, this didn't fail to impress me. The Spanish sardines gave off a spicy, savory flavor to an already-beautiful blend of garlic and olives. The fettuccine was also cooked al dente which made eating this Spanish Sardines and Olives Pasta more enjoyable.

Being in a café famous for their pastries, I made sure to order a piece of the Mary Grace Classic Ensaymada (P73). Honestly, I find this ensaymada expensive, but I have to admit that this is the biggest ensaymada I've had in my entire life. Dusted with some sugar and a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese, the Mary Grace Classic Ensaymada was light, soft and buttery. It was quite a mess to eat, but I came to understand why this ensaymada is famous. Yes, it was really good!

Aside from a glass of free lemon-infused water, I also had a cup of the Mary Grace Hot Chocolate (P110) to go with the ensaymada. For a small cup, I can definitely say that Cafe Mary Grace's signature hot choco is expensive. However, I can attest that it's one of the most lovely cups of hot chocolate in town. It was thick, rich and oozing with sweet chocolatey goodness.

My date on the other hand, went for a cup of the Traditional Tsokolate (P90). Unlike my cup of hot choco, the traditional version had a denser and silkier texture to go with its bittersweet flavor. It was very rich and quite overwhelming to sip on its own. But when taken with the sweet and buttery ensaymada, I'd say they make a pretty good combo.

THE VERDICT

Everything we had at Cafe Mary Grace was very good comfort food. Prices may be on the expensive side, especially on the case of their hot chocolate beverages. But taste-wise, I say Cafe Mary Grace definitely hits the spot. With lovely flavors, cozy interiors, good service and free Wi-Fi, I'm sure we'll be back yet again for another afternoon snack.

Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Café Mary Grace, Greenbelt 2
Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center
Makati Cty, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 501-3089
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