Born out of love for Italian wines and delicacies, Galileo Enoteca Deli and Restaurant was brought to the Philippines by Gaetano Vitrano. Starting out simply in a hole in the wall somewhere in the small streets of Mandaluyong, Gaetano did not foresee a simple importation business to go beyond and evolve into services that provide unique taste of Italian culture. To quote Galileo Enoteca, the success they receive is a blessing that can only come by God’s grace and goodness.

Third time in Galileo Enoteca, but first time in their pioneer hole in the wall branch. The first time I had a glimpse of Italy in Galileo Enoteca was 2 years ago at their 2nd branch in Eastwood Quezon City. My impression? The consistency of being Italian. I had glasses of their wine, slices of cheese and plates of pasta and pizza.

As I went back to Galileo Enoteca, now in their first branch located in Mandaluyong City, I brought O with me to spot check what’s new. The setting of classic Italian dining had us expecting an evening of wine and cheese with our casual intimate conversations.

But what cheered up the night more was the food allotted for us to keep our romantic night company.

A tradition of every Italian restaurant, serving you their best homemade bread without charging you. On the left side of their homemade bread is a plate of tiny Bruschettas (Php 285), lightly toasted bread with garlic, tomato, basil and extra virgin olive oil.

To name this fully loaded platter, these are the following cold cuts as you can see: Prosciutto Crudo, Salame Siciliano con Pistacchio, Salame Piccante & Coppa Ham. While the cheeses are: Ragusano, Pecorino Saffron, Pecorino Tartufo and Caprina.

Fine and fresh from their in-house deli that will persuade you to bring home some goods by just showing off their various selections of cold cuts, cheese and wine, ready to take home with you.

The table turned to life with a serving of a pitcher of Italian Peach & Strawberry Sangria.

Eliminated alcohol taste in this sweet and fruity blend of peach and strawberry that kicked off our Italian drinking.

Saffron Arancini with Parmigiano Reggiano blew me away. Inside these yellow crusted compact balls lies the dish of my night. Galileo Enoteca did a marvelous job in creating these bland-looking balls turning out to be a party surprise in the mouth once bitten.

Pinot Noir makes a medium-bodied, elegant red wine. Black Cherry taste goes well with lighter flavors and mild red meats. In this case, the wine goes well with Assorted Sicilian Cold Cuts & Cheese or even with grilled, roasted or sautéed food.

A drowsy Pizza al Giro that didn’t entice us. Pizza rolls that’s supposed to have that crusty external texture yet keep it chewy and cheesy inside. Rolls achieved a soft, easy to bite texture but no crunchy crust and lacks flavor as a whole.
Instead, we turned our heads to the next dish.

A plate of romantic satisfaction. Every second with this plate excites you to the max. Nothing to hate, everything to love. Galileo Enoteca knows how to charm us easily.

So gentle, so ‘truffle’, so lovable! Dinner with O deserves a plate of Risotto that oozes with flavor from start to finish. The overrated use of truffle didn’t even matter for it blended so well with porcini mushroom and bits of parmesan.

From truffle oil, we go to truffle chocolate. Misfortune is on you if you don’t get to finish off your Italian dinner with Tartufo Dark Truffle Chocolate Ice Cream. The muddy looking cake put harmony from our sangria to our cheese and cold cuts until our ice cream cake.

If you think mint with chocolate gives you a gross face, then don’t even bother. Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake hit us with a strong minty feeling inside our mouth, almost close to brushing our teeth with mint. That strong and that good! Evenly combined with chocolate that perks up the whole experience of eating this dessert.

Paired with 2 desserts above, you complete the sweet filling the dinner asked for.

I said ‘no thanks’ and ‘goodbye’ to this colorless Italian liquor. Flavored with star anise, obnoxious taste was generally the feeling of taking a shot from Sambuca. Men out there could tag this along with you. I’m sorry but not for me.

The complete opposite of Sambuca for my lady-like taste. Limoncello, an Italian lemon liquor, produced more interesting flavors that pleased my drinking taste. The last but not the least to top off the entire Galileo Enoteca dining experience.

Long hallway with brick-like partitions for every dining area. Privacy matters with the way dining areas are structured.

You can reserve this part of the restaurant for your private intimate functions.

Spacious areas to bring over friends and family for wine and cheese. The wine cellar design adds a touch of sophistication but remains a casual feel as a whole.

Servers treat you pleasantly with their genuine smiles. Ask them anything about the menu, bright and clever servers give you that confident yet respectful answers.

The Deli that will greet you as you enter the front door.

A hole in the wall you won’t regret searching for. Getting my feet back to Galileo Enoteca the third time shows me how consistency and authenticity play a major role in their success. Remaining as one of the popular hole in the wall spot among the young generation up until our grandparent’s generation when you speak of Italian cuisine.

Talk about a casual yet sophisticated Italian dining with a couple bottles of wine, some cheese platter and risotto, Galileo Enoteca Deli and Restaurant might be what you are looking for.

Cheers,

Location: No. 80 Calbayog Street corner Malinao, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Operating Hours: 11:00am-11:00pm

Contact: (+632) 532-0482 / (+632) 534-4633

Website: http://www.galileoenoteca.ph/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Galileoenoteca

Budget: PHP400++

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