Update 12/21/2018: As featured in 10 Best New Restaurants in Manila (2019 Homegrown Edition)!
Cicchetti, which is Italian for “small bites”, is a hidden Italian restaurant in BGC by Chef Alec Santos with the Belle & Dragon group.
It’s a quaint escape from the busy restaurant scene in BGC where you can relax with your date and appreciate good food.
Rache and I had our Christmas Dinner date here, and here are some tips if you decide to dine to Cicchetti …
CICCHETTI
8th Floor, MDI Corporate Center, 10th Avenue 39th St., BGC, Taguig
Operating Hours:
Monday to Saturday Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner: 6:30pm – First Seating, 8:30pm – Second Seating
Telephone: +632 987 4756
Mobile: +63 917 321 4756
Facebook: CicchettiPh
Instagram: @CicchettiPh
Website: www.cicchetti.ph
First Things First
It’s located in the quiet side of BGC in the north triangle after the Uptown Bonifacio development.
You won’t see any signs and you just need to find the MDI building and go up the 8th floor where Cicchetti is located.
There’s a small door that leads you to the corner restaurant and make sure to have a reservation so that the staff will expect you.
The best seats in the house with a comfortable lounge chair, a private corner with a backdrop of the BGC skyline — ideal for a small group reunion or celebration.
Cichetti Dinner Menu and Wine List
The menu is quite limited and it’s not as fully booked even during the holidays.
I like the industrial chic and romantic lighting of this 26-seater restaurant designed by Noel Bernardo of EC Studio.
For me, this would have been the best spot — al fresco with plants except that this is the bar and smoking arera.
Cicchetti Experience
The bread service is served with soft bread, focaccia with olive oil balsamic vinegar dip.
Carne Cruda (₱530). Prime Tenderloin, Pommery Mustard, Lumpfish Caviar
This is the signature ciccheti which is canape topped with raw prime tenderloin bits mixed with mustard and best eaten with a bit of caviar to cut through the raw taste.
Crab & Ricci (₱920). Linguine, Shredded Crab, Uni, Basil
Only the finest ingredients are used for this seafood pasta with shredded crab and uni umami.
Love how the pasta was cooked al dente and the flat surface was able to absorb the seafood taste. So good!
Pollo alla Sostanza (₱720). Pan Fried Chicken breast & thigh, Sage Brown Butter, Corn
For our main, the dish is served with a slice of chicken thigh and chicken breast fingers with a fine rich flavor of sage brown butter.
We would slice a piece of chicken or corn kernels and wipe the butter off the plate, and savoring each bite hoping it would last longer.
Panna Cotta (₱350). Berry Gelee, Almond Crumble
Just the way we like our dessert, not too sweet with a bit of texture from the almond and ending with a sweet berry note.
Final Thoughts
We enjoyed the Cicchetti experience primarily because its like an oasis from BGC life and you know that you are in the company of people who enjoy good food. Highly recommended for celebrating a special occasion or going on your monthly dates with foodie friends.
It’s a bit small but charming and people respect your personal space. On the bright side, service is quite attentive.
We love all the food we ordered and I just hoped that we did a group date so that we can enjoy another order of pasta and indulge with the steak. Budget about ₱1,500/head + drinks
Congrats to Cicchetti for going the high-quality route instead of the commercialized restaurant concepts.
CICCHETTI
8th Floor, MDI Corporate Center, 10th Avenue 39th St., BGC, Taguig
Operating Hours:
Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner: 6:30pm – First Seating, 8:30pm – Second Seating
Telephone: +632 987 4756
Mobile: +63 917 321 4756
Facebook: CicchettiPh
Instagram: @CicchettiPh
Website: www.cicchetti.ph
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We paid for our meal. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. If you are celebrating a life milestone or an anniversary, you can hear mass at the BGC Church just across the MDI building at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday and then have your dinner celebration at Cicchetti.
For complete mass schedule, visit St. Michael the Archangel BGC Mass Schedule
Pin it! If you like this post and you have Pinterest, hope you share it or pin it for later!
Thanks for this. I’m having a reunion here with my classmates and I’m glad there is a smoking area. Although I noticed you didn’t like that part. More power to you sir.
THanks for the appreciation. YEah, on the smoking part.
Don’t bother going here. Service is bad and food is average at best. Quality has really suffered since the soft opening.
I go there for the drinks. Cheers.