Pleasantly comfortable and cozy. This is the atmosphere I feel whenever I step inside Mary Grace Café. Having visited their branches, not a few times inside the mall or alfresco in Tagaytay, I consider myself a fan of this restaurant. They maintained the quality of service, food, and ambiance at a high level.
On Father’s Day, June 19, after we attended the 9 AM Sunday mass at the MOA church, we headed directly to Ayala Malls Manila Bay for an early lunch to avoid the crowd. While looking for a nice place to eat for the occasion, I saw Mary Grace Cafe on the ground floor and was again attracted to the restaurant’s interiors.
The Dining Area:
Like other branches, Mary Grace Cafe Ayala Malls Manila Bay is impressive from its ceiling down to the floor. It has perfect lighting and soothing music that is very welcoming. It has lovely interiors and cutesy wall art decor that pull me in for another meal.
One of the fascinating things inside every Mary Grace Café is the aesthetically pleasing ceiling decor. Those eye-catching lamps and bulbs hanging on the ceiling are a work of art. They use assorted lighting pieces with fluttering metal dragonflies and butterflies. It is relaxing just staring at the ceiling’s flickering lights and flapping metal wings while waiting for the food to arrive.
Compared with other mall-based branches I have been to, this place is considerably much better. This branch has a mini function room for special occasions and, if not occupied, can be a play area for little kids. This cute area has a design of a mini house with toys and books to keep the kids busy.
The food:
A brief history: The cafe started with its first kiosk in 2002, which offered Ensaymadas and Cheese Rolls freshly baked daily by the owner, Mary Grace Dimacali. In 2006, she opened her first cafe offering Hot Chocolate and her signature Ensaymada and Cheese Rolls. Today, the cafe has advanced from a kiosk into a full-service cafe/ restaurant that serves freshly baked pastries and heartwarming dishes.
This time, we ordered from their selection of All Day Breakfast, Perfect Plate, Cream Based Pasta, a cup of coffee, and a Mango shake.
Toasted Vigan Longganisa This dish is a well-liked entrée on Mary Grace Cafe’s All-Day-Breakfast lineup. This homemade dish has no preservatives and has a right garlicky kick. It comes with rosemary garlic fried rice and two pieces of eggs done your way (sunny side up or scrambled). On the side are spiced vinegar, pickled green mango, and tomato with basil salsa. My husband said the dish was satisfying and filling.
For myself, I ordered Dory & Saffron Cream plate. This one is my favorite among the three Perfect Plates they offer. This meal includes Saffron cream pasta topped with Cream Dory fish fillet, a smaller serving of garden-fresh garden salad, toasted bread, and a slice of cake of the day, Black Velvet cake. So, if you cannot decide whether to order pasta or salad, try their Perfect Plate selection.
Classic Carbonara-This bowl of Carbonara Pasta made my daughter smile as she devoured everything on her plate. According to her, the dish is very creamy and flavorful because of the fresh mushrooms and bacon strips. No wonder she liked it as this dish is one of the best sellers of Mary Grace Cafe.
I finish off my meal with a hot cup of Cappuccino. This foamy beverage is perfect with a slice of Black Velvet cake, a mouthwatering dessert with layers of rich, velvety chocolate cake generously covered with cream cheese frosting.
Mary Grace Cafe Cake of the Day from their Perfect Plate selection
I admire the restaurant’s personalized handwritten notes slipped inside the glass table, the table number holder with inspirational quotes, the Our Lady of Guadalupe image, and the clean and nice-smelling restroom.
Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience at Mary Grace Cafe Ayala Malls Manila Bay. I will recommend this place to my friends and officemates.
HAVE A NICE DAY!