It has been almost 3 years since the COVID-19 pandemic started. I’m so grateful that my immediate family members and I are still alive and that we have survived this pandemic!

We have spent most of our time at home in the past 3 years. We only went out for essentials for at least 2 years. When the Alert Level became #1, we slowly started going out again in open spaces so that our kids can have more time playing outdoors. We also started to explore al fresco restaurants.

Since my second child liked going to Tagaytay even before the pandemic, I thought that celebrating God’s gift of life to him this year in the Tagaytay area would be a nice idea. The last time that we were in Tagaytay to celebrate his birthday was when he was 6 years old.

Thus, I was delighted to discover Abagatan ti Manila recently. Their name means South of Manila. They are located at Amuyong, Alfonso, Cavite.

Abagatan ti Manila is a hotel and events place with an indoor restaurant, a garden restaurant, and a coffee shop.

Garden Restaurant

Although we had been on Alert Level 1 for a number of months already, our family is still being cautious when it comes to dining outside of our home. I believe that it is best to play safe by choosing al fresco dining. Anyway, there are so many wonderful al fresco options that arose in the past years.

Abagatan ti Manila’s Garden Restaurant is one of the best options in my opinion.

Let me tell you why.

The place is spacious and it is a great place to let kids roam around while surrounded by nature. They have a lagoon with ducks and fish. There are many trees and plants.

Even if they have plenty of seating options, the tables are not too near to each other. There is ample distance between tables and guests.

Whether you are on a date with your significant other or spouse, with your family, extended family and/or your friends, you can find a good spot in their Garden Restaurant.

Because the place has an expansive open area, it would take a while before the place becomes crowded. That’s one of the things I loved about their Garden Restaurant.

You and your kids need not worry about taking off your masks while waiting for your orders or while eating because it is a big open space with plenty of plants and trees that help clean the air that you breathe.

The place has a great ambiance! The beautiful scenery is relaxing to the eyes and the spirit.

Aside from the magnificent setting and excellent environment and atmosphere, they also serve delicious food. They serve Ilocano and international dishes.

We ordered kid-friendly food since we have 3 kids. I also considered what our birthday boy liked.

We ordered two kinds of pizza — Hawaiian, which is our boys’ all-time favorite flavor, and Ham & Cheese. To our pleasant surprise, our boys, who we found hard to convince to try other pizza flavors for the longest time, devoured their Ham & Cheese Pizza!

Their pizza is big and relatively thick. Our family of five with 3 children didn’t get to finish the 2 pizzas.

We also ordered fried chicken but half only. We know that our kids have little tummies. The half order was just right for our family.

We also ordered Pasta Carbonara for a change. Most of the time, we order pasta with red sauce because that’s what the kids usually order. I’m glad that they were adventurous enough to try a new pasta last weekend in our newly-discovered al fresco restaurant.

We ordered Caesar Salad to add some veggies to our feast. Then, we ordered fruit shakes. My husband tried their pineapple shake. My 2 kids tried the watermelon shake. Mateo and I tried their mango shake. I originally wanted a melon shake but the melon was already overripe. So, I was asked to change my order. I’m glad that they value the quality of the products that they serve.

We initially sat near the lagoon area. But before we could eat our lunch, the rain started pouring. All their tables in the garden area have cantilever umbrellas. However, if you have a relatively big group and the rain is more than just a trickle, you could get wet.

Actually, it was already raining when we left Manila. That’s one reason we were delayed in arriving at Abagatan ti Manila. It was a bit traffic at SLEX last Saturday morning.

While we were still on the road, I placed our order in advance already since it was already lunchtime and we were already hungry. I asked how long is the usual food preparation time. When I learned that it’s usually 20 minutes, I texted our food order 20 minutes before our arrival.

It was only at Tagaytay proper that we saw the sun again. We thought that it will not rain at the restaurant. But it did.

It was a good thing that they have another covered area that is still part of their Garden Restaurant. That’s where we moved. They have plenty of seating areas you can choose from even on a rainy day.

Nonetheless, we still enjoyed our lunch while it was raining.

Our transfer to a different table caused a bit more delay in our late lunch but the wait was worth it because the food tasted very good!

My husband ordered hot coffee (Rider’s Doppio from Kap’ean’s menu) after eating lunch and enjoyed it while it rained.

We were so full with our initial order. We had to wait for some time before ordering their ube turon for dessert. It was so good! It had a langka (jackfruit)-based sauce. But we were still so full that we just had 1 order of it.

The servers were very attentive and quick to give us whatever we needed or requested.

We decided to go on a hotel tour first so that we’ll have time to digest our food and walk around even while it was raining. They arranged for a golf cart that would take us to the hotel since it was raining. We got to see their different rooms, function rooms, and facilities, including their big swimming pool. I’ll share more details and more pictures of the hotel in a separate blog post soon.

After touring the hotel, we were brought by golf cart back to their al fresco area and we went to their cafe called Kap’ean Coffee.

Kap’ean Coffee

Kap’ean Coffee is just beside Abagatan ti Manila’s Garden Restaurant.

You can actually order food or drinks from Kap’ean and consume them at the Garden Restaurant’s area. But you cannot order from the Garden Restaurant and eat or drink them in the cafe. We decided to try out the drinks and food at Kap’ean and consume them there as well.

Kap’ean came from the Ilocano word “kapian” or “pagkapian” which means a coffee place. It was just modified a bit in its spelling.

Kap’ean Coffee is a huge coffee shop! It has two levels that are both roomy and airy.

The upper level can be air-conditioned or al fresco. The large glass doors/windows can be opened to let the fresh air in and out.

The lower level is completely al fresco.

By the time we arrived at Kap’ean, our boys were ready to sample their drinks and sweet treats.

One of the things that I liked at Kap’ean, aside from their spacious cafe is that there are plenty of choices for non-coffee drinkers also like my kids.

Although it was chilly at the time of our visit, my boys and I still ordered cold drinks.

Our youngest ordered their Strawberry Cream cold drink and a slice of Black Forest cake.

Our eldest ordered the Salted Caramel cold drink and a chocolate brownie.

We also tried their bibingka. This is perfect for those who want to feel the Christmas spirit already while enjoying their coffee there.

Our birthday boy ordered the Chocolate Cream cold drink and a slice of the Triple Chocolate cake. They even put a candle on Mateo’s cake slice and put a Happy Birthday on the plate. They also sang to him a birthday song to him.

I ordered the Dark Chocolate Chip Frappe. My husband ordered the Not So Coffee hot drink which is a mixture of espresso, milk, whipped cream, crushed choc nut, and almond powder. We paired our drink with a slice of Barako Cheesecake.

If you will order the Barako Cheesecake and you are not a regular coffee drinker, make sure that you include the whipped cream and a slice of the chocolate with every bite. I made the mistake of not including the whipped cream in the beginning and it was a bit too bitter for my taste. But when I mixed it with my succeeding bites, that’s when I was able to appreciate the mixture of flavors.

We played Scrabble while enjoying our food and drinks because that’s one of Mateo’s favorite board games. In truth, he is the current Scrabble champion in our family.

We all loved the drinks and the food that we tried at Kap’ean!

Before going to Kap’ean, I initially planned that we will try their nachos and sandwiches. But we were so full still from our hearty lunch at the Garden Restaurant. So, we just had drinks and dessert.

Next time, we will try their sandwiches, nachos, and their pasta, too. We’ll try their cookies and other brownie flavors as well. I’m sure we will go back here again many times in the future!

We really loved that the place is beautiful and has a great ambiance. All corners and sides of the coffee shop are Instagram-worthy.

We made sure we got to take a lot of photos of the place.

More Tips

If you are coming from Manila, leave early especially if it is rainy and it’s on a Saturday.

If it is hot or sunny, bring extra clothes for your kids and yourself. You surely can’t resist exploring the very wide grounds of Abagatan ti Manila.

Make sure that your camera is charged or you have a camera with you and you have plenty of storage. Take lots of pictures!

Place your order in advance to save time.

You can also make reservations. Message their Facebook page or text their mobile number. Click here for Kap’ean’s Facebook page. For reservations at their Garden Restaurant, send a message to 09278597651.

Our Verdict

We highly recommend Abagatan ti Manila‘s Garden Restaurant and Kap’ean Coffee Shop! It’s a beautiful place to go to and make memories with the people closest to our hearts.

They serve delicious food with big servings.

Their staff were polite, approachable, and attentive. They have umbrellas ready when it rained and they were quick to assist and offer us umbrellas whenever we needed to go to the restroom or when we needed to move to a different table.

It’s a safe place to dine, especially in their alfresco areas.

It’s a place where you and your family can commune with nature and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.

The place is so relaxing and cozy.

Even their restrooms were clean and big.

The price of food and drinks is comparable if not a bit lower than international brands. If you are like me and you prefer to patronize local brands, I suggest that you check out and try Kap’ean Coffee.

Your visit to Abagatan ti Manila will surely be pleasant and memorable!

I’m so grateful that we chose to celebrate our son Mateo’s birthday here. He was very happy and he enjoyed his special day a lot!

After leaving Abagatan ti Manila, we went to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Originally, we were planning to attend Mass at the chapel just a few minutes outside the hotel. My husband was able to talk to someone who was in charge of making arrangements with the priest who celebrates Mass in that chapel. But to our surprise, there was no 6 PM Mass when we got to the chapel.

Praise God for the grace to persevere, hope, and have faith that we could make it to the anticipated Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church! We got to hear Mass still! It was a perfect way to cap our memorable family day and to give thanks to God for His blessings, particularly for our birthday boy, Mateo!