Piadina @ Greenbelt 1

The Piadina exterior.

This afternoon, The Makati Brunch Club had lunch at Piadina in Greenbelt 1, which specializes in pasta and piadina - a flatbread variety that originated in one of Italy's provinces. I'm crazy about Italian food, but sad to say, this restaurant in Makati didn't quite meet my expectations.

The Piadina Pasta Ria: pasta without any kind of kick.

I ordered Pasta Ria - spaghetti with tomato sauce, smoked cheese and meat, served with piadina on the side. I liked the bread, but I didn't like my pasta. It was a bit bland for my taste, and I had to add lots of parmesan cheese and some sort of chili and garlic oil to taste.

The Piadina Placemat: Colorful and Classy.

On the plus side, service at Piadina Greenbelt was fast. But that's all I've got to say about it. I think my friends would have better reviews to post as it seemed they enjoyed whatever they had.

The garlic-infused chili oil was absolutely delightful.

Btw, thanks Eric for joining us this afternoon at Piadina Greenbelt. It was nice to meet you. :-) -- Idj



It was my first time at Piadina. I never tried the place primarily because nothing seems to appeal to my appetite. Alhtough, of course, with the Brunch Club, there should always be a first.

I had one of their set meals, which include a piadina of choice and fresh salad. It was delicious, although if asked to choose, I'd probably choose elsewhere to eat. Anyway, for my piadina, I chose tomatoes and mozarella. Quite nice since the combination is lethally addictive.

The salad is also very good, given the balsamic dressing that complements it.

Topping it all of as part of the set meal is their panna cotta. Love-ly!

All in all, a so-so lunch experience.

- Lean


Piadina Greenbelt is one of the restaurants in Makati that Cathy (my wife) and I enjoy going to, for a variety of reasons. It's good Italian food - reasonably priced at P135 for the meal I ordered, already with iced tea! - and Cathy likes the chili garlic oil. Mmm.

The Meal of the Day: Puttanesca with fried mozzarella and a mushroom piadina.

I ordered a meal of the day, which was a puttanesca (no choice) with fried mozarella and mushroom piadina (my choice). It was delightful, if but a little bland, which was strange, because their pastas are normally so flavorful. I like the openness of Piadina - it allows for the diner to enjoy the sight of people walking by - and service was reasonably fast, although for the second time in a row (the first being at Oody's), my order was last to arrive.

Panacotta with chocolate sauce. Oh dear Lord, our thighs...

Here's a tip, though: if you want a Piadina calzone, go the Piadina at the Glorietta foodcourt. They serve calzone at the same size for a fraction of the price. WEIRD. Would I return? In a heartbeat. For all its idiosyncracies, Piadina Greenbelt is one of the more affordable true Italian diners in Makati, and I enjoy my Italian food.

Garden salad with tomato piadina.

Leigh's date set her heart on fire.

GUEST BLOG: Eric

I intentionally arrived at Piadina at Greenbelt 1 five minutes earlier than our meeting time so that I could make a quick scan of the menu and absorb whatever mood and ambience the place had to offer. One can tell that the place served Italian because of the various kitschy icons of Italia that were either hung or drawn on the walls. What says Italy more than a framed picture of a Ferrari, eh?


Ok, so it isn't as visually attractive as I would have wanted it but we were there for the food. All those tempting pasta choices and various Italian delights offered on the menu were enough to make me forget the surroundings. Given this pleasant development, I was ready to give this place a second chance.


Or, so I thought.


The term "anemic" came to mind when I saw the dishes being served. I've avtually seen more red on the cheeks of a blushing snowman than on any of what we ordered (see pics above). The taste of the meat sauce in my Pasta Ria lacked something. Sure, there was a spicy sting to it but it just wasn't enough. I like it when the flavor of any food doesn't start and end in my mouth. It would be great if it would excite at least a couple of more senses.
The plus side? Service was quick and the servers were pleasant. The meals arrived at an average of ten minutes from the time we ordered. The price was ok, not fair, but just ok.


I have always believed one half of a good meal is the food itself and the other half is the company you have with it. I guess the latter was this occasion's most redeeming factor. Thanks for letting me join you guys and I hope to brunch with you again soon!