Sweet Bella's Cafe: A definitely sweet stay

If you're a big fan of sweets, we found a perfect place for you to check out!

Sweet Bella's Cafe is owned by the daughter of Melo's Steakhouse. And true enough, cooking has been a thing in their family. From breakfast meals to desserts, name it, they all have it!

We were walking around Burgos St. In Bonifacio Global City (BGC) when we discovered this adorable cafe. We decided then to have a light meal since we had dinner plans already at about an hour or two.

As soon as you enter, you will be welcomed by such a delicious sight. You will drool when you see their delicacies that are displayed right when you open their door.

They also have this cozy, relaxing feel and look in their cafe. Seats are comfortable, the jazz music and the wonderful design of the cafe will take your stress away. Their sofas, and pretty much everything were pink too! It is also a perfect place for you to enjoy an afternoon tea.

Since we only wanted a snack, we ordered Croque Madame. It is made out of grilled ham and gruyere cheese with poached egg. It costs around Php 350. At first I thought for a sandwich, it is quite pricey. But when it was served to us, I figured it was totally worth the price.

I don't know if we were just hungry or the food was really cooked to perfection. The poached egg on top was just complements the sweet and tasty flavor of the ham and cheese. The poached egg was evenly spread as well. (yes, I noticed that too).

After we finished our sandwich, we were craving for more. As much as we wanted to order for some more, we were quite full already so we just head on to our dessert.

We ordered their best selling dessert, the Chocolata, according to the waiter,
this cake is rated one of the top 10 Manila's Best Desserts:

Their moist chocolate cake is covered with beautiful chocolate butterflies layered with ganache.

The way they made the cake was cute, especially the butterflies. It was really good at first, the cake was cooked perfectly as well. But for some who have low tolerance on sweets, (like us) you might not finish the whole slice. It was too sweet for us, but overall it was good.

We didn't get to try their meals yet but based on the serving, the look and the smell of the food of the people near us (who ordered some of their meals), I bet it is also yummy. I swear, it made me want to eat those meals as well (not kidding).

We will definitely go back to this place to try their other dishes. Aside from the relaxing ambiance and beautiful theme, the food here at Sweet Bella's Cafe is surely a must-try!

Aside from the bonifacio global city cafe, they also have a store in Makati City but for pick-up only (1730 Banyan St. Dasmarinas Village)

You can also visit their website: www.sweetbelladessert.com

Al Bacio Ristorante Italiano: A short escape from reality

If you want to escape the noisy streets in Pampanga and just savor your dinner with your partner or family, then this is the place for you!

Al Bacio Ristorante Italiano is owned by two people. One's Italian and the other one's a Filipino. The restaurant has been in this city for more than a decade now.

Imagine this: It is quiet, italian songs are playing in the background, you can see old school type of table settings and chairs, there are huge wine cellars, beautiful paintings on the wall, be greeted by very nice and friendly waiters. It feels like you were time warped in a restaurant in Italy.

Aside from its serene environment and the warm welcome of their waiters, you will enjoy the authenticity of their food. So far, all of the food that we have ordered were as if cooked from Italy.

Their menu might be a little bit pricey for some but the serving and taste will definitely make up for it.

While we were waiting for our orders, they served us this oven bricked baked breads for appetizer. And I kid you not when I say it is hella yummy! It was fresh and cooked just right.

We ordered the mozzarella balls and we didn't expect how huge it were. We were served with this. And I tell you, the taste is as good as it looks.

The pizza we ordered was like the best pizza we ever had. Not that we're exaggerating but it was cooked so perfectly. Let me just put it this way, first bite was heaven. What more for the second?

We also had their delectable pasta. It was also good though we didn't get to finish everything because the serving was not as what we expected. We were planning on getting dessert later on but after everything, we just skipped.

This restaurant is definitely a must-try if you are in Pampanga. Well, you don't have to be in Pampanga, as far as we know, they also have a branch in Tagaytay and Boracay.


THE VERDICT: Aside from the good food, you will enjoy your stay too, thanks to their oh-so friendly servers and its very warm and welcoming environment. We will absolutely go back here!

HOTEL REVIEW: America Hotel in Pampanga

A rainbow colored hotel can be found along Don Juico Avenue, Clarkview in Angeles, Pampanga. This hotel is called the America Hotel.

from http://media.philippines-addicts.com

It is just a few blocks away from the mall, SM Angeles and to local bars and restaurants.

America Hotel has a huge lobby for incoming guests and for their stay - in guests. It also has a huge pool beside the lobby which we found very awkward. You don't want to be welcomed with half naked people when you come in right?

from http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com

The hotel has free wifi and a computer area in the lobby wherein guests can use but there's a charge for that.
The wifi though is only available or rather reachable at the ground floor, sometimes it reaches to your specific floor but we kind of had a struggle with it since we stayed on the 4th floor. We had to go outside of our room just to access the net.

This hotel also has a 24 - hour restaurant where you can eat, well almost anything from their menu. The food is okay, if you were to ask.

The receptionists in this hotel were not as professional as they should be. Some were texting while some, we got a feeling that they were not interested or too lazy to work. We asked them certain questions about the room, and they gave us a one word answer. We asked, what are the inclusions in the room and so on but it ended with a yes or no kind of conversation, you get what I mean? They were not accommodating and were a bit rude, I have to say.

Their standard room rate is around Php 1,000-Php 2,000 a night. We got to book their family room which is around Php 5,000 (not so pricey for a family room) which is in the 4th floor.

Another downside of this hotel is that they don't have any elevators. Well, that time it was still under construction. So if you are booked in their highest floor, better prepare carrying your luggage to your room.

The room was quite huge and spacey. The room has a more of a homey type of feel rather than a hotel feel. Fully carpeted floors. Their family room has 2 rooms which includes the following for each room: Queen-sized bed, Bathroom (Shower) room, Refrigerator, TV, Dresser, Tables, Set of chairs, and so on.

When you go to a hotel, especially when you get the high quality rooms, you will expect that everything will be taken care off already, especially the amenities. Sad part about this hotel is that they only provided us with 1 soap and 2 rolls of tissue for each bathroom. No shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste included. You have to pay for those too.

the light was dim. what you see in the picture is the actual look and feel of the restroom

There were also no coffee available for you in the room and when you ask for a hot water, they will charge you Php 20.00. Also, one of the fridges in the room were quite old, as in quite broken.

The restroom is big enough but not that clean. It is okay, if you wouldn't mind some old looking tub and faucet. Also there was a bit of problem with the flow of water, there are times that the shower is weak.

THE VERDICT: This hotel is definitely considered as a budget hotel. It is not pricey but is a bit run down. Well I guess they were right when they said: "You get what you pay for."

I give this hotel a 2 out of a 5 stars.

Hotel Review: Devera Hotel in Pampanga

Hotel Devera is a newly built hotel in Pampanga located at Don Juico Avenue in Angeles City and just in front of SM Clark.

from google

For a hotel that is new, the staff who accommodate you from the reservation, to accompanying you to the room, to making sure you get everything you need, seems like they have been doing their work for quite some time already.

The hotel is not really big, though it is quite tall (9 story high). Also, you'll notice that beside this hotel is a bank (BDO), which is convenient for those who might run out of cash and of course, for emergency use.

The staff were very nice, accommodating and obedient. Even though, we were a bit younger than most them, they still say "opo" and "po".

from agoda.com

We were lucky that they're having a special promo on all rooms when we checked in, and so we availed it. From Junior Standard room to Junior suite, the price will range from Php1,200 - Php 3,750 (discounted rate) each room.

The most irritating thing when you visit some hotel website is that they edit the actual photo of their rooms. It looks good on their website but when you look at the actual room, it is so different. Well with Devera, what you see on the photos in their website, is what you actually get when you visit their rooms.

The whole hotel smells so good! They have this scent which will make you feel that the whole hotel is extremely clean. And it's a very relaxing scent, too!

The room already comes with complete toiletries. 2 fresh towels, 2 small towels, 2 toothbrushes w/ toothpaste, 1 soap and 1 small bottle of shampoo. The wifi in the room was pretty fast too because every floor has a its own WiFi.

The only fall back was that they don't have any slippers, and that the bed was slightly dirty though you can ask them to change the sheets, first impressions are always important. Right? But to sum up, the whole atmosphere and experience of the room was not that bad at all.

Devera have also started building up their restaurant inside their hotel which they call, D'View. This restaurant is located at the roof deck and you can also order through phone call from you room if you're lazy enough (like us) to go up (unless you checked in to their Presidential Suite which the restaurant is just outside). D'View currently has a promo on all food and drinks that has a 25% discount. But I kid you not, they have a very reasonable price for their food, it is not expensive at all.

THE VERDICT: They have good quality service, the atmosphere of the hotel is peaceful and very accommodating, rooms are beautiful and big. I will SURELY check in to this hotel again when I visit Pampanga. One of the best new hotels with a reasonable price. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

visit their website : www.deverahotel.com