Galli Village Cafe: A Spa for the hungry tummy

Galli Village Cafe is a delightful contrast to the wonderfully busy city that is Makati. Take your zen spas for example, they are right in the middle of the city, but you go in feeling like you’re in a completely different place. Well this cafe is like that, a spa- for the hungry tummy.

Unlike many other restaurants in the metro, Galli is inspired by several village cafes from Asia, Europe and America. Manned and owned by a couple brought together by their passion for food and travel, this village cafe offers a fusion of different culture and flavor.

Galli boasts its Paella Valenciana at P255 and did not disappoint at all. It’s pretty cheap compared to Alba’s and Casa Armas, but all three taste authentic altogether. I suggest you order this in advance since they prepare and serve it fresh. I wouldn’t argue with that.

Galli's paella valenciana at P255 (2-3 persons) P495 (4-5 persons)

I highly recommend you get their beef salpicao together with your paella. There’s this amazing flavor or smell to it that I still couldn’t distinguish until now- like a faint smell of corn and pepper. It’s amazing, really. Maybe it’s peppercorn? LOL. But yeah, this one’s a keeper.

Beef Salpicao with rice P195

Their shrimp gambas is also good, I’ve had three pieces even though I am allergic to seafood. Worth the risk. Haha

Shrimp gambas with rice P195

That night, Galli served two dishes outside of their menu. One was cordon bleu served in their special gravy sauce, and the other was roasted pork in raisin sauce. Yeah, the word “raisin” threw me off too, but the dish was really good- you can taste and feel the raisin but it complements the pork really well. I really like it.

roasted pork with raisin sauce

cordon bleu

They also serve Pinoy food, from tinola to bistek to lechon kawali to kare-kare and of course, their famous Angus beef tapa. They are thinly sliced compared to your regular beef tapa, and seasoned well. I think this dish would really go well with coffee. 

Angus Beef Tapa P170

Other unique dishes on the menu are lengua con seta, chicken asparagus sandwich, almondigras, beef adobado (which I will try the next time I visit), fish tofu in taosi among many others, and everything is affordable.

Location, location, location. Galli Village cafe is right across the Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church, a few steps away from Ayala Avenue. They have an al fresco dining area, which can be a good place to read your newspaper in the morning, small chats with friends in the afternoon, and romantic dinner dates at night.

The walls inside the cafe are covered with the owners’ travel photos, hand paintings done by close friends, memorabilia from the places they’ve been to, all adding up to the warm, rustic vibe of the place, everywhere you look has a good story to tell. They also have a collection of travel books you can read while eating.

You simply can’t eat at Galli’s and not feel a personal connection with the place. From the sophisticated food they serve, to the simple wall accents, everything is an experience in itself.

Food :                       

Experience:             *****

Ambiance:               *****

Service:                    ****

Cleanliness:            ****

Value for money :  *****

Serving:                   ****

Galli Village cafe is open daily from 7:00am-8:30pm, located at the ground floor of YMCA Hotel, #7 Sacred Heart Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City. You may call 0927 391 4655 for reservations and advance orders.

*They have a nice parking space beside their al fresco dining area.

*They serve wine too!

Visit their Facebook fanpage at http://www.facebook.com/GalliVillageCafe