If you’re craving for heirloom recipes of the Spanish-Filipino cuisine, then Patio Vera in Marikina might be the place you are looking for. Located in Marikina City, Patio Vera offers classic dishes in an eclectic modern setting that is very relaxing to the whole family.
Coming from a line of shoemakers, owners Rommel and Dennis Caballes and the rest of their family decided na magtayo ng restaurant sa bahay na iniwan sa kanila ng kanilang lola. A magnificent ancestral house built in the 1920s, perfect na setting ang bahay na ito for serving their wonderful food.
Sabi ni Dennis, “Patio Vera ay para sa pangalan ng lola ko na Savera Santos Pascual. Patio is syempre the Spanish word for yard. Nag-start po yan dahil sa kakatambay lang namin dahil konti nga lang kami dito. So every night andyan kami ng mga pinsan namin tapos minsan meron pa akong kaibigan, nag-Iron Chef competition pa kami.”
Masasalamin sa history ng Patio Vera ang closeness ng extended families na very unique sa Filipino tradition. Tumatawang ikinuwento ni Dennis, “Our family loves to entertain. Pag nakatambay dito ang mga pinsan namin, pinapakain namin sila. So sabi namin, mag-restaurant na nga tayo para magbayad na kayo.”
2011 pa binuksan ang Patio Vera, pero para kang time traveller when you visit the restaurant, going back a few centuries in the past. Inside you will find an interesting mix of the old and the new, but the antiques are the stars in the restaurant. “Nagstart po mag-collect yung brother kong si Rommel ng mga antique noong 1980s sa isang santo lang. Hanggang yun na nga nakahiligan na niya through the years,” Dennis adds.
But as time goes by, the old gets mixed up with the new. It’s Patio Vera’s ambiance that gives its customers a different dining experience every time. According to Dennis, their interior is always evolving. “Mahilig kaming mag-interior decorate so natural na lang na palaging nagbabago. So yun ang advantage palagi naming binabago ang mga interior design.”
Aside from the wonderful food, isa sa mga sikreto ng Patio Vera sa pagpapanatili ng customers ay ang kanilang pag-aasikaso sa kanilang mga bisita. Given a chance, they even take their guests on a tour sa loob ng bahay. He even explains to them kung saan nanggaling ang bawat isang antique na gamit na nakadisplay, and he has a lot of fun interacting with their guests.
With a wide array of dishes from soups, salads, sandwiches, and the whole range of pork, beef, chicken, and seafood plates, Patio Vera offers these at prices ranging from P150-P550 per order. You can choose which area of the place you’d like to dine in. Puwedeng sa air-conditioned, al fresco, or sa garden area. A must-try is their bestseller Paella de Mariscos.
Patio Vera also offers catering and reservations, and group functions such as birthdays and weddings. With their warm and accomodating staff, surely, you will have a celebration to remember!
Patio Vera
70 Gen. F. Santos St Calumpang, 1800 Marikina City
Mon – Fri: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Sat – Sun: 11:00 am – 12:00 am
For information:
239-06-15 / 0905- 424-1593
patiovera@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Patio-VERA-Restobar/168310853217175
Images courtesy of Patio Vera’s Facebook page.
