It is never too late for this year’s haunted season! This October we visited one of the haunted places in the Philippines–Intramuros. But before starting our mini-ghost haunting story, let’s first dig into the taste of La Cathedral Cafe located just behind the famous tourist spot in Manila, Cathedral Church.
How to go to La Cathedral Cafe in Intramuros?
When you’re located just around Manila the best route to take is to ride a Jeepney in Divisoria heading to Lawton. Just tell the driver to drop you off in Intramuros. The ride will only take you 15 minutes depending on the traffic. The jeepney fare is 13 pesos each. From there, you can just walk straight and explore Intramuros on your own or ride an E-tricycle for 20 pesos each heading to La Cathedral Cafe.
When you’re outside Manila the best route is to find the nearest transportation in your area that will lead you to Intramuros. You can ride a Bus heading to Lawton or Baclaran, the commute fare depends on your location. In Lawton you can just ride an E-tricycle to drop you off in front of La Cathedral Cafe.
The La Cathedral Cafe
It was about four in the afternoon when we arrived at La Cathedral Cafe. I realized later that this was not the best time to see the beauty of the evening lights and sunset. I suggest if you plan to visit this cafe better to go there at around 6PM to experience the best show.
On the left side of the complex was where the entrance was located. Beautiful artificial roses and leaves that create an elegant and romantic ambiance on the ceiling make it easy to identify. The building’s third and rooftop floors housed the cafe. There is no other way to get to the top floor except by climbing the stairs, so be prepared for that. You will be asked if you have a reservation or are a walk-in customer in the small lobby before you enter. People are waiting in line to get a seat at La Cathedral Cafe, which has over 180,000 Facebook followers. However, since we went there in the early hours, we were able to secure our spot even before the line formed.
I was immediately struck by how exquisite their interior is. Given that La Cathedral is situated directly behind the Cathedral Church, the restaurant managed to capture the refined atmosphere of the building while also using some religious elements to complete their branding. You have two choices while dining: indoors or outdoors. However, the majority of customers are on the rooftop since La Cathedral is renowned for having the greatest location in both Intramuros and the Cathedral Church.
La Cathedral Cafe: Food Review
There are four sections on their menu: Pasta, Mains, Drinks, and Pastries. I find it impressive that the prices are still reasonable given the cafe’s upscale atmosphere and growing popularity.
The Cafe is open as early as 8 AM they’re offering a breakfast menu for their morning customers, and close at around 9 at night.
Chicken Alfredo – 280 pesos
La Cathedral Cafe’s Chicken Alfredo is one of their best-selling pasta dishes. After my first taste, I was hooked. I adore how perfectly the sauce’s saltiness complements the taste of pasta and garlic bread. Additionally, you can taste the flavorful and tender chicken chops. I will rate this dish a total of five stars and list it among my favorites.
Smores Brownies – 165 pesos
Of course, desserts are a must since our plan is to have our Merienda here at the cafe. According to the server, Smores Brownies are among the most popular desserts on their menu. You’ll like it right away, especially if you’re a sweet tooth. However, I lost my appetite on my 4th bite and couldn’t finish the entire dessert because it was too sweet. All in all, I gave this dessert three stars.
Choco Moist Cake – 165 pesos
Another dessert to try on is Choco Moist Cake! It’s true that chocolate lovers like me can find paradise in this Cafe. For me, this dessert is ideal; the sweetness of the chocolate flavor is just enough to satisfy. In addition to the flavor, I adore the way it is presented on the plate. The topping of the whipped cream created the ideal display. All in all, I rate this dessert four stars.
Frappe and Coffee
Given that La Cathedral is a café, we must try their best-selling frappé and coffee. Our beverages were an Iced Salted Caramel Mocha for 160 pesos and a Dirty Matcha Frappe for 175 pesos. Both live up to their namesake, tasting delicious. In contrast to Dirty Match, I adore the Salted Caramel Mocha. I’ll give it four stars for these drinks.
Overall Experience
I would say La Cathedral is among the highly recommended in terms of location and view. With stunning views of the Cathedral Church, every nook and cranny is Instagram-worthy. Aside from that, they have very friendly and approachable servers. Staff members are always willing to help in a polite manner whenever I raise my hand. The food and beverages are also delicious. La Cathedral Cafe gets five stars from me overall.
Visiting one of the Haunted Places in the Philippines– Intramuros!
Intramuros is the most historical place in the Philippines because this is where most of the important historical moments during the Spaniard era took place. Numerous Filipinos were cruelly murdered and imprisoned for years by the Spanish. These ancient walls do in fact tell many stories. The reason why this location is considered as one of the nation’s haunted sites.
After dining at La Cathedral, a few walks around and you’ll be surrounded by old buildings and houses of Intramuros. At around 7PM only few people are walking around the area making it more scary. While street lights are present throughout the area, some of the streets are not. Just thinking about how old these walls are and how many people have been killed in this exact spot gave me chills while I was strolling. Except for the intermittent lights, which I believe are the result of technical issues, we didn’t witness any paranormal activity. However, this is the ideal location to visit if you enjoy ghost hunting or want to experience a real Halloween in November. When visiting Intramuros at night, make sure you’re in the company of friends or a partner because aside from ghosts, Manila is also not a safe place for thieves and evil people.
Come and visit Intramuros and enjoy your November breaks by exploring this historical place!
Ihra
She loves traveling with her friends…and soon on her own. Coffee is her first love and dreams to taste every coffee in the world.
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