Weekend Brunch: Rustic Mornings by Isabelo
What's a perfect brunch setting for you? Well, if you would ask me, it's a good vibes morning with the sun not too hot, just the perfect temperature. Waking up to the sound of nature, smelling the pancakes, jazz or country music and well, waffles. No car or motor sounds.. just the calming breeze of air and a good view to ponder. Sounds dreamy? Too bad, we're living in the metro.. and unless you have your own garden in a super secured subdivision with no outside noise to distract you, then we're the same. Perfect brunch setting doesn't exist in the metro. But! Thank God we have restaurants that serve an all day breakfast that gives you just the same experience, at least for the food. :)
During weekdays, we don't usually eat waffles or any kind of extravagant breakfasts. Or maybe that's just me? I don't know about you but my breakfast usually consists of lunch viand because working in a mid shift makes me wake up in noon time already. But yes.. weekends are different. I love cozy restaurants that offer good vibes and what else? Good food! Especially breakfast food, because aside from midnight snacks (which I don't usually do), my favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Eggs, bacon, waffles, oats, freshly squeezed juice. Yes, just by thinking about it makes my heart melt. *Insert heart emoji here*.
Pwede nang pang romantic date!
Aside from the Wholesome Table that offers yummy breakfast, Rustic Mornings by Isabelo is something you should try if you opt for a weekend brunch, or just you know.. brunchin. Never mind what day it is, the food here is something you definitely want to try.
We went here on a Sunday morning after you know.. let's just call it "Saturday night after". My boyfriend's barkada wanted to eat breakfast in a restaurant that's somehow different from the usuals. And since we're in Antipolo, Marikina is just a breeze away. The place is hidden from the main road (hence, the statement "hidden gem") but if you searched it in Waze, you won't have a hard time finding the place. Parking's available but it is limited. We came on a Sunday so maybe there's really a lot of people coming in and out. Upon going inside, what welcomes us was a setting of a garden with your own private gazebo. I would say the place is perfect for al fresco dining but if you want to be seated in an air-conditioned room, they also have a place for you. The interiors (or should I say exteriors) are also very nice because some of it were recycled and made from used bottles. How could someone make something so sophisticated from old bottles?
I could imagine families bonding here.. this is the right place for "titos and titas" of Manila! HAHA. And that's a good thing btw. The place is so instagrammable that every shot you take of the place can be so bright without trying hard. Flat lays of food? No worries! Even without good skills in flat laying (just like me), you can take an amazing photo because the setting is so colorful. I just wonder how is the place during rainy days. Could be a little hassle, eh?
The place is also good for first dates, romantic dates, or you know, anything celebratory. There's a romantic vibe to it. <3
Meat Lovers 3-Egg Cheese Omelette. P240
Bacon, Eggs, and Herbed Hash Browns. P180
Beef Tapa. P280
Ilocos Bagnet. P320
Effortless flat lay! :D
As for the food, as I would say, taste is subjective but I would still describe it as how I remember it. I ordered their omelette. And I love omelettes. For me, it is okay. normal. I mean, how would you describe an omelette? My boyfriend's friends also said their food is yummy. Plus points for the serving size because it's really generous. We also ordered the banana pancake which looks normal on the outside but is delish when we tasted it. Indeed, good food and good ambiance.
Service on the other hand is quite slow. Maybe there are just too many guests but this shouldn't be a problem to them. There's a bell on each table for I don't know what's its purpose but we assume it is to get the attention of the servers. We tried using it, but it gave no difference. Servers didn't notice it and some of them would purposely not look at our way when we try to get their attention. Even when getting the bill and waiting for the change, we waited for more than 10 minutes just for the change. This affects the number of people waiting to be seated too. Instead of people leaving the place right after paying and receiving the change in a short amount of time, what happens is we sit there for an additional 10 more minutes. I do hope though that this isn't their normal serving time.
So how will I rate it? 8/10 for the price, 8/10 for the food, 9/10 for the ambiance, 8.5/10 for overall satisfaction. And yes, I will recommend and go back here too if given the chance. Thank God for something like this in the metro, we don't have to go to Tagaytay for a nice brunch.
M-Su. 8AM - 4PM
#11 Isabelo Mendoza St., San Roque, Marikina City
16 comments
I thought Isabelo was expensive. Thanks to you I learned that it's fairly affordable. Plus, it looks good to dine there in the morning and have brunch. Hope we can try having brunch there some time. -Me-An Clemente
ReplyDeleteThe price is reasonable naman! :)
DeleteI've been seeing this pretty place in the Instagram feeds of friends. I just find it too far, huhu. Maybe now I can check it out as I have more free time. Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you! xx
DeleteThe couple of times I visited Rustic Mornings, I never got the chance to dine al fresco. The indoor dining was great too, I felt like eating at home. On both visits, I ordered the beef tapa. Next time, parang I want the bagnet. And hopefully, maka-pwesto na sa labas :)
ReplyDeleteI heard the indoor dining is very instagrammable too! Will opt to sit there when we come back. hehe. And you should definitely try the bagnet. :)
DeleteFor the serving size, the price is a tad bit a little bit on the high side. Just a little lang naman. Design wise, I wouldn't to be there if the wind is strong. No sense getting knocked on the head by a falling bottle? LOL. The challenge there with elaborate designs like that is cleaning. Restaurant kasi so they do have to clean the ornaments. Food naman, as you say, is subjective. I agree. Pero looks good naman sa photos.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they won't offer you to dine al fresco naman if there's a strong wind. :) And I agree, I can only imagine how they clean the ornaments. Thanks for dropping by. :)
DeleteThe place is really instragramable, obviously by looking at your photos every corner is picture perfect! Good job! It looks relaxing and indeed perfect place for a date. Plus point that it's just in Metro Manila. Im not a breakfast type of person but if given a chance, I would love to visit the place. The servings looks big too.
ReplyDeleteI love Rusting Mornings. My wife and I had wedding planning dates there and we had an awesome time. But before that, we had company dinner there too and we also had a prenup shoot there for a friend. So this place is pretty memorable for me. I loved their food too and the serving was pretty generous.
ReplyDeletehttp://thetopknotters.com
My breakfast during the week is usually very quick: Just a bit of cornflakes + milk. Walking around getting everything to get ready for work. In the weekend, there's just more time! More time to enjoy a nice breakfast indeed. This place looks very colorful. Must put everyone in a good mood :). And that's a good thing in the morning haha. I love all the green and the garden. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWow! This place is one of a kind, very creative! It looks very serene! And I agree with Me-An, the food are affordable! Hindi ung nakakabutas ng bulsa. However, I am more interested of the place itself, that's one reason why I would visit this place. Kahit sa picture, mukhang napaka peaceful nya!
ReplyDeleteI first learned about this restaurant from a friend when he posted a pic of it on IG. I truly loved their interior. It really has the "rustic" feel in it. I never been there though since I live in south. I would love to try and eat there, sometime though. By the way, your photos are amazing! :) - Jen of Invest MNL
ReplyDeleteI love a good restaurant review so thanks for the very detailed post. Rustic Mornings sound delightful! I'm not normally a breakfast person but I could see myself visiting for lunch if I was ever in the area. The food looks delicious and who doesn't love waffles 😀
ReplyDeleteOh why does this place have to be so far!! 😩 How I wish places like this can be so near to Taft! I fell in love with the decorations, environment and of course, the food! Usually, I'm no breakfast person but if I get to eat at a place like this, it could just motivate me to be a morning person at all 😂
ReplyDeleteI love breakfast food as well. I love restaurants and food stall that offers breakfast all day long. I will surely visit this place. I agree, those old bottles looks amazing. The design and colors used are so vibrant. It adds energy to the vibe. Excited to check this place and taste their food! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog! Comments are very much appreciated. :)