With the proliferation of high-end, IG-worthy, restaurants all over the metro, it’s a breather to discover the lowkey, hole-in-the-wall, less pretentious restaurants.

One is just tucked inside Araneta Center - Giovanni’s!

We discovered Giovanni’s a couple of years ago. Hubby and I were driving home from Quezon City around dinner time so I suggested that we find something to eat. We were nearing Cubao then and were getting tired of the usual mall restaurants so we thought of looking for a unique restaurant nearby. I love Italian food, while hubby loves me so he’ll say yes to anything I want 🤣. We were initially thinking of Bellini’s in Cubao Expo (review on this next time) but I came across Giovanni’s by searching Google I think.

Authentic Italian

The restaurant owner, Giovanni, is an Italian chef so there’s very little doubt that he’s serving authentic Italian dishes.

Some, if not all, of the pasta noodles are homemade.

Back then, we ordered their Margherita pizza (P250, good for 2-3pax) and Spaghetti Pescatora (P380, good for 2-3 pax). I love the simplicity of margherita pizza and theirs did not disappoint. The bread/dough was a little chewy - good chewy, which I really liked. The spaghetti was a less savory than I like it but adding a dash of parmesan and chili flakes already made it good enough for me. Unfortunately, I was not able to keep the photos of these dishes.

Earlier today, I had a meeting in Cubao so I decided to pay the resto another visit. They serve you with their homemade bread while waiting for your order to arrive. This time, since I’m alone, I only ordered Vongole (P350, good for 2pax). The dish was a little less salty than I like but I finished it all. Burp!

Considering their prices, this place won’t disappoint.

Away from the Crowd

If you want an Italian resto that serves authentic dishes without the typical crowd of the more known and hyped restos, this is the place for you.

It’s so laidback that, you would actually see the owner, Giovanni, sitting outside the restaurant, smiling to strangers/passers-by every now and then.

I heard that they serve good Italian coffee but I just had my caffeine fix. So maybe, I will try that on my next visit.

You may find Giovanni’s at:
G/F Manhattan Parkway Condo.,Gen. Malvar AvenueAraneta Center, CubaoQuezon City
Tel: 02-332-1012

Till next time,
thedailymom

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