Text and Photo by Camille Tanjutco

I started looking for places aside from our house where I could get some work done. I’m an office person, and I look forward to going to work every day because I enjoy spending time with my colleagues. We all know how much better our work lives are when we have good coworkers. And while I do appreciate the luxury of working from home, especially during the pandemic, there are days when I simply want to go out to work and see other people. That’s where cafes come in.

A lot of cafes have popped up recently. In addition to the promise of a decent cup of coffee, they usually offer an Instagram-worthy interior. In the past, I’ve ordered the same things as everyone else: an iced cup of coffee and a piece of cake. The Coffee Project in Daang Hari’s Evia Lifestyle Center is a favorite of mine. In addition to the fact that it’s close to our home, I’m able to get some work done there during the weekdays because there are fewer people. It’s a great area to get some peace and quiet, but I’ve had to venture out to locate a good restaurant, which is how I discovered San Marco.

When I initially saw it, I thought it was just another coffeehouse. A few ornaments and some bricks added a nice finishing touch to the interior, which I thought looked great. It was the food that swayed me. It’s a cafe, but it’s also a lot more. Many cafés don’t have a wide variety of meals, such as breakfast options, pasta selections, appetizers, salads, pizzas, and more. Not only will they serve good coffee, but they’ll also serve a decent dinner.

Their Rustic Margherita Pizza is a must-have! I was amazed that I could get a really good pizza like that from a safe place. It has the perfect amount of fresh mozzarella cheese and goes well with its bubbly pizza crust. It’s good for sharing, but I’d understand if you want it all for yourself. We also paired it with their Herb Pork Chops and Chicken Truffle Gratin.

I personally love their Chicken Truffle Gratin. It comes with these creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes. The breaded chicken was seasoned perfectly. I’m a little biased because I love anything with chicken, but it should be part of your order when you visit. It also came with crispy fried mushrooms, which I don’t usually see, but they complement the whole meal. Their Herb Pork Chops were just as good! It comes with rice and vegetables on the side. The pork chops were cooked perfectly. I was hesitant because it was a big piece of meat and I thought it would be dry, but it was tender, juicy, and delicious.

Their menu had a lot of food choices, and they all looked so appetizing. We honestly wanted to try everything, and we couldn’t figure out what to get next. We decided to get their Red Pepper & Chorizo pasta and their Salmon Caper Cream. I love chorizo and I never thought that it could go well with pasta, but it did! It was a new experience, and I wish I could have cooked it at home too. We also ordered a few of their healthy mocktails. We had their Maldives Supreme Mojito and Orange Spritz Mojito. Their Maldives Mojito quickly became a favorite of ours! The taste is quite addicting, and the mojito wasn’t overwhelming at all. I wanted to get one to go, but we decided to get the Orange Spritz at home instead. It had a hint of bitterness compared to the Maldives, but it was just as refreshing.  

We paired their Salmon Caper Cream with one of their red wines. And yes, – they have a wine selection too! When I told you that San Marco is more than just a cafe, I wasn’t kidding! I’m always intimidated when I cook salmon at home. I don’t know which side to sear first. I’m not sure what color of pink it should be or how to know when it’s done. So I always end up just ordering it when we go out, and it doesn’t disappoint at all! It comes with a side of roasted baby potatoes, and I’m glad we tried one there because it was seared and seasoned so well.

At that point, I was giddy and happy because I finally found a cafe where I could stay for the whole day while I finished a ton of workload. They have perfectly good food and are great for when you meet up with your friends too. The ambiance was amazing, you could finish a meeting there without being disturbed. You can also get their Iced Marocchino and Iced Espresso Tiramisu when you need that good coffee punch to stay awake! Their coffee is on the strong side, but the blend was amazing.

I thought of gatekeeping San Marco because it was hard to find a good cafe where you could finish your work peacefully and quietly while having a selection of pretty good food. It’s worth a shot!