Cafe Naya at The Palace, The Fort

Café Naya, located at Uptown Bonifacio, The Fort, offers a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere. It is one of the first three establishments that recently opened at The Palace Manila, which aims to complement the laid back vibe of The Palace Pool Club.

Café Naya’s concept centers on coastal cuisine, a shared platform of Mediterranean, Northern African and European island cooking. On the menu is an array of modern, bold, and sophisticated flavors prepared by, no less than, Chef Mikko Reyes, who has proven his craft in The Hungry Hound, Niner Ichi Nana and Valkyrie Nightclub. 

Without further ado, check out some photos from my dinner at Cafe Naya, truly an experience to behold. Excuse my mobile phone camera's not-so-good quality photos. 

Along with other bloggers, we shared starters including Tuna Crudo (Php385) that was fleshy, full of flavour, and beautifully made. The fresh tuna with harissa aioli and fried capers on top of ciabatta was a successful combination.

Warm Camembert (Php395) was rather tasty. The crispy bacon gave a lovely crunchy texture, and the apple chutney and habanero balsamic provided a nice touch of seasoning and an acidic contrast. 

We also tried Uni & Ricotta (Php295). It’s a fusion dish with uni (sea urchin), Ricotta cheese, honey soy and fried kale on top of toasted brioche. The taste of the uni married beautifully with the creaminess of Ricotta cheese. This was a tasty way to start the meal. 

The Fried Oysters (Php324), crumbed in beer batter, were good. The coating was crunchy, but it amazingly kept the oyster nice and moist. Accompanying the oysters was some pickled shallot and salted egg tartare. 

The highlight dish of the evening was the 24-Hour Shortribs (Php1,198). Cooked pink for 24 hours at 57 degrees to keep it medium rare, just how I like it. It was tasty, aromatic and well seasoned. Good for two persons, too heavy to eat in large quantities. 

I was honestly blown away by how good the Pulled Duck Confit (Php498) was. This was another great dish with lots of contrasting textures and flavors (stracceti, mushroom, foie mousse, and arugula). 

We have also tried the Blue Marlin (Php476). With the Romesco sauce, this was delicious and well-seasoned. Also, as topping on the fish was fabulous mixture of grilled asparagus, chorizo and cashew.

I adored the originality of the dish of Grilled Chicken Flatbread (Php297) with tomato, herbs, pickled garlic and romesco sauce which tasted like a glamorous chicken pizza. With its delicate hints of pickled garlic and herbs, it was light and refreshing. 

The Spicy Tako & Scallop Rolls (Php455) were good as well. I love anything Japanese-cuisine-inspired dishes.   

Moving onto dessert, I really enjoyed the Yoghurt Panna Cotta (Php249). It was very creamy with an earthy quality to it, and definitely a really enjoyable finish to our huge meal.

Café Naya is sort of place that makes you feel sophisticated, and I loved it. The food is great! Actually I cannot wait to return and order Pulled Duck Confit, it was definitely worth every mouthwatering bite.

Whether you are looking to have a big night at The Palace followed by midnight eats, a quite lunch or an after work happy hour sunset session, Café Naya ensures an ambience where you can lay back and enjoy the tides. I highly recommend visiting them.

Café Naya at The Palace

9^th Avenue corner 36^th Street,

Uptown Bonifacio, The Fort, Taguig City

They are open daily from 11:00am to 3:00am on Wednesday to Saturday, and 11:00am to 11:00pm on Sundays to Tuesdays.

For reservations, contact +63 917 550 9999. 

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