Wine Bar 1771, Where Good Food and Good Friends Meet

Last March 13^th, my friends from my Poi group and I trooped to WineBar 1771 for dinner.  We always see each other on Sundays during fire dance class at Valle Verde and it’s also a group who loves and appreciates good food every after each class scouring restaurants within the area.  I’ve eaten at Café 1771 numerous times and enjoyed its quirky whimsy eclectic ambience perfect for Sunday brunches and days where you want the feel and calmness of a Sunday brunch.

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Café 1771, Just Too Many Repeats

Invigorating Flavors and Interiors at Café 1771 

Wine Bar 1771 has always been on my restaurant radar since it’s also part of the Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants and it’s apparent in its top notch service and menu offerings.  It’s my first time at Wine Bar 1771 that evening, I can’t count how many lunch and dinner meetings I’ve had in Café 1771 but WineBar 1771 looks like a good alternative too.

The bar-restaurant interiors are inspired by upscale bars in the SoHo area of NYC.  It has that classy rich dark wood tones yet roughened up with faded brick walls for a rustic counterpart.  Walls are embellished with Provencal paintings of Phyllis Zaballero while crystal chandeliers hang lavishly from the ceiling.  They have function rooms on the sides of the big dining room for private functions or to hold intimate meetings with executives or gatherings.

Our group nestled cozily in the chairs while waiting for the appetizers to arrive.  The chit chats started and soon stories are spitting out from our long table –which soon became buzzed with excited energy coming from tasting the initial dishes.

On the Table

Oyster Rockefeller PHP 550

8 Baked Aklan oysters topped with creamy spinach, bacon and cheese

Tagged as an aphrodisiac, there’s just something sexy about oysters.  It’s smooth texture sliding down without much resistance.  Whether served fresh with lemon on the side or as we had it that evening, baked Rockefeller style, oysters are great in starting the mood right. 

I now include WineBar 1771 in my list of favorite spots for Oyster Rockefeller (together with 22 Prime, Via Mare and that restaurant in Greenbelt) with its generous toppings of creamy spinach and cheese and slight hint of bacon.  Lemon wedges are also numerous which are notable since I didn’t have to keep sharing one with another person or ask the waiter for more.  I almost finished two plates without much help. Don’t cha worry, my friends were able to share in the 3^rd plate of oysters har-har.

Wine Bar Burger PHP 410

200g Certified Angus Beef patty nestled in a homemade brioche bun.  Served with lettuce, roasted Baguio tomato, grilled onions, a homemade dill pickle, French fries, and a side order of bone marrow

When the boards of burgers were brought out, you can hear a collective gasp from our table.  Yes the burgers were hefty and we couldn’t wait to nibble the fries on the side but it’s the bone marrow that caught our eyes and deep breath.  We proportioned the burgers and those who were brave enough, got pieces of the bone marrow to paste on their burger or their fries for that added rich sinful flavor –it’s not for the faint-hearted. 

Grilled CAB beef patty is not dried out and is juicy on the inside.  Homemade brioche tasted fresh and not just store-bought.  Think of your comfort food “burger” with every component at its finest.

Salbacho Pizza PHP 380

Salami, bacon, chorizo pizza

This was genuinely a crowd-pleaser.  WineBar 1771’s pizza is thin-crusted and had that perfect toasted sides.  I’m not certain if they use brick-oven but the crust had that toasty woody flavor that adds character to the pizza.  Green specks of basil twirls add color.  The tomato base also tasted fresh and had that resonating tomato flavor salted with the meats of salami, bacon and crunchy chorizo.

Spicy Spaghetti Sardines PHP 350

Spanish sardines, fried capers, toasted breadcrumbs, chili flakes

This was another of our starch entrées and albeit some folks finding it on the very spicy side, this pasta was good and not overly saturated with flavors.  It has that clean taste with spikes of sardines and light acidity from the capers.

Spicy Buffalo Wings with Bleu Cheese Dip PHP 380

Another crowd favorite, the Buffalo wings was well coated with its sauce and rolled in sesame seeds.  When a break from the meat is needed, the vegetable sticks dipped in the Bleu cheese come in handy. 

Grilled Angus Ribeye PHP 1300

For the serious meat lover, 300g pure Certified Angus Beef with a choice of sauce and a side of salad greens, with side dish of sweet potato pumpkin mash

Save the best for last.  I’m not talking about desserts yet but the grilled Angus ribeye was the ultimate scene stealer.  We had two men amongst 8 women but they weren’t the real macho on the table –the succulent ribeye was.  Two steaks we asked to be cooked medium –which is the best way to have any quality steak, and the third was preferred to be medium-well for the women who like it with a little more color and doneness than raw. 

I had no problem taking it medium with its inherent juices still very much intact making it maddeningly and utterly flavorful with its natural beefy goodness and laced with its luxuriant fatness.  I had several bites of the tender meat that glides easily against the knife.  Noteworthy also is the fact that their 300 grams looks like 300 grams, if you know what I mean. 

Side – Sweet Potato Mash

Coffee Pie PHP 220

Chateau 1771’s signature dessert; coffee-filling on chocolate-cashew crust, cream topping and toffee sauce

Monroe Bread Pudding PHP 250

Brioche type bread baked in luscious custard with butter and real vanilla bean

Valrhona Chocolate Caramel Mousse Cake PHP 250

Layers of caramel mousse, chocolate bisquit and chocolate ganache

Espresso Cheesecake PHP 250

A serious cheesecake marbled with real espresso flavor

The desserts, ah the sweet taste on the lips.  Each one had their own favorites but those that topped the charts are the Valrhona Chocolate Caramel Mousse Cake and the Monroe Bread Pudding. 

Named Wine Bar, of course the wine will not settle for 2^nd best.  You can get a sampling of over 400 wines from all over the world by the glass, carafe or bottle from their in-house wine cellar or their Enomatic wine dispensers –this is what you can call “Wine on Tap”.

If you don’t want to commit yet to a bottle, you can choose from tasting portion, half glass or full glass of any of their 12 featured wines.  We had two bottles that evening, Woodstock which is a Cabernet Sauvignon and St. Hallett which is a Shiraz.   

Servers were very attentive and know questions we had about the dishes.  Dining in style and comfort, it was an astounding spread and amazing time that we had.  Wine Bar 1771 is an easy top pick when there’s a calling for good food, to celebrate the good life, and comfortable plush interiors to house good friends to toast the good life with.  WineBar 1771 offers a bouquet of dishes that stimulate the palate and a wide range of wines to swirl, sip and savor… good times.

Wine Bar 1771

2^nd Floor of Café 1771,

El Pueblo Real de Manila,

Cor. of J. Vargas and ADB Avenues, Ortigas

Mon – Thurs 6pm to 11pm, Fri – Sat 6pm to 1am

631.7340 / 631.7339

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