Family Day Out: Cliffhouse, Tagaytay, Cymplified!

For a city-dweller like me, there is a need to escape the smog and noise. One of the places I like to go to that is a bit near, has fresh air and cool weather is Tagaytay. The places I have visited in Tagaytay are Tagaytay Highlands, Canyon Woods, Palace in the Sky, People’s Park, Picnic Grove, Sky Ranch, a little of Summit Ridge and Mushroomburger. Honestly, I don’t know whether People’s Park is the Palace in the Sky or the Picnic Grove. What do you think?

Cliffhouse, Tagaytay

I have read raves about Buon Giorno the Italian Restaurant in Cliffhouse, so I decided to visit the place with my family. There was no huge signboard to watch out for. The sign was instead on a big rock that was on the ground, so we had to make a U-turn. The parking area was what greeted us upon passing the barrier. The walkway to the restaurant was interesting as trees and plants framed the winding path. One also has the option to walk in front of the stores. The shops were in house-like structures. The inn’s rooms were probably above them.

Buon Giorno was already packed, and maybe we were considered early because we got the first spot in the waiting list. We waited on their couch/day bed near the entrance, outside the window of a corner table. I’m glad they had an area where guests could view the lake where Taal Volcano was located. It’s like a viewing deck with a wooden bench and several wooden armchairs. It was lunchtime so the sun shone brighter. When the clouds covered the sun momentarily, the kids ran to the seats. When the sun showed up again, they ran back to the shade with the couch, where I sat waiting to be called. It’s nice that there’s space where children can run. I also saw a couple of young kids riding scooters.

I think there’s just one set of public restroom for the whole place, but it’s not crowded, so it’s okay. As I neared the comfort room, I smelled coffee and thought, “How nice it would be to sit outside a coffee shop at the Cliffhouse, enjoying the laid back ambience, just my S. O. and me.” But realizing I have three kids in tow, the daydream bubble popped.

Buon Giorno

Finally, it was our turn and we were seated outside, near the safety railing of the viewing deck. The seating was perfect for us. There’s another couch/day bed for the children, my hubby and I sat on the wooden slatted chairs. But then the youngest decided to have a chair like ours. Oh, well!

We ordered and then, I was supposed to write a few notes on my blog idea notebook. One sentence and a few chitchats later, the food gradually came. It was less than the 10-15 minutes that the server said. Good news for hungry tummies! The kids had sunny side up eggs and an order of chicken tenders with curly fries. For me, the fries were too toasted and the chicken had much breading than I expected.

I had the sausage risotto and was surprised that it had spring onions, which I never imagined going with Italian dishes. The sausage lacked flavor for me, sadly.

My hubby Rix had the spicy seafood pasta in tomato sauce. For someone who likes hot and spicy food, this was bland for him. I tasted a bit of it; for a spicy dish and for me, who cannot eat spicy food, this was too tame. We ordered the Quattro Formaggi pizza mainly for the youngest. It was a little too salty for us at first. We had the remaining slices to go, even the focaccia bread. I ate a couple of slices for dinner when we got home and it was yummy. It’s not too salty anymore. Too bad I did not get to try the focaccia bread with vinegar and oil!

Rix and I shared the roast lamb dish with veggies and mashed potatoes. The lamb was delicious and cooked just right! The sauce was tasty, even without the mint jelly. The mashed potatoes were a bit dry, though. The veggies remained untouched because we were almost full.

The Girl’s Photowalk

Our family day out at Cliffhouse, Tagaytay ended with picture-taking and a walk on the walkway surrounded by trees and plants dotted with flowers. That had my seven year old play nature photographer and she took shots of various flowers. Below are some of the flowers she captured.

Over all, Cliffhouse, Tagaytay is a family and even child-friendly place where kids can appreciate flowers and play a bit. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s a shop selling doughnuts called Evil? It also sells coffee. Plus, there’s a Cafe Breton to satisfy a crepe craving!

I love family moments like this one with great scenery and food! I can’t wait for our next family day out!

How about you? Where’s your usual family day out, besides the mall? 😀