Ristorante Pia y Damaso (Greenbelt 5) is a testament to the Philippines’ Spanish colonial legacy, and it’s up to you to decide whether the unusual theme makes it worth visiting or too politically incorrect to patronize. Inspired by Jose Rizal’s timeless novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, the restaurant gets its namesake from the iconic Maria Clara’s parents, Pia (who doesn’t make an appearance in the novel) and the priest Padre Damaso. Even some of the dishes are named after characters from Rizal’s novels.
I’m guessing that Pia y Damaso serves the kind of dishes eaten by the Filipino bourgeoisie during the time of Rizal, or perhaps a fusion of Spanish and Filipino cuisine, to make you experience what it was like to be part of the middle class during the Spanish colonial era. The cozy interiors and colonial style furniture and decor did a very excellent job of setting the atmosphere though the restaurant area itself is very small. It seems like the type of place you’d have to get reservations for if you’d like to dine there during a busy evening.
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