Marcia Adams Tuscany in Tagaytay

I don't usually write about restaurants here on my blog except for places which have really impressed me. Last April, my friends and I drove all the way to Tagaytay (about 2 hours from Manila) to celebrate a birthday.We were off to a whimsical place called Marcia Adams Tuscany which I read about from another blog and I wanted to see for myself. It was just called Marcia Adams' Restaurant but people have been calling it Tuscany because it reminded them of that part of Italy. The restaurant was all the way to Alfonso, Cavite way past the usual Tagaytay row of restaurants. And as we drove through the meandering roads looking for the restaurant I was thinking if it was really worth it...I wasn't disappointed!

When I was growing up I spent most of my summer afternoons reading books instead of playing outside with my friends and one of my favorite novels was The Secret Garden, and as soon as I stepped into Marcia Adams restaurant, I felt like I was in my own secret garden. It was beautiful and I was tempted to explore the garden before we had even settled on our reserved table.

The menu at Marcia Adams changes periodically and she cooks according to what is freshly available at from the market. The Main Course price includes an appetizer, a dessert and a non-alcoholic drink. And this my friends, is a very good bargain. The main courses range from PhP 700-1650.

We wanted to order the Amalfi Prawns for our starter but we were told by Neil, Marcia's husband that they were not able to get fresh shrimps so that was not available. He asked if we wanted the soup of the day instead. But we opted for the Agean Salad which could be a starter (+PhP75). And let me say that this is one delicious and filling starter! There was a grilled pear sitting on a bed of mixed greens with roasted Pistachios, grilled Italian Ricotta cheese and Cottage cheese drizzled with a herby, tangy dressing. Really delicious and healthy!

The birthday girl chose Moroccan Chicken Tagine (PhP 755)for her Main course, which is tender chicken with lemon, olive and saffron with a tangy taste, all of us chose couscous instead of rice.

I don't usually like fish kabobs but their Fish Souvlaki (PhP 700) which is Tanguige marinated in Olive oil, Lemon and herbs was delicious! No fishy taste at all and the fish was cooked perfectly, fork tender and juicy.
I ordered their Grilled Aromatic Pork (PhP 700) which I had read in other reviews of this restaurant was really good and yes I would have to agree! According to the menu description this pork liempo was massaged with aromatic spices and herbs, moist, tender and very tasty. Yummm. I was lost in my food for a while.

There were four choices for dessert: Grilled Oranges with Vanilla Ice Cream, Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce, Fried Bananas with Dark Chocolate Dip and Banana Split with Chocolate Ice Cream.

We were able to speak to the owners after lunch and Marcia talked about how they built this place slowly taking their time to do what they really wanted, making sure that every piece of furniture, every part of the building was really how they wanted it to be. Marcia was gracious enough to show us around the garden, letting us smell the herbs she planted all over. We left this place at almost 3 in the afternoon and felt like leaving old friends as Marcia and Neil waved to us from the entrance of their beautiful garden. We settled in the car for the drive back with full stomachs and eyes that have been refreshed by the beauty of the secret garden.

Facebook: Marcia Adams' Restaurant

Telephone: 0917-8011456