Rain poured incessantly from mid-afternoon to about 9PM last Friday. Traffic along Buendia and Ayala Avenue to The Fort was really bad. So the unfortunate thing happened: I did not make it in time for the highlight of food entrees prepared for us by Chelsea Grand Café in Serendra. Instead, I joined the bloggers and moved to desserts quickly as I arrived at the venue. This was better than missing out on Chelsea’s great bites on the whole. 🙂

Review of Chelsea Grand Café (Serendra, Bonifacio Global City)

Ambiance: ★★

Whenever I go to Serendra, I have a habit of checking out the restaurants from the outside to have a “window-shopping” view of those chic hot spots. And boy, there are always things happening in Chelsea Grand Café. This place is hardly empty and it looks like a beehive of glam-up people meeting and dining to enjoy its bright and inviting interiors.

The name “Chelsea” was inspired by the Chelsea Market in New York. I’m not sure if the ambiance also has a semblance, but I can assure that the ambiance here in Chelsea Grand Café is laid-back, casual and light. Various food items for sale are displayed on the divider in the middle of the dining area.

This restaurant grants customers privacy and welcomes them with companionship as they need it most. It is where you can complete your dining experience with a homey environment and take your time to relax after a busy day in the center of the city.

Service: ★★

I have a few favorite destinations in this upscale “food court” in Serendra, BGC, Taguig, including Mamou, Balducci Ristorante and Deli, and Sentro 1771 not only because of good food but also because of great customer service. Chelsea by Raintree Restaurants is one that I can certainly add into the mix. Service provided has been sincere and friendly, not to mention quick.

Food: ★★

Eating desserts first was weird but it was a good try. Why not, right? 😛 My meal started with the Chelsea Peach Melba (250). Looking gorgeous, the treat had the combination of colors which appeared as sunset in a jar. It was made with peaches wrapped with a thick layer of cream, strawberry sauce, mantecado, toasted almonds, and cookie crumble. I liked that their version of the peach melba was not too sweet. Adding hints of cinnamon and pairing it with warm buttermilk biscuits would be nice!

Over the peach melba, I preferred the Baked S’mores (PhP 275) more, which was soooo good. It had the combination of a warm brownie topped with toasted mallows, mantecado ice cream, nuts, and graham crackers. Dense and fudgy but not thin, the s’mores absolutely did not taste like an average brownie. Very filling.

I asked the waiter for the best recommended drink and he offered the Strawberry Mint (PhP 195). Every sip was refreshing. The flavors of strawberry and mint together had a delicate sweetness that was not overwhelming or sickly.

Finally, for my main course, I ordered the Char-Grilled Norwegian Salmon (PhP 595), which had salmon as its star, with salsa verde, toasted pine nuts, glazed country vegetables, olive oil and mashed potatoes on the side.

The salmon’s freshness was excellent. I loved how it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. On another note, the small squares of vegetables had a faint taste, so I didn’t understand if they were put into the same plate just for decoration.

Price for Value: ★★

No doubt about it—Chelsea serves food at astronomical prices! This establishment pretty much becomes attractive when feasting on some celebrations or impressing a date. Its menu features items that are all good options for any meal if you’re okay to set back at least PhP 500 per person. I consider returning for another visit to let my family also try their food but will reserve it for a momentous occasion.

group pic with bloggers

//I felt quite rushed for coming late but still thank Aldous for the invite. 😛

Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Philippines
For inquiries, call (02) 901-5817, (02) 909-7011 or (02) 909-7012
Date Published: 09/01/2014
Operating hours: 8AM to 11PM
17 / 20 stars

Chelsea will be opening Chelsea Kitchen in SM Megamall Fashion Hall soon!

About 

Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.

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87 Responses

  1. mr_jeng

    Last Friday was a real hassle! Traffic was horrible in the BGC area and Edsa and well you know the rest..Hehehehe. 😀 I always passed by Chelsea and I didn’t know they had gorgeous desserts. The melba looks enticing while the smores is a childhood favorite. 😀

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha yeah, Chelsea was also the last thing on my mind to go for desserts. As I’ve viewed their menu that night for the first time, I was overwhelmed a bit. Everything looked good and it was really hard to order!

      I’m sure you’d want to try those desserts soon. 🙂 Beautifully presented, they contained the perfect amount of sweetness.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      The peach melba was tasty but it was not as good as the baked s’mores, really. 😛 It’s because the cream didn’t pack as much flavor as it seemed like it should.

      Reply
  2. ava

    Wow!:) I love the look of Chelsea! I’ve actually wanted to try this. I just always forget!>_< The food not only looks good, but so photogenic!:)

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Chelsea has recently refreshed to “Chelsea Grand Café” from being Chelsea Market and Café. They also have an updated menu. The food are all worth for you to check out. 🙂

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      The s’mores dessert was on the expensive side, however it tasted very good. It wasn’t too sweet which I appreciated because I didn’t want to leave with that starchy taste in my mouth! Go ahead and try it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. mindy

    I hate to be late on invited events too, makes me feel very panicky and flustered! Seems like a real nice place and the smores dessert thingy is definitely quite unique and interesting!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      On top of the traffic problem, I also had encountered problem in finding a space to park my car. The lot in Serendra was full and I could not wait too long because grace period was only 20 minutes. I parked at SM Aura and had to walk back to Serenda. Luckily, I was still nicely accommodated. Food was good, too, so all the effort driving here paid off. 🙂

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Chelsea offers seating inside and outside if you want to stay and enjoy your treats. I will definitely be back when I’m in the Serendra BGC, and may even make special trips to bring friends here. Chelsea Grand Café has my heart. 🙂

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      I am pleased to say all were inhaled and all were enjoyed, and very much so. But everything was just costly. 🙁 Oh baby, I need to save up for another dinner here.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      I’d like to say that I have tried a lot of main courses on the menu, but the truth is once I had the salmon, it was hard to order anything else because I had no one to share it with. I still did not get to finish the salmon and just have it packed home for my family. But yes, it was crazy good.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      This is a place you can pop in for a daily lunch special, bring a date, hold a small meeting, host a catch-up conversation with high school or college friends, or just sit at the comfy couch and eat up. I recommend Chelsea to anyone. Not a disappointing experience.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      If it’s not raining in the daytime, I suggest you to go and sit outside as it’s a great spot for people-watching–if that’s your thing. 🙂 Inside, the decor is charming and unpretentious, as is the service.

      Reply
  4. Vanessa

    The baked s’mores look incredibly yummy! By the way, I visit Chelsea Market in NY during the holiday season and always love it. I really would love to stop by this restaurant the next time I visit the Philippines.

    Reply
  5. Natalie

    The food & drinks look really good. I love how bright it is in there and simple, not crazy colors & the shelf with all kinds of items on it, is really cool too.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      It sure is. What’s good is that it’s not hard to find at all. Once your feet landed at Serendra, it’s easy like a Sunday morning. 😉 Stop by here once and put a pause first to your wandering.

      Reply
  6. Mrs. Mashed Up

    I agree, the location is beautiful! I was liking this place until I go to the prices. No matter how much I like a place, astronomical prices are not OK for everyday, normal eating. Maybe every now and again for something fancy.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Right. This is good to try if you have something to celebrate so the prices would be worth the memorable dining experience. 🙂 Also, if you plan to dine in at Chelsea Grand Café, make sure you have a big appetite, and are ready for some favor. 😀

      Reply
  7. Bonnie @ wemake7

    What a nice looking place to sit back and enjoy some great food. Will have to check this place out someday.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      If you go here, you will most probably have a good time. This is one of the few places in Serendra where I actually left smiling no matter how I tired I really was already that day.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      The salmon is a definite must-order! 🙂 The reason why I chose it among all others on the menu is that almost all the blogs I’ve visited talking about Chelsea has this item featured.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Thanks, Anthony! 😀 If you’re looking for a homey, unpretentious dining experience in BGC, Chelsea Grand Café has your name written all over it. Finish your meal with the delightful baked s’mores and leave satisfied.

      Reply
  8. Kathy Ngo

    My brother worked at Chelsea before as an intern and I also had dinner there so I knew that food there was pretty awesome. Sayang you didn’t get to try everything. It would have been pretty worth it.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Ahhh si Kirkie? Yeah, ok lang nabusog din ako masyado with the salmon, desserts and the drink. 🙂 Plus, everything was really good so my trip to Chelsea was worth it in the end.

      Reply
  9. Alwin

    I assure you it’s not weird to start dining with desserts. 😀 Chelsea’s offerings, particularly Peach Melba, looked mouth-watering. I’ll check them out next time I’m in the area.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha yeah it was just weird for me especially when it was my first time to eat in that order. 🙂 Some would argue that the food here is their best asset and they might be right. I’d like to add “ambiance” as it also hits the cylinder.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Same here! My only complaint, if this is allowed at all, is that they don’t have a pretty robust vegetarian menu on hand, so I am not sure what to order for Daddy in case we eat there.

      Reply
  10. Melissa Smith

    Oh my goodness, everything looks so good! Especially those Baked S’mores! Perhaps someday I’ll be able to check this place out myself. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Rosey

    Oh yes I could go for some baked smores. 😉 Everything looks great, and I’d try dessert before the meal, at least once. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Jenise

    Wow, that looks like a wonderful place to eat and the food looks so good. Too bad I live so darn far away!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      I hope you will get here someday! There are lots of interesting restaraunts to try in Serendra up to High Street. The competition in this area is good. Dining at any one is a good way to get the weekend started. Feel free to stop by at Chelsea first. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Eliz Frank

    Didn’t I leave a comment on this post before? I know I’ve read it… anyway, I can understand saving this outing for a special occasion because of the high prices. The food looks great.

    Reply
  14. Fred

    We have eaten here before and yes the food is so good. It is just the price is really astronomical as you put it. It does not encourage coming back.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      well yeah, but some people are not bothered by the prices at all for as long as they have the best meals of their life. I hope that I will be that rich one day! 😆

      Reply
  15. Janine

    Ahuhuhu.. i missed the opportunity to attend this one. I really wanted to try dining in Chelsea because when I was working in Ortigas before, I always pass by this resto in Podium branch! argh! >_<

    Reply
  16. yan

    ang ganda nung place! and ambience pa lang mukang mahal nga! will check this place out sometime! 😀

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Sadly though, there’s no free wi-fi here. If there is, I think many more people would hang out longer with their laptops or mobile devices browsing the Internet and chill-azing. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Rob

    The food looks pretty awesome. Will definitely try Chelsea Grand Cafe, if I ever get the chance to visit the city.

    Reply

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