For dinner on the day we watched Maleficent, Louie chose to go for a Greek treat, and Cyma Greek Taverna was the only restaurant that came to mind when in Robinsons Place, Manila. Everyone I know who has eaten at any Cyma branch commented that Cyma’s food taste great however prices are steep. I thought there’s a difference between “expensive” and “value for money” food. Catch my drift? We’re not the biggest fans of Greek food, but we’re interested to check whether or not Cyma’s offerings are worth the price to pay.
“At CYMA, it’s about bringing people together for a flourishing experience that starts with great food then goes beyond by nurturing the soul and the spirit.”
Review of Cyma Greek Taverna (Robinsons Place, Manila)
Ambiance: β β β β β
Cyma Greek Taverna is one of the those places that have a high-class and cozy appeal. The interior design screams elegance and sophistication, while the environment was pretty quiet and reserved. The white walls gave a nice contrast to the brown and beige tables and chairs which also matched the color of the floor tiles. Lights were yellow and I thought they contribute to the warm contemporary look and romantic vibe of the room. Behind us was the rich-textured wall with framed mirrors to reflect light and space.
Service: β β β β β
There were only a few customers during our visit so I don’t know if customer service would be as efficient in other days. At least in our case, they were fast and helpful in letting us know immediately that what we ordered was out of stock (they’re changing menus). Clad in white uniforms, the waiters shout “OPA!” out loud whenever they serve a flaming cheese plate.
I thought it was unnecessary as it’s distracting to people who are having a good conversation while eating. But others may find the act unique in this Greek restaurant and they’d order that plate only to be presented with the unveiling of the dish plus the loud cheer.
Food: β β β ββ
The Spanakopita (PhP 350) makes for a great snack or appetizer. The spinach in the pie was so tender and generously filled. Adding dimensions were the leeks and fresh herbs on top of the oil-slicked feta which were made with honest expressions of butter that brought sweetness to balance the tang. I found the crust most impressive; it was flaky but easy to cut through and not too greasy.Β Inhale it in five or so bites, and probably you’d wish to get another. Very nice to munch on! π
If your impulse is to order a gyro when visiting a Greek restaurant, Louie would recommend the Chicken Gyro – Cyma’s Best! (PhP 180). He repeatedly said how wonderful this chicken gyro tasted. There must be really something special with this dish. Made with tomatoes, red onions, tzatziki and wrapped in pita, the gyro sandwich was composed of ingredients that quite build on each other the way they should. I just thought that the chicken slices were a little dry and the taste was not intense as expected. Anyway, the sauce compensated for the miss in flavor as it was pleasantly creamy. I prefer to add an overwhelming dose of basil for overall improvement.
Similar to the chicken gyro, the skewered chicken in the Chicken Souvlaki (PhP 240) was a bit dry, under-seasoned and not juicy for my liking. Simply, the white meat here rendered almost flavorless, as anonymous as a protein can be. The texture, on the other hand, was just okay. With fresh vegetables, parsley salad and the yogurt garlic sauce, the combination was hearty but it’s not be something that would see my fork again.
Price for Value: β β β ββ
My verdict is that Cyma Greek Taverna in Robinsons Place, Manila has great atmosphere and well-trained staff members. A good consideration is that serving is sizable and definitely for sharing. Other than that, I say I’d have to agree with my friends who have had a meal at Cyma: there’s nothing much to rave about. Generally, taste of food we ordered was average and it’s undeniable that prices are on the high side with not so much value.
Then again, we may not have ordered what supposedly are the best of the house. I’m willing to could come back for another try. Meanwhile, you can suggest what to order next time. Comments are welcome. π
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Yummy yum! π
Hi Bani! What’s your favorite Greek dish? π
achi greekaris berdish with seafood houshell hihi π π π
Hi Apple Street Friends. π
Cyma is one of our fave greek restaurants especially for their salad. You should check my post for recommendables http://www.tsinoyfoodies.com/2013/12/cyma-greek-taverna-quality-greek-dishes.html
btw you could get the gyros and the souvalki at go greek http://www.tsinoyfoodies.com/2014/03/go-greek.html for a cheaper price but of course without the nice ambiance hehe
Ohh yes, I heard that their salad is great. Thanks for the links! π
Nobody metioned the greek pork chops. Hirine Brizola. 495 for two chops with either rice stuff bell peppers or potato wedges. Very tasty. Baby clams with angel hair pasta is also something to try. Skolatina for dessert.
Thanks for the recommendations! They sound tasty. Hope to be delighted. π
Hi Roch! Haha random, but saw your post on Facebook kasi – thought I’d check your blog out π
Try their Roka Salata, Hirine Brizola & Bifteka next time! π
Hey Romzs! Haven’t heard from you in a while. Thanks for the recommendations! Oh wow, 2 points already for the Hirine Brizola. Now I’m getting curious. π
Thank you for sharing your Cyma experience! We’d love to have you over again π
You’re welcome! Thanks for your time of visiting my blog post. π I’ll dine in there one day for more appetizing Greek courses.
That Burrito looks delicious, i will going to drop by to taste some of their food.
I thought it’s like shawarma but with different ingredients. Chips on the side would make the set better.
Time to go Greek again. Thanks for wetting my appertite.
When you have cravings for Greek food in Manila, you know where to go. π
Hmmm… Greek food is yet something i’ve never tried (okay, i think i’m making it sounds like we don’t have much varieties of international food in Indonesia, LOL) but is on the list of things to try! Especially keen on that spanakopita!
Hehe nice choice. I haven’t been to Indonesia so I wouldn’t know. Maybe I should research more on the variety of restaurants there so we can go food tripping. π
I love gyros. We used to have a gyro place where I lived and my boyfriend at the time became friends with the owner and he let my boyfriend take his whole meat cutting machine home with him to have a big gyro party. It was really fun and a bit wild. We had a great with great food.
This was my first time to try a gyro so I can’t compare it with anything else. From your story though, I can tell that you really had a great time.
That looks like a great place to eat. I love chicken soulvaki.
Oh well, I’m no Greek food connoisseur so it may be unfair for me to really judge how a chicken souvlaki should taste like. But yeah as mentioned in the post, the juiciness was stingy.
Your photography skills amaze me! You should have a book out. The spinach pie looks so yummy. Enjoyed my visit.
Thanks, Paula! I just used my iPhone 4 cam to take photos that time. I should have brought my dslr I know. Anyway, I appreciate that you like the pictures despite that. π Yup, the spinach pie is a must-try!
I am similar to you in that I always have my review somewhat based off the price/value! If a place has just average food and high prices, I don’t think it is worth the additional money unless there is a certain ambiance to the restaurant.
Of course, we should be also smart and wise in choosing the restuarants and ordering food that will get our money’s worth. π
Great review but I prefer other restaurants because I think it’s expensive because Greek restaurants are rare. I can eat more quality foods with the price.
Yup, thanks, Jien. π We rarely eat at Greek restos. I think this was only our second time to try. My first encounter of Greek food was probably Greeka Kouzina – read my fantastic review here. π
I love Greek Food.. We had a Greek Festival this weekend near my house.. I go every year and it gets bigger and better every year! Nice review!
Ohh thanks! π Your neighborhood must be a fun batch.
A great review! I find that alot of restaurants have forgotten that their first responsibility is cooking good food. It doesn’t matter if the has “atmoshere” or “elegant” if the food sucks the restaurant sucks end of story!
Thanks, Rena. π In any case, they are improving the menu and I’m looking forward for the new items they’ll offer soon. It takes a special business to stay around for years particularly in the metro, so I’m interested to see how Cyma Restaurant has been around for this long.
I’ve tried the one in Greenbelt and I like the greek foods they offer.
Greek food is quite a splurge, but it’s good to try at least once.
I remember Manila fondly. Great article.
Thanks, Janelle. You wouldn’t see much of Greek restaurants here than other more prominent cuisines in our place like Asian stuff.
The food looks so delicious, I’m hungry now lol π
Hehe I wonder why looking at photos of food is really effective in making one feel hungry! π Thanks for the comment, Diana!
Mmmm, I would just love to taste that spanakopita. It looks pretty remarkable, and the restaurant itself looks very inviting.
If only for that spanakopita, I would have given Cyma a 5-star rating for food. Yup, it was that good.
I love Gyros, chicken, lamb, pork or red meat are great for me one of my favorite fast food dishes in the world.
Greek-inspired fastfood dishes are good but they’re not particular my favorite. π
I love Greek food. Your photos are amazing and make me want to eat some right now!
Thanks, Ann. π I think the lighting of the photos should be improved.
You really made me hungry! Thanks for sharing!
Hehe welcome, Rhonda. π
I have never went to a Greek restaurant. I think I will wait to hear about your next time before I would go. Thanks for sharing.
Oh okay. Welcome. π
Cyma Greek Taverna seems like a peaceful place to relax and enjoy the food, so warm and calm. And the food looks really yummy and delicious.
Yeah. I haven’t seen this restaurant really packed with customers so it’s a good setting also if you have something really important to discuss like a business transaction or proposal.
Love Greek food, especially Gyros. Chicken or beef. Sounds like a nice place to eat. Great review as well.
Thanks, April. Excitement fills me in when they launch new dishes on the menu.
sounds nice, the only Greek food I have ever had it the Gyro. These Gyro’s look awesome!
Oh you should try some more to have a better familiarity with Greek or Mediterranean dishes. They’re pretty different from all other cuisines we’ve tried so far. It’s a good difference. π
Looks like you picked the perfect time to go for not having a crowd (I love when we luck into something like that too). Everything looks very tasty!
I haven’t seen this place with so many customers before. Not sure with other branches.
The place looks nice and spacious. Good to know the staff was pleasant. Some days are better than others, even at the same restaurant with the same chef.
Right. Happens all the time.
I love Cyma!! Food is great price is okay too.
Looks like Cyma appeals to more people than I thought… π
YUM! I LOVE greek food! This makes me want to go home to Chicago and eat at the Greek Isles!
Greek food looks too simple but the preparation seems really intricate. Oh, it seems that Chicago has a lot of wonderful Greek restos.
I love their best offer, the Chicken Gyro and I wonder how good it really taste but the pricing was a little bit higher maybe they have to watch for the consumer’s budget first especially they are just newly established restaurant. I love the photos as well.
Thanks! Cyma is a truly Greek bistro, and one of the first of its kind, having people experience progressive recipes.
I think our family would enjoy the Chicken Souvlaki. Let’s hope we find out soon enough.