The Museum Café is one of Raintree Restaurants’ good, casual yet elegant restaurants serving Modern Asian Cuisine in an enjoyable environment day in and day out. It’s located right beside the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt along Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa. If you have to book for an early business meeting or just want to start the day right with delectable breakfast, this place can seal the deal. M Café opens up at 8:00AM daily and closes at 12 midnight. Apart from the food, the pretty ambiance plus free WiFi here can make you forget half of your life problems for a while. 😉
Review of Museum Café (Greenbelt 4, Makati City)
Ambiance: ★★★★★
The Museum Café is a noteworthy dining-out option in the heart of Makati’s commercial business district. Dining halls are wide and spacious, in both the first and second floors. The lights? Lovely. Decorations? Exquisite. The counter, the floor and the walls are filled with elaborate touches making up for an upscale theme. It’s essentially like eating at a rich aunt’s home. M Café is bright, personable and compelling as a restaurant serving Asian food with a twist. Outside, tables, stools and a bar counter with alcoholic drinks displayed set the mood for the nightlife.
The Museum Café extends to Kabila, another Raintree Restaurant, on the other side of the room. Kabila is a Filipino bistro which occupies the space formerly known as the Ayala Museum gift shop.
Service: ★★★★☆
One star went away because I witnessed how a couple of customers walked out of the restaurant after not being heard or seen when calling the servers’ attention. It was very early in the morning and they were among the first customers who entered after me. Most staff were stationed at the counter area fronting the entrance only adjacent to where the customers were seated. This was probably why notice was not given immediately within supposed waiting time.
When the space became busier later, the servers were spread around the place. They delivered food and drinks with speed. I hope they show the same attentiveness and grace to heighten any diner’s experience anytime.
Food: ★★★★☆
M Café tops its Pancakes (PhP 250) and Waffles (PhP 250) with ripe mangoes, watermelon and granny smith and serves them with maple syrup, butter and peanut butter. These are staple breakfast items that are good for sharing because they’re heavy on the stomach. They’re buttery, crusty on the outside and still soft and hot on the inside. I tried drizzling peanut butter onto the waffles and pancakes for the first time and the result was so good, surprisingly. Peanut butter as a substitute was a little more sophisticated than the usual maple syrup or butter. If you find yourself trying to decide between the two, let me help you make that decision—get the waffles, please. 🙂
Impeccably presented, the M Benedict came in two variations: Jamon Excellente (PhP 375) and Smoked Salmon (PhP 375). Both were served with poached egg, hollandaise arugula and grilled cherry tomatoes. These were certainly interesting as the combined tastes of the fresh ingredients worked very well together. The Jamon Excellente reminded me of Christmas. The dry cured ham was above average. Still, I thought the smoked salmon was better. One bite did more than getting the job done for me. The taste of salmon stood out and hands down, it was delicious.
The Anise Scented Beef Congee (PhP 295) arrived hot in a bowl with flavorful and hearty broth that’s almost creamy except there was no cream added. Not too thick, the beef congee was tasty and had the right amount of salt. I felt glad that not a lot of meat was put into it, else it would ruin the simplicity of this good comfort food.
Topped with spring onions, shiitake mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms, the Hainan Chicken Noodles (PhP 350) was a modest-looking dish but tasted far more vibrant than it looked. The chopped chicken was gloriously moist, swimming in the noodle soup that tasted good even without the chicken meat. This course may not be exactly what you’d expect to crave here at the Museum Café, but the hot soup is a good choice to find warmth on a cold day.
Accompanying our orders of the congee and noodles, the option to choose among three pieces of siu mai, shrimp dumplings or shark’s fin was given. We had the siu mai and the shrimp dumplings. The siu mai consisted of plenty of pork goodness waiting inside, while the shrimp dumplings (har kow) got points for being especially good as they were very dense and stuffed to the brim with tasty shrimp meat. Yummy! 😀
Finally, we found ourselves queuing up to the Omelette Station. We watched as the staff cooked and prepared the omelette according to the ingredients we dictated. Mushrooms, bell peppers, leafy greens and onions were available. Cheese can also be added per request. I wondered why it took long before the omelette was done. The scrambled egg came out moist and soft. I liked it but wouldn’t order it more than once. I mean it was nothing different and spectacular.
Take a look at Museum Café’s breakfast menu here.
Price for Value: ★★★☆☆
For all our orders, the portions were just right. Food tastes and textures were good but not enough to have me neither eye-rolling nor heart-clutching for being extra pleased. Prices are considerably high so I’d recommend Museum Café if you want a spot for a big group outing (e.g. birthday dinner or celebration variety). This is also a nice restaurant to bring a date. You’ll be sure to enjoy a special meal with great decor and an innovative menu in a homey/romantic atmosphere.
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About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
I love The Museum cafe!:) We had an event there before. The top floor is a bit masikip, but all in all it’s okay if you’re into the cozy vibe. I also love the food!
Ohh I have dropped by another time at night and saw many people crowding both floors pati outside. In times like this, comfort is not something Museum Café achieves in the traditional sense but through their food. All food we’ve tried were good. 🙂
I had one of my birthdays at M Cafe a few years ago. We all went home drunk after consuming several bottles of wine.
Ahh haha I can’t imagine you drunk. 😛 It’s like a different world outside the M Cafe, where the bar counter is most eminent and it’s loud, crowded and dark versus the homey feel inside. Total opposites.
Yes, it transforms into a party place at night. They also have a nice crowd there.
The crowd as I’ve seen was a strange mix of corporate people and a bunch of old guys that wear stonewashed jeans and suede driving shoes. One thing’s in common: they love liquor. Haha it’s the best for a Friday’s night, I guess.
What a charming place! I love the mix of textiles and woods in the decor and the menu sounds wonderful!
The menu lists good and interesting food to try. They have a separate page for the drinks and it’s excellent as well with a long list of teas, juices, shakes and alcohol.
seems really noteworthy!
and the food presentation sets up the mood.
Sad though for the customer that walked out..
Sometimes, you just got to make yourself heard. 🙂
Those customers must be really impatient for not trying to stand up and call the waiter’s attention humbly. But yeah, the reason why I pointed that out is somehow for the management to read and advise their staff to always keep everyone in check and actively attending to customers.
I like that there is a choice of chinese cuisine and western cuisine for breakfast!
I didn’t explicitly/literally wrote about that but I’m glad you noticed. 🙂
Just now I know that’s a Raintree Restaurants, that I used to apply for a job. Well, they have more meals to offer and I think, lahat ay yummy!
Yeah, everything was great and some were crazy good! Regardless, you won’t regret dining at this place. 😀
The Museum Cafe looks like a really nice place and your photos make the food look exceptional.
Thanks, Tim! For brunch or breakfast, these need to be ordered with whatever drinks you decide upon. 😉
I appreciate cafes with a clean and cozy ambiance, and good service. The waffles and the omelette look really good!
Yup, the flavors and textures worked together perfectly.
Been there last week. My kids appreciate their pancake so much.
Hehe. I bet their initial bites were the first indication that they were going to really like M Cafe. Eating these pancakes is exactly the way you should be starting off your meal here too. 😀
Pretty neat and cozy place! And the food looks delicious too!
Hope to visit this place sometime soon!
Sure enough, you’ll love it here – maybe as much as I do. M Cafe is surprisingly devoid of all the things I don’t like about trendy restaurants.
What a nice cafe. The food there looks amazing. It would be a great place for a Sunday bruch!
Ah yes. Sunday mornings are pretty lazy times my mom would always ask us to just go out instead of having brunch at home.
Guess I’ll take a break and go make breakfast. The food showcased here is just lovely.
Food presented to us were tasty and interesting, and you should eat them. But there are more impressive things on the menu. 🙂
Wah, i really like the look of this restaurant-so elegant and exclusive looking! I’d definitely hold a dinner party here hehe. Huge, huge fan of eggs so i find myself drooling over the egg benedict!
For the M Benedict, each ingredient played a role, and each bite was perfect. Order it. 😀
the cafe give a look like office meeting room, but look is great. The food is also looking tasty
The rooms upstairs looked more like those in the office but serve as double purpose as dining areas. I guess they’re made for that. If you ever have an early business meeting as I said, you know where to go. This place is ideal.
Museum Cafe looks wonderful! I love the atmosphere. It’s so posh!
The place is really cozy with great food to enjoy. 😉
What a gorgeous restaurant. I’d love to visit Museum Cafe! The atmosphere is so upscale, and the food looks amazing.
Their menu offers a great variety of choices to serve you from the start of the day ’til night!
If I’m ever near the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt I’ll be sure to stop by this place. The food looks wonderful!
Yes! Its food is undoubtedly interesting to try. Bring your friends and family too to enjoy your dining experience more. 🙂
Why is it called the Museum Cafe? For its artifacts? It looks really posh though! I like how you notice little things like the customer service and whether people are being served or not…
That’s a good question. I’ve been wondering about that, too. I guess it’s to relate itself with the Ayala Museum? Hmmm… 😀
WOW! I’m a total foodie and love a great cafe. This place looks adorable. I love how they do their eggs benedict. So smart. Thanks for the review! Glad a wandered by!
xoxo
Candace
Thanks, Candace! Their food are really worthy to try as they put some twists in the flavor yet are still oh so delicious! 😀
Oh I love it. Everything looks very modern and fresh. The food looks great and I love the wine wall.
The wine wall adds spice to its innocent ambiance as it caters to diners/party-goers as well especially at night. 😉
The name got me hooked and the photographs made me read the post to the end. Sounds like an awesome place. Loved all your clicks 🙂
Thanks, Khushboo! The feels in this place would really make you want to stay longer. It’s cozy and nice served with sumptuous dishes to taste.
the smoked salmon looks AMAZING! ( and so does the decor)
They do have creative presentation skills with their dine setting and food that also deserves a shout-out for its great taste! 🙂
Looks like a very enjoyable place to eat.. and you ranked it all pretty high!
Being quite a picky eater, this just shows how M Cafe is well worth a try. 😀
Well the waffles and the omelet looked amazing. Actually all of it looked amazing. I bet you could spend the whole day there just eating from each menu and never get bored.
Hi, Michelle! If only I could eat them all day without gaining weight then I certainly would! Haha!
Wow, the atmosphere of this place looks so inviting, yet upscale at the same time. & the food looks amazing! Now please pass the waffles. 😉
Waffles!! I loved them with their tasty flavor and texture. Try it here. It’s a thumbs-up! 🙂
This place looks awesome and the food looks amazing. I would so love to have the waffles with the fruit with the syrup, butter, and peanut butter. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! The waffles are great and truth be told, you don’t need to wait for breakfast to have them. 😀
beautiful! Thanks for sharing such a great review!
You’re welcome! This cafe is a really fun laid-back place to eat. Stop by for a quick coffee some time. 😀
This is such a beautiful cafe and you’ve done an amazing job with the pictures.pancakes look delicious.
Thanks, Sandy! The pancakes taste better when they are shared. 🙂 It’s like a piece of heaven—light, fluffy and bursting with buttery goodness.
What beautiful food! And the place looks so trendy!
Hi, Cindy! The place and its food is really not a disappoint! 😉
and now I want breakfast for dinner. There food looks so good.
Their great food does make you want to eat them at any time of the day. 😀
Wow, those breakfasts look amazing (not helpful to me when I’m on a diet!)
Their food are really tempting that even my diet plans couldn’t help but take on a vacation for a while for this! Haha 😀
Very nice place for a dinner date. Such fine cuisine too! Thanks for sharing. Wonderful pictures.
Thanks! It’s also an ideal place for a dine out with friends and family. 🙂
Looks delicious! Love all the photos, thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Mary Ann! Food here are truly full of flavor that trying other dishes on their menu is a must! 🙂
What a charming place! And the food looks so delicious and appetizing!
Yeah, their modern and comfy setting does complement their interesting food choices. 🙂
Looks like a wonderful place to have breakfast and dinner. Those waffles with the fresh fruit looks so so good. I wonder if I make it, it will look that good. 🙂
It is a promising place to dine. You could also try following recipes found online and maybe share it with me after? Hehe 😀
Looks like a really great restaurant. All the food looks good. I would love to try the dumplings.
M Cafe is not a solid Chinese cafe but the dumplings are really good. Try them! 🙂
It looks like a fine dining place. Seriously calling as café? The food look so delicious.
Yeah, it’s a cafe since it has limited menu with simpler dishes than the restaurants around here. 🙂 So you can expect customers here to just order coffee, desserts and lighter fare.
This looks like a wonderful place to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere. The food looks absolutely amazing too!
It’s nice that they’re also served in generous portions. Perfect for a family get-together.
Your review is quite extensive and will certainly help anyone who is considering the Museum cafe to decide if it’s the place for them to dine. I would certainly eat there after you review.
Thanks, Shelley. I hope you’ll like the experience, too. The atmosphere is laid-back and food is delicious. 😀
Wow! What a restaurant. The pretty shomai is my favorite.
Better top it with the hot chili sauce and/or squeeze a calamansi to make the taste more flavorful. 😀
I like the ambience and atmosphere. The name Museum Cafe is okay. But the menus seems so standard.. Nice post btw..
Thank you. 🙂 Feel free to visit here anytime!
Another great place to eat it looks. Thanks for sharing. =)
You’re welcome, Bonnie. Bring your family here for a good brunch this weekend. 🙂
I love places with 5 star service, I think customers are the driving force of every business venture and I do not approve of occasions where the customers do not get the right treatment, as in the case you mentioned above!
Yeah, it’s the customer’s right and choice to stick with the cafe or move on to the next because of dissatisfaction. Being attentive at all times is the moral of the story.
That place is gorgeous I love it. That would totally be my spot. I miss my time overseas.
You can order from Kabila and take Filipino food on the same restaurant. 🙂
sounds like a great place with big groups! also nice decorations around the resto and those foods looks enticing!
Yes, totally. This is a great venue for holding small parties. 😀
I’ve never had pancakes with melons on top..interesting combination. All of the foods look tasty!
Actually me too. It was my first time then to eat pancakes with fruits on top. It was yummy. 🙂
This is an excellent review of a dining experience. I’m glad that it is devoid of the superlatives we tend to see in some reviews. Very informative!
Haha yeah I prefer writing it like this than saying “delicious” and overusing some words that mean “yummy” all the same. 🙂 Thanks, Eliz!
The waffles and pancakes looks really good! Haven’t heard this before, I think I should reco this to my friends who works at Makati.
Thanks, Kath! I’m sure they will like this place, too. 🙂
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