Atelier Vivanda

Lakshana

4.0

Going out on a weekday is such a rare occasion for us. Having invitations on weekdays and having to work at the same time can be really tough especially when a great event comes by. Good thing this past Monday was National Heroes Day. Therefore, it was a holiday! Because of that, we were able to finally say YES to a weekday lunch invite from a website friend of ours, Gerry of Dude4Food. You have no idea how happy we were when the invitation fell on a holiday. Anyways, it was not a regular restaurant too. We had the chance to EATSperience the world-class French bistro, Atelier Vivanda by Michelin-starred Chef Akrame Benallal. Our first ever EATSperience in a restaurant by a Michelin-starred chef. How cool is that, right? We can’t wait to share our EATSperience to all of you so here it goes, enjoy!

Rizanoia

4.0

The first email was missed. The follow up email was a shock. I am invited?? Oh yes, I am! And i immediately called the contact person and to my delight, i get the invite to dine at this resto TONIGHT! Along with other website foodies! Delightful!I only commited for 1 hour...as I need to be back for office BAU. And oh boy, 1 hour is not gonna be enough to experience this poshness. And to note, this is a French Resto. I'm not very familiar with French food but you know when food taste great. The wine is excellent partner with their thinly sliced non-marinated, well-prepared meat from out of this country. Irresistable! The waiter made me order my entree and boy, i wouldn't understand a thing. Good thing he described it and so I went for this scrambled egg with mushroom, beefy strips covered with thinly sliced red egg?? Good!After meeting other foodies, talking, sharing, we were served with their finest steaks and duck and varieties of potatoes.... what's interesting is their "Special Steak" and they call it pure breed. The mom cow and dad cow are of the same breed and their produced the same breed of beef. Never really got that explanation before. Lol.Beef and potato is never a wrong combination. They always blend well together. I was so happy with my food and experience that I never noticed the time. But reality sucks, i need to be. Can no longer stay for dessert but i saw in their menu, they had creme brulee... so sad not being able to try that. But i will next time.Definitely, will be back! #avwebsitefoodiemeetup #frenchfood #steak

Burnout Super Foodie

5.0

I remember the exact day when I passed by this newly opened French bistro near my workplace and told myself, I need to try this someday, me being a lover of everything French. And voila! I received an invite for dinner (along with other website foodies) in this lovely restaurant.Two of the 13 partners of Atelier Vivanda, Ms. Khristine Gabriel and Nicole Palanca were our hosts for the evening. They were nothing but lovely and attentive, introducing each dish that came out with real passion for good food.The food, oh the food, everything was pure heaven in your mouth. From the Thinly Sliced Smoked Beef Aged for 50 Days that goes perfectly with the Caractére - olive oil created by Chef Akrame himself; to their entree, Scrambled Eggs with porcini mushrooms and mushroom sauté. One bite and the burst of flavors in your mouth is unbelievable!I love potatoes, seriously, I love potatoes no matter how it is served/cooked, and their Gratin Dauphinois is something straight out of potato heaven! Those thin slices of potatoes with cheese and white sauce are baked for a few minutes and then cooked in the broiler. I couldn't get enough I asked for a second serving! (Told you I love potatoes.)But what had me sold was the La Vivanda Ribeye Steak, this is seriously the king of all steaks. Served medium rare, it was sinfully good! Plus points for it being so easy to slice with their steak knife made by an artisan from Paris exclusively for Atelier Vivanda. And please, pair it with their red wines straight from Spain. It washes down the steak aroma and gives you that fuzzy feeling.Oh, and did you know that they serve rice with their steaks? If you prefer yours with rice, just ask for it. A little trivia from Ms. Khristine - of all the Atelier Vivanda restos around the world, the one here in the Philippines is the only branch that serves rice because the Chef himself realized that Filipinos love rice. How amazing is that? And lastly, dessert. Dessert. My God who doesn't love dessert? I honestly couldn't even move from all the food I have consumed but I wouldn't pass this up. They served us four kinds of dessert from the menu; Creme Brulée with Vanilla Bourbon, the Ile Flottante (Italian Meringue with Caramel, Creme Anglaise and Candied Walnut), the Custard with Salted Caramel Ice Cream and my personal favorite, the Chocolate Fondant with Pistachio Creme Anglaise and Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream. Everything was so good. So sinfully good. If you're a lover of great food, good wine and sinful desserts, you should try this awesome French bistro. I couldn't put the entire experience into words, but dining in Atelier Vivanda was like transporting oneself to a Parisian escapade.Until the next! Bon appetit! 💕

Ilham Satyo Utomo

4.0

All made into perfection! This is one way to describe the surreal that I felt during our last website meet up in this classy yet humble French Restaurant. Atelier Vivanda came from the heart of Paris and has spread to Hong Kong and has recently opened their first branch here in the heart of the metro, the soon to be global culinary destination. It is teamed up with a french Michelin Star Chef, Chef Akrame Benallal along with 13 partners, two of them were our lovely adorable hosts for the night, Khristine Gabriel a respected spokesperson of Ever Bilena Cosmetics and Nicole Palanca. They were hospitable, bubbly and accommodating to all of the guests.Ok – enough for the introduction. Time for the highlight of the night. Food! For appetizer, we had the Thinly Sliced Smoked Beef Aged for 50 days and they mentioned it is best paired with their specially made Olive Oil, the Caractere which is prepared by Chef Akrame himself. When I tasted this… “Ohhh!” I know there is something more in this night more than just a website meet up. The beef was tender and juicy and it was really way beyond perfect when dipped with that specially made olive oil. Simplicity and Beauty, Healthy & Delicious, I got the best of both worlds.We are also given the privilege to choose our L’entrée and I opted the Pumpkin Soup with Candied Walnut, Pumpkin Chips, Carrots and Pumpkin Sautee. I will strongly say, this is a heavenly made soup. The warm taste of the soup really soothes to my taste buds along with the right mix of the Pumpkin taste and the sweetness of the walnut, it calms right to the soul. I also tried my fellow websites’ choice, The Scrambled Egg with Puree Mushroom and Mushroom Sautee. By far, this was their best seller and true enough when I tasted it, it wasn’t just like your ordinary breakfast egg. I love the creaminess of the egg which would be an awakening for the rest of the night.As awe-inspiring as it may sound, but there is more than meets the eye. The most rousing part of the night, the main course. We were served with their La Vivanda Rib Eye Steak which is medium done and flavorful enough even on its simplest form and it couldn’t get any better when paired with their creative, luscious, rich potato dishes in a creative way. I am a potato lover myself be it in any form but I’ve never been this enthralled when I saw before my own naked eye the different ways of yummy potato dishes. We had the Gratin Dauphinois which is a baked potato seasoned with cheese and cream and then grilled to make that flawless alluring taste. The cheese and cream really melt in the mouth which is a superb. We also had the Pommes Dauphines, which is the personal favorite of Ms. Nicole. When I took a bite, it has also captured my website heart. The dauphines were like meatballs in appearance but when you taste it, it like a combination of pastry and cake, judging by its texture, I know this is another perfectly done in their own unique way. The mashed potato on the side was done well in a natural appealing way. It is not like your ordinary mashed potato which is too commercially done. Next to this is the Iberian Pork Loin and even if it is a bit oily, still the natural flavors that comes with it without too much seasoning but still juicy enough made it one of the favorites that night.  Along with these hugely calorie intakes dishes, we were served with a great taste of their red wine and sparkling wine and these were all reviving enough to help us burn all that fats that we just couldn’t help ourselves to get into for all those mouth-watering dishes.But of course, this night wouldn’t be complete without the sweet, scrumptious treats and as every website’s mantra: “There’s always a room for desserts”. We were just as buoyant to wait for their sweet tooth menu satisfactions.True enough, we had the Ile Flottante which is an Italian version of Meringue topped with Caramel Sauce & Crème Anglaise – it is sweet, fluffy enough that I just couldn’t ask for more. This is like a throwback to my meringue days – as one of my favorite sweet snacks when I was a kid, but in an elegant way.The Chocolate Fondant with Pistachhio Crème can be really tagged as one of the happy, joyful dessert due to its rich chocolate flavor served with the world’s one of the top picks ice cream flavor, Pistacchio.The Custard Pie with Salted Caramel Ice Cream on the side – I love the crust. The crisp from the outside and comforting in the inside has really relieved my night for its creamy taste.  This is my 2nd favorite.The last but definitely not the least was the Crème Brulee. I learned from one of the most famous US TV Cooking Competition Reality Show that Crème Brulee is one of the dessert you can’t messed up with as it is one of the most challenging dessert recipe to make. You have to ensure that all the ingredients are intact in its rightful measures and it is baked rightfully. When I saw the way they served their Crème Brulee, I know that I’m in to see it for myself if this dessert is worthy for all the hard work. When I tasted it, I just couldn’t get enough of its lusty taste. The Caramelized sugar drizzled on the top was way beyond perfection and the exquisite taste of the cream inside made my sweet tooth wanting for more. I was like in a blissful moment that time which made this my most favorite of them all.This restaurant is definitely worth coming back for all their classy, fine dishes which were all made with the art of heavenly perfection. Cheers for a good appetite. 😄❤

Dwi Santoso

4.0

For a full experience of degustation and flavor, this is the place to be. If you are a man(or woman) who has a deep connection with rich, succulent flavors, Atelier Vivanda offers not only the best-tasting steaks, ribs or deli in Manila, but also an experience like no other. Start your meal with their 50 days smoked beef, with a drizzle of Chef Akrame's signature olive oil with peppers--Caractére. I also highly recommend their Scrambled Egg with puréed porcini mushrooms and mushroom sauté and thinly shaved button mushrooms on top just for that right bite. It opens up your palette with this rush of earthy flavors from the porcini, rightfully complemented by the soft scrambled egg.Of the mains that were served, I got instantly sold by their Ibérico Pluma. You can tell that it was prepared simply to make sure that the richness of the Ibérico stands out. Naturally succulent, it's crusted just right on the outside, soft and melts in your mouth when you bite into it. They also have potatoes to compliment their steaks. The go-to menu item is their Pommes Dauphines(nugget-like pieces of fried potatoes and cheese, lightly crusted) and their Gratin Dauphinois(thinly sliced potatoes mixed with cheese on top, baked until soft and crusty) to compliment their meats. Dessert was indeed also one of the highlights of the evening. Fell in love with their Custard with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. Textures were smooth for the pie and the ice cream(it isn't that too sweet or too salty too) plus they compliment each other really well. I also love their Chocolate Fondante with Madagascar Vanilla Ice cream. The mix of hot and cold plus the marriage of these two flavors are a perfect note to end these symphony of flavors. Don't forget to try their meals with their wines. These are supplied from Spain and are an amazing compliment to these exceptional flavors.To be part of a website meet-up to this posh yet homey bistro was quite an honor. I would like to thank our hosts for that fruitful evening for providing me an experience that I will never ever forget.

Ilham Satyo Utomo

5.0

My visit was unplanned, went there out of curiousity. And luckily I wasnt disappointed! have to say, it was not perfect but it was still well-satisfactory. From the front of the house staff, servers and even manager were genuinely caring. They made sure that i have something to remember when i step out. Thanks for the team. Had a great time.*** Its actually my first time using website.

Melisa Arapkirli

5.0

The staff were very accommodating when we arrived. I reserved a table for two and we were both satisfied. My companion and I are both steak lovers and we appreciated your steaks. the ambiance is very casual and we were able to have a simple chitchat while waiting for our food. Our entree was served and my taste buds were very delighted. I ordered the pumpkin soup. The flavors burst in my mouth and I must admit that it is very addictive. But I set it aside because I want to save room for the other courses. The server was very accomodating. He even asked me if there is something wrong with my pumpkin soup because I wasn't able to finish it. But really, i was just saving room for the steak. Then I had my la vivanda ribeye. The one that I have been longing to eat for two weeks now. I preferred it medium rare. And it was perfectly cooked! My taste buds were dancing and asking for more. exaggerated but i mean it. The pommes dauphines is ok for me but the gratin dauphinois is better and it fits the la vivanda ribeye perfectly. I had my dessert, the creme brulee with cherry and dark chocolate. I prefer the classic creme brulee. So I ate my companion's custard dessert instead. Haha. It tasted like heaven. Would I recommend the place? i think I will be talking about it with my friends for a month or more. Haha. and I will definitely come back for more. But next time I will remind myself not to drink a lot of wine before going to your bistro for dinner. :)

Evirilika Nainggolan

4.0

I wanted to visit Atelier Vivanda ever since I saw an Instagram post about the grand opening of the two Michelin star restaurant. I wanted to have dinner there for Valentine's but I was a bit too late to make a reservation. Luckily, R's dad decided to celebrate his birthday there (and it was just one day ahead of mine). Yay! Hello, Atelier Vivanda!It is... not as fancy as I thought. I read a bit about the restaurant and it sounded so formal hence I was surprised that the place is pretty casual. I also had this impression that the place is huge and majestic. But the place is quite small. In fact, it is very cramped.R and I headed straight to the second floor where R's sister reserved a table for everyone. The space upstairs seemed to be even more cramped. The waiters can't avoid bumping into the diners' chairs or backs and it is never pleasant to experience this.Anyway, R and I opted to get the set menu for PHP1,900. It comes with an entree, mains, unlimited side dishes and dessert. I got Potato Soup for my appetizer, Vendee Yellow Chicken Breast for main, and Custard for dessert. R went with Whole Cooked Foie Gras, Black Angus Hampe, and Crème Brûlée. The server who assisted us offered to let us try all their potato side dishes.Since the place was packed when we visited, it took them quite a long time to serve our dishes. It was almost 20 minutes in when the appetizers arrived. I was not impressed with R's foie gras. It was a bit dry and seemed like a solidified foie gras pate. I loved my soup though. It was thick and rich. Serving was also very generous. Actually, a bit too generous as it was too heavy as an appetizer. It was delightfully creamy with lovely tanginess from the Comté cheese and tinge of saltiness from the smoked haddock. In about 20 minutes, our mains were served.R's black Angus steak seemed to be a bit small and rather thin but taste-wise, it did not disappoint. Cooked medium, the meat was succulent and nicely seasoned. It was flavorful enough for you to also appreciate the natural flavor of the meat. The Vendee Yellow Chicken Breast was also good. It was also juicy and had a nice crisp skin. Not a single bite was bland. Though serving size was also small and the chicken breast was a tad oily. The sides and salad were served while we were enjoying our mains.I had a big bite of the greens to help cleanse the palate. And sadly, it is just your usual straightforward salad. It didn't leave much impression on me.All the sides served were potatoes and I felt that it's Atelier Vivanda's way of making its diners feel full and think that they got their money's worth. Well, the baked potato balls with herbs and gratin were pretty good. (Tip: Ask for their signature ketchup for this.) The desserts, custard and crème brûlée, were also pretty good. First served was crème brûlée and it had a nice and crisp layer of caramelized sugar. The inside was smooth and had a nice light taste perfect to end a heavy meal (of potatoes). The custard took forever for it to be served. We had to follow it up twice just to get it. But our annoyance disappeared as soon as the lovely slice of custard pie appeared.Served with a tiny scoop of salted caramel, it created a nice contrast between the warm custard and the cold ice cream. I didn't really enjoyed the ice cream for it had a rough texture. The custard though was great. It reminded me of egg tart with its smooth fill and flaky crust. Overall, food was great but ambiance and service were not too good. I hope that they rearrange their tables to make it roomier for diners.

Alexie D. Peñaranda

4.0

Tres bien! This two-star Michelin chef inspired restaurant really delivers good, yummy food.I usually see Atelier whenever I'm in Burgos Circle but never really thought of trying it out until last night. We dined in Atelier to celebrate a birthday.We ordered their set worth PhP1,900. The set is complete with starters, mains, and deserts. Really worth it.To start the dining experience, servers offered us a basket of bread. The cereal bread and their olive oil with pepper dip is uncomparable. You just have to try it! Bread is crunchy and soft at the same time and the dip is light and really brings out the bread's flavor. For appetizers, we ordered the aged beef strips dish. Yes, I know..aged beef? Honestly, I'm not into aged and cured meat. But, this dish is good good good. Meat is tender and not salty at all. Totally a different experience. Meat simply melts in your mouth.Next, we had soup and foie gras salad. The soup was peas with cheese and salted pork meat bits. Everything blended well together. Plus, the soft boiled egg glued each unique tastes together. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try the salad. As per companion, it's good :)For the mains, we ordered porkloin and angus beef. Both dishes were season with salt and pepper only ( I think), cooked to perfection, and served with love. Porkloin was easy to cut and tasty. For the angus, it was quite chewy - probably because I had it cook medium well (I know that should be rare or just lightly cooked but I cannot eat meat with some blood in it).For dessert, we had custard pie and banana with bitter chocolate. Both desserts are good yet gave us different experience. The custard pie is sweet while the banana chocolate has that choco bitter taste in it. Can't decide which one is best.Servers are super friendly and attentive. One of the owners even went around to chat with diners. When she came to us, she even thanked us for celebrating a birthday at Atelier and told us about the idea of the restaurant. What a nice lady :)The space of the restaurant though a bit cramped. We were lucky to dine there early (7pm) so the place was not packed with guests yet. The interior design is quite homey and relaxing but, because of the space issue, you can hardly grasp the concept.Overall, will definitely recommend Atelier to friends. Dining experience is really worth it! Au revoir!

Yeliz Kocabaş

4.0

I've tried the lunch special (P950) and it was totally worth the price. I chose the Pumpkin Soup as my appetizer and then the Yellow-Fin Tuna for my main course. A complimentary bread was also served. The highlight of the soup is the Pumpkin crisp. The mashed potato was velvety. The mixed green salad with the perfect amount of balsamic vinegar tastes great too. The size of the seared tuna was too much for me but was delicious nevertheless. I wanted to try out the vanilla creme brûlée (additional P350) for dessert but I was too full to go for it. Maybe no soda next time. Oh, the lunch special also comes with a free coffee or tea. The server named Odeng was very attentive. 👍