On a recent holiday, my colleague, Janet, and I decided to go on a road trip to Tagaytay, planning our itinerary with some tips from Lori Baltazar’s and Anton Diaz’s blogs.

Tired, harassed BPO workers that we were, we wanted to have a massage at the T House, have coffee at Bag of Beans and lunch at the Greek restaurant Manos, and check out the Cliffhouse that Anton had written about–not necessarily in that order. We also wanted to go to Mushroom Burger, which we never fail to visit whenever we’re in Tagaytay.

There was, however, a condition: We wanted to explore Tagaytay by public transport. It’s easy to get around if you have a car with you, but taking the jeepney requires some planning as the places in our itinerary are at either ends of the city.

Come storm or rain
Typhoon Mina was supposed to hit Luzon the day we planned the trip, but we were not intimidated. “Let’s just come in our best rainwear!” I cajoled Janet.

In Manila we took the bus bound for Nasugbu, Batangas, at the terminal on MRT Taft. Beside McDonald’s, the terminal is to your left when you’re facing SM Mall of Asia. Fare to Olivarez (that’s the roundabout, or the rotonda, that greets you when you enter Tagaytay) is P73. Two hours seem like eternity if you’re looking forward to lunch, so try not to be impatient (we were so).

While we had passed by Manos Greek Tavern several times, it was our first time to visit it. We inquired whether we could walk to the restaurant from the rotonda and were told the place was 30 meters away. It took us around five minutes to get there (the restaurant is to your left from the rotonda, to the direction of Sta. Rosa), and it was certainly a good excuse to walk.

I ordered moussaka (P200) while Janet had this dish with a Greek name that we can’t remember, but it was actually grilled patties (P180). We also had pita bread (P20 each) and some dip to share.

Unless you don’t mind bringing home leftovers in Styrofoam containers, it would be wise to share or not to order so much as the servings are huge. I finished half of the moussaka but felt it was too much for me because, of course, we were looking forward to dessert.

Coffee and cheesecake at Bag of Beans were enough to sustain us for the rest of the day.

Laid-back afternoon
Next stop was Bag of Beans. We walked back to the rotonda, passing by the Franciscan Missionary of Mary and stopping by the flower stands that dot the highway.

At the 7-11 at Olivarez, we took a jeepney (P7.50) with a Mendez Crossing sign and got off at the market because we both realized we were lost. We couldn’t remember whether Bag of Beans was before or after Mushroom Burger. After asking around, we were advised to take a jeepney (P7.50) bound for Nasugbu. (Note: Bag of Beans is after Mushroom Burger.)

There were very few diners at Bag of Beans, this being a Friday, so we had the garden to ourselves. We ordered a slice of cheesecake each (strawberry and blueberry at P120 per slice), a cappuccino for me (P95), and brewed coffee for Janet (P85 a serving, P105 for bottomless).

The cheesecake was gloriously delicious: It was not to sweet, and the blueberry topping was for real. Bag of Beans’ version is frozen, so Janet advises to let it thaw a few minutes before digging in.

Cliffhouse, here we come
We decided to forgo Mushroom Burger this one time as we were too full to eat. Besides, there was much exploring to do, as Cliffhouse was next in our itinerary. Janet had read about the opium bed in Anton’s blog and was excited to check it out.

The piazza-like Cliffhouse is where you can find the restaurants Cafe Breton, Fire Lake Grill, Massimo’s, and the furniture and furnishings shop Domicillo.

Janet noted that the place is quite handicap-accessible, as there’s a ramp from the parking lot down to the square. Because we were too full to grab a bite, we traipsed around the place, took pictures, and followed the ramp where it ended. (We totally forgot about the opium bed as we oooohed and aaaahed at the striking view of Taal Lake.)

Fire Lake Grill, named Best Restaurant by the Philippine Tatler for 2006 and 2007, was closed when we visited. It operates from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Tuesdays to Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. during Saturdays and Sundays.

Domicillo had this forbidding demeanor. It’s the kind of shop that you would not dare visit if you had a child with you (read: expensive pieces that, when broken, you’ll have to pay for). But we went anyway, and I am glad we did because I chanced upon some Peter and Paul pure vegetable oil soap at P155 for three pieces that came in a box. We also noticed a colorful painting on the wall and were told it was by contemporary artist Popo San Pascual.

We killed time at Starbucks while waiting for our stomachs to settle in time for the day’s highlight: a massage (P560 for a regular one-hour massage) at the T House, a bed-and-breakfast that Lori had reviewed in June this year.

(I’ve always wondered why Manilenos who go up to Tagaytay never miss Starbucks. Is there something special about the blend up there, or perhaps it’s the view? Incidentally, the very astute Janet noted that the barista singled her out and asked whether she was visiting from Manila as he claims to know almost everybody who stops by.)

We inquired from manager William Barquin whether they could still accommodate guests that night (at around P3,000 a room for two) because it would be a good idea to go to sleep after the massage. Sadly, they were booked until December.

Next: The massage at T House and how I ended up not being able to sleep on my back for two days

More pictures in this slide show.

Contact information
Cliffhouse
Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Maharlika East, Tagaytay

Domicillo Homestore
+63 46 413 2093

Also at Level 3, Trinoma
Edsa corner North Avenue
Quezon City
+63 2 901 6587

Manos Greek Restaurant
+63 916 429 8358

Bag of Beans
115 Aguinaldo Highway Mendez Crossing West
+63 46 413 2724
+63 916 525 2382

Photos by Janet Ranola

Watch the slideshow.