Reviews Croque Cafe+bakery

simply the best . good food good place well mannered personel , can you ask for more ?

Enjoyed a very delicious lunch here today. The salad was original, the lamb was perfectly cooked, and the chocolate cake was scrumptious. Highly recommend the food (but it is still the soft opening so please keep that in mind as they are still working out a few things).

Croque Cafe looks rustic in the outside but was definitely nicer inside. It has this cozy and a bit vintage atmosphere. The interiors are interesting as the restaurant has decorated walls and counter. Additionally, all tables were cleaned and the restroom was well-maintained.

We tried Croque ceasar salad, Croque adobo, eggs benedict, and silog medley. They were all tasty and flavorful at a reasonable price and generous servings.

My friend and I tried Croque for dinner—thanks to Zomato Gold for their 1+1 on food, we only paid less than Php 300. The ambiance of the place was really good, it was a bit rustic yet cozy. We ordered Corned Beef and their Silog Combo from their all-day breakfast menu. The corned beef was not that special but their Tapa and Tocino was good. Also loved the salad that came with the Silog. Would definitely come back to try other food from the menu.

First time here and wow it's super good! Seems I stumbled on a new favorite place now.. Happy tummy! Food and drinks and bread - all good! The adobo was beyond expectation, it's so tender!

First time to try out this quaint cafe with homey interiors located along Arnaiz Avenue. Surprised to find out the food prices were reasonable.

Ambiance - warm and inviting, perfect for dates or when you want to enjoy a meal with some peace and quiet. I always pass by this place and have not seen this cafe full of customers or overly crowded.

Food - they recommended their pumpkin soup as bestseller but sorry to say it was a disappointment. :( the coconut cream flavor was too strong for me and i didn’t taste the sunflower seeds. Both the classic lasagna and Croque madame were good (though the bechamel sauce for the croque could be toned down). We enjoyed the beef brisket the most - tenderly cooked and came with a delicious mushroom gravy.

Service was excellent and we did not encounter any issued using our Gold privilege here. :)

I never thought the interior looks very cozy and cute. I love the atmosphere and the staff service.

Food — We ordered Flank Steak, Hand-cut Potato Fries and Shrimp Pasta.
The steak tasted okay, but its chewy... sorry, I don’t believe it’s worth the price... while the shrimp pasta tasted really good and the presentation is awesome. I reckon the best food we ordered is the hand-cut chips, its a good appetizer partnered with their Cucumber Mint drink... ugh brings back my childhood memories!

Service — Food took 10-15 minutes to arrive. Saw the waiter continues on following up on the kitchen. While waiting we were given complimentary bread with butter spread and balsamic oil. We were also asked about the food quality which is a ++ for me, it's good that they’re getting feedback; Learning from their customers.

We’ll be coming back to try their breakfast menu. I heard that Eggs Ben is one of the best sellers.

I’d also recommend this place for coffee dates, seems that this place doesn’t get overly crowded like the mainstream coffee shops—Just for relaxing chit chats, you know what I mean.

Brought my gf here expecting a good breakfast on one rainy morning. I find the staff attentive but we’re the first customers so its kinda expected. The ambiance was cozy and relaxing. I already hear christmas songs playing on the background.

Foodwise, im giving it a 2 thumbs up! They provided complimentary bread w/ garlic butter spread and a dip, a combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Taste nice to spice up the morning.

We ordered coffee buns which were good for my taste. Roast pumpkin soup, a bit too creamy for me but i liked the presentation. Pasta Al fungi, good tasting pasta but i dont feel like eating it on mornings. Eggs benedict, oh i loved how they done the eggs, just perfect, probably my best pick on that morning. And hot chocolate, which they said was a best seller - but sadly i doubt.

Overall, the experience was warm, peaceful and made me feel good. the food is also something i can go back for.

I’ll bring family next time. Cheers

It was another media invite, this time at the Maya Kitchen. As I waited for their guest chef's lecture and preparation for our meals over lunch, I decided to abandon him for awhile and have breakfast here.

Croque serves you French cuisine mostly and their foundation of sauces, Béchamel, was part of our first dish, Croque Madame, a Parisian sandwich using boiled ham and lots of gruyere cheese. This was a spot on meal. It was filling, creamy and tasty. A top of sunny side up made this staple sandwich even better.

My friend and I also shared Dilis Arugula. A crunchy and mushy combination of greens, crispy fish and lots of salted egg pieces. This could have been better though if it actually had more fresh bitter arugula. Sadly, I only found a few pieces.

We also tried their Cream Cheese Coffee Bun, a nice fluffy pastry with loads of white cheese for a contrasting savory bite over a sweet bun. The Chicken Sausage was okay, you could skip this one.

Not many French restaurants around and this spot could be your go to lunch punch when you are around the area. The bakery part serves freshly baked breads everyday too.

This quaint little cafe along Arnaiz avenue is another place if you need that much needed privacy. I got an early dinner in this place and Im really looking for a place where I can some decent meal. I got myself their chicken sandwich and their watermelon mint cooler. The sandwich had fried chicken skin pieces together with their option of french fries or camote fries. A bit pricy but I was flavorful. The watermelon mint cooler was a bit too sweet that I needed to hydrate myself. I'm happy with what was served to me and I may be able to visit this place a couple of times since it's near the Greenbelt area.

Visited Croque back when it just opened to have a quick and light dinner before hitting the Manila traffic and nightlife.
Their salad's fresh, leafy and generous in serving size. The the server recommended some of their then available drinks that weren't on the menu. Mine was a refreshing blend served in a mason jar.
The cafe's interiors are nice too & I couldn't help but snap a photo of it to which the server commented, "ma'am if you post a photo of your food on any social platforms and tag our restaurant, you can claim a prize / discount on your next visit just show the photo you posted"
Great strategy you guys but we never seemed to find our way back. Hmmm.

I did not post a photo because the photo I took won't do justice to the review on the taste.
The lamb lasagna is scrumptious. The noodles weren't too thick, the cheese was not overpowering, and the flavor of the lamb was perfect for this rich dish. The spinach siding was also a good palette cleanser. I would try to describe what it was sautéed in, but I can't put my tongue on it just yet. Better to try for yourself.

The chicken sandwich i tried was good. Great portions. And the chicken breast is real chicken breast part, not the usual fillet, that to me feels fake. I can say portions are good for sharing.

To top this off, they have great ambiance, a clean and fresh smelling restroom, and free parking :)

I'm coming back for the lasagna for sure

Eggs benedict :), ive tried eggs benedict in some other places, but i gotta admit this is diff. I love the taste of the ham underneath those fresh eggs and the bread that they use taste like chiffon but then its bread, they call it foccaccia bread. I love the food, the place, and the service 😊

Here are the pictures of the food I have tried in CROQUE.
I've tried the mushroom soup, fillet mignon, silog medley, pork platter, seafood platter, lemon chicken, chicken parmigiana, chocolate banana pie, assorted breads/buns and other specials. Hope these help you in choosing what to order here! :)

It was late at night after gym that I wandered along Pasay road, hungry and unable to get on a public jeep as they are all full. I went in to Croque to try it out since I don't see a lot of places to eat within the area except for 711.  Truthfully I was surprised at the prices on the menu. I went ahead and ordered the Lamb Lasagna. The serving was huge! I think it was meant for 2. Unfortunately, I was alone. It was very tasty and they don't scrimp on the meat, no sir. They also served a side of salad. I would have preferred a side of bread instead which I'm pretty sure would be great for this pasta. The interior was nice and quiet. Perhaps a great place to have a romantic date or a intimate talk with friends.

Cute cafe with bakery at the heart of Makati.  It served all day breakfast, sandiwches, healthy rice meals and dessert.  They also have a private function room.

Check out my recommendations on my blog.

Croque which name is derived from a French grilled ham and cheese sandwich was launched early this year, offering a French experience from the interiors and décor of the joint to the great food they serve at a very pocket-friendly price . It’s located at the ground floor of Dominion Bldg. along Pasay Rd. in Makati. I was very fortunate to have been invited to a Foodie MeetUp by no other than Zomato. Croque has a warm ambiance perfect for friend meet-ups, dates and family gatherings and even events and meetings. We got to try several dishes that the joint offers and well, they’ve got something.

First on our menu that night was the Coconut Pumpkin Soup. It’s so creamy and indeed appetizing with just the right amount of saltiness and a little hint of sweetness coming from both the pumpkin and the coconut milk. You could also taste ginger in this dish which goes really well with all the ingredients. The pine nuts added a modern twist to it.

Next is the Dilis Aragula Salad. This is one of the dishes I enjoyed the most. I personally love dilis and never thought that it would go really well with aragula which I found to taste odd during the first time I had it somewhere else. I think the vinaigrette made a huge part in putting this dish altogether. I know it’s just a salad but I only enjoy salad when I like the dressing. For this dish in particular, it was perfect. It’s sweet, sour, a little spicy and balances the saltines of the dilis.

Then we had the Fromage De Tete. It’s a French dish made up of terrine of pork cheeks with reduced balsamic vinegar. FYI, reducing balsamic vinegar allows for it to transform into a more flavorful syrup. Im not a fan of cold cuts primarily because they’re fatty and greasy that’s why I didn’t appreciate this dish.

We also had Spinach Mushroom Quiche. It’s a savory pie and is also a part of the French Cuisine. This dish consisted of Aragula Salad, tomatoes and cheese. I find Aragula weird-tasting so I was a bit in hesitant to try this dish. Surprisingly, I tasted good. I actually loved it. I’d prefer to eat it warm though. What we had was already a little cold since it was one of the dishes that were served first.

Next in line was the Pasta Alfunghi. I love mushroom but I for some reasons, it didn’t work for me on this pasta.
We also had their Classic Carbonara. This was a winner. I love how creamy and flavorful the sauce was and the thick slices of bacon was heaven. This was well put together and I find it different from the usual carbonara we could find in other joints, taste wise. It’s a good kind of different. 

We were also served with the Spinach Meat Lasagna. Another dish I absolutely loved. It’s very meaty and flavorful. It has Mozarella and Pamigginao-Reggiano or Parmesan Cheese and both added an extra flavour to the meaty sauce. It wasn’t soggy but it wasn’t dry. It had the right amount of everything I must say.

One of their main dishes that were served was the Croque Adobo. It’s pork adobo cooked through Sous-Vide. It’s a French term which refers to a low temp way of cooking something in an airtight plastic bag. This was really flavorful. The pork was really tender that we didn’t have to use a knife for it. It was served with Organic Black Rice and vegetables, French beans to be exact which was crunchy. It also came with a sauce which I think was the marinade. It added flavour to the entire dish.  

Another dish we were served with was the Seared Pink Peppercorn Crusted Tuna. I didn’t get to try this dish but it looked very appetizing. It’s served with Quinoa and vegetables with citrus vinaigrette and the tuna is drizzled with hoseraddish mayonnaise.

We were also served with the Croque Madame which falls under Croques’ All Day breakfast Dishes. This was my ultimate favourite. It has ham, gruyere cheese and béchamel with a sunny-side-up egg. I found this dish to be flavorful but maintaining the balance by adding the béchamel.

Next was the Silog Medley. Its Home-made Tapa and Tocino served with garlic rice, sunny side up egg and an onion-tomato relish. Im kind of used to the sweet tapa and tocino but this was a bit different. There was still a little hint of sweetness but not the level that I was expecting. Surprisingly, it was not oily. I usually get a little fed up whenever I eat tapa or tocino because of the oiliness. I guess Croque has found an effective technique to eliminate the oil without affecting the taste of the dish.

Last but not the least was a dish that Croque is soon to add on their menu for the next season. Forgive me, I didn’t get the name of the dish but its donut pandesal with a well-seasoned pulled pork. This is another dish to watch out for.
I will certainly go back and recommend this joint. Thanks Zomato for this experience.Elaine Taningco

What it lacks in speed it makes up in service. I had an early dinner here recently, the restaurant almost empty. We ordered Shepard's pie and linguine bolognese... While it took awhile to get it, we were served bread twice by the great waitress. Which is a great move on their part to tide over impatient customers.

Both were terrific. The bolognese light and not oily, unlike other places, the pie delightful and well seasoned. The best part was the green beans with the pie. Usually they are under salted or mushy. These were roasted with olive oil and dusted with a good amount of either sea or maldon salt and crack black pepper which made them delicious.

Also if you instagram or Facebook a photo you can get a cookie. I recommend you do. The cookie was thick and at room temperature, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Everything was great and I even got a loaf of bread to take home. Btw the bread has been amazing and much more reasonable than places like bread talk and French baker.

Will come again!

Overall, I enjoyed my Croque experience. The food is not perfect but each has its own character. The Granny's Onion Soup is delicious and has all the goodness of an authentic French Onion soup. The Watermelon Mint Summer drink is refreshingly good both in presentation and taste. The Pan Roasted Chicken dish was very nicely put together in terms of presentation, however, it was kind of a disappointment. The side greens are good but were too overdressed, the chicken was overcooked and lacks seasoning which made it dry and flavorless. Although I can see some Rosemary herbs sprinkled on top, I can't really taste it. The side roasted veggies and the organice black rice were pretty good though, cooked just right. Lastly, the Riz Au Lait which was a creamy rice pudding with fresh strawberries on top was a winner both in presentation and taste.

It is rare to hear about French cafe openings, since the scene currently favours Spanish, Japanese and American cuisine, but here comes Croque, which injects a genuinely French feel to their dishes without major fuss or the high prices one typically expects. 

Some of us Zomato reviewers had the chance to review a wide set of offerings at their launch party. Now while I cannot comment on presentation, the samples they let us taste made me excited to come back.

The two Enderun-trained chefs have had training abroad, in Guam and in France, one of them spending time at a one Michelin star-rated restaurant in Arles. That training showed in the small things, perhaps most evidently to me with the wild mushroom shooter, a rich combination of mushroom, cream, and cognac, or sherry, or maybe both; a witty garnish of deep fried enoki mushrooms inside the shot glass was a great touch.

A seared tuna crusted with pink peppercorn over bread was also a fantastic offering - the tuna pink in the middle, but savoury on the edges, and placed over good bread, which they also make.

The pasta on offer was clearly handmade, and although somewhat clumped up on the serving platter, was of the right thickness and level of doneness to accommodate oxtail and pesto sauces.

Beyond the quality of the meat, seared tenderloin is about the right seasoning and cooking, and theirs was done right. Their mashed potato should not be overlooked, rich and creamy like golden lava - not the sticky, overworked mess you get in many places. People may have also overlooked the delicate execution of the VCO poached salmon with tomato; it was simply lovely.

The almond panna cotta was made with almond milk (homemade almond milk? if so, wow!), and while the speculoos creme brûlée is a crowd-pleaser, I didn’t taste much speculoos in it.

Some dishes may need fine tuning, like the coconut pumpkin cappuccino, which tasted less of coconut and pumpkin and a lot more of ginger than it should have, which isn’t even in the description of the soup.

But this is a minor point amongst many major good points, because as a French restaurant, it feels the real deal, and as a cafe, we hope it holds up,  because French cafes are too few and far between. And for gourmands like we are, that makes me a little sad. Even the house wines make me excited just to come over for a glass!

Again thanks to Croque and Zomato for hosting my visit.

I was invited last weekend to witness the launch of Croque. I was also fortunate enough to sample some of their dishes.

For soup, I got to try the Coconut Pumpkin Soup and Mushroom Soup. Both are a bit strong for my taste.

I loved the Tuna Open Faced Sandwich and the Watermelon with Kesong Puti.

I liked the Croque Adobo and the Tenderloin as well. I wish I had more Tenderloin and Mashed Potato. Loved it!

For desserts, I had the Almond Panna Cotta and Speculoos Creme Brulee. However, I wasn't able to taste the Speculoos there.

Croque is barely new and is still finding its identity, but their dishes really have promise.

I would love to go back to this place soon.