"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do... Explore. Dream. Discover."~ Mark Twain

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Candlelight Cafe

Coffee - Food - Candles - Art

     This small cafe caught our eye when we were on our way to the city. The place looked inviting with the warm exterior and the eye-catching mural on the wall. We thought there were no other new restaurants/cafes in Lipa so we were really happy to have come across Candlelight Cafe.

Candlelight Cafe

     Candlelight Cafe is owned by Morten and Marichu Carstensen, coffee and candle lovers. They first thought of opening a cafe on this site since there are no coffee shops yet on this side of town. And because they also manufacture candles, they decided to combine coffee and candles in one shop! They are open everyday from 7am to 9pm. 

THE AMBIANCE

     The feel of the place is warm and cozy, perfect for enjoying a nice cup of coffee. They have simple, wooden chairs and tables, as well as some warm colored seats. Near the entrance is a coffee table and a comfortable sofa with a magazine rack on either side. 


     On the shelves are the candles/works of art! The place also smells of coffee and scented candles -- kind of relaxing and soothing! On the far side of the shop is a mural that seemed like a garden walkway, also pleasing to the eyes.

Warm and cozy

Comfortable seating

     Some of the noticeable pretty artworks / candles are the big cakes, pastries, christmas trees, animals like chickens, rabbits and elephants, and the big white chair fit for a queen! Vibrant paintings are also displayed around the cafe. :)


Colorful candles

Unique candles

Fit for a queen :p

THE MENU

     The cafe's food selection is limited probably because they just opened two months ago. They offer sandwiches, pasta, hot and cold drinks and some unique Pinoy desserts, all at an affordable price. We hope that they could expand their menu -- we liked what we had that afternoon! :)

Menu

THE FOOD

     We asked what they would recommend and they said that we should get the rigatoni pasta with tuna. We also got the suman with mango sauce, a cookie and brownie. We chose the strawberry shake and white chocolate frappe for our drinks.

Rigatoni Pasta with Tuna

     Thanks to the suggestion of our barrista, we had full tummies! The pasta was served with bread and some greens with hard-boiled egg. The sauce was so rich and creamy and had lots of tuna chunks! The greens were crispy and tasted good with the egg. This dish was a sure hit! :)

Suman with Mango Sauce

     This very Pinoy snack/dessert was also a hit! The suman had the right texture and taste, not too sweet nor bland. It was perfect with the mango sauce which was a little too runny but tasted really good! We can't get enough of it! Haha! (kinda biased here 'cause we love mangoes!) It went well with our flavorful pasta!

Cookie and Brownie

     Since we wanted more and were too full for a big serving of salad, we opted to try their cookie and brownie displayed on the counter. The cookie was big, soft on the inside yet crumbly on the outside, and sweet! We could really taste the sweet chocolate chips which we love! The brownie was also good -- just had the right sweetness and was packed and not airy. What a sugar rush indeed. Haha! :D 

White Chocolate Frappe

     Not only did this beverage look yummy, it tasted really good too! It was rich, creamy, not too strong like we expected. We loved that the whipped cream on top complemented the frappe, that it tasted sweet too! We're glad we followed the barrista's recommendations. :)

Strawberry Shake


     This, too, was a great drink! It was fruity, creamy and refreshing! It didn't taste artificial like the other shakes we've tried. We weren't able to finish it and just brought it out with us since we felt like our tummies would be bursting from everything we ate. Haha! :D 

CANDLELIGHT CAFE EXPERIENCE

Overjoyed, over-ate?! ^_^

     We had fun admiring the unique candles while munching on our scrumptious meal and drinks! We hope that they could offer more meals so we'd come back more often and try their specialties! This is one special cafe we'll recommend to coffee and art, candle lovers! :)

Candlelight Cafe
Km. 78, President Laurel Hi-way,
Brgy. Maraouy, Lipa City
Contact No: 0917 8220921
Website: www.thecandlelightcafe.com
Email Address: ms@thecandlelightcafe.com

5 comments:

  1. Love the interior and other fun pieces here.. I wish they'd have another branch in the Metro so I can visit it.. :) I don't think I'll be going to Lipa any time soon eh.. XD But will definitely take note of Candlelight Cafe if I do. The food and drinks look so good, and the ambiance is really inviting.. :)

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  2. nung nabasa ko description parang gusto ko rin nung pasta :)

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  3. The place looks great! Love the colorful candles too! :)

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  4. @Sumi: yep, the place is warm and inviting! they have good food and drinks, too! don't forget to visit the cafe when you go to the South hehe!

    @Christian: parang tuna sandwich pero with pasta hehe! unique and yummy! =p

    @Berylle: their candles really are works of art! :)

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  5. Would love to visit this resto this year :) What a lovely place :)

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