Nic’s: A Chic Café Where Fashion Meets Food

When in Makati, there are really a lot of restaurants where you can get your tummy filled. Within the malls or even outside them, there are plenty of gastronomic destinations that will surely make you crave for the various cuisines around the globe. Take for example, this stylish and fab café that has a New York vibe, serving a mix of European and Filipino food. They married good food with fashion, the latter being an industry the owner’s mom used to work in.

In fact, their wall murals show a painting of some of the pieces the mother-daughter tandem own, cutting across different styles. This café, located accessibly near Glorietta, is Nic’s.

Nic’s started almost two decades ago as a commissary which supplied several coffee shops, including Seattle’s Best Coffee, and eventually decided to turn it into a restaurant. To this day, the commissary still stands firm, and they also supply their own shops, ensuring the freshness of everything they serve. We recently got to visit them to try out their food and drink offerings. Read on to see which items I liked the most:

❤️ FRENCH TOAST STACKS (Php 195)

Nic’s version uses whole wheat bread for their French toasts, so there’s relatively less guilt even when you eat a lot! 🤭 I love how the maple syrup didn’t make the toasts too soggy, and the cinnamon flavor didn’t overpower the taste. I loved them!

❤️ QUATRO FORMAGGIO OMELETTE (Php 295)
This one’s filling and delicious, and it smelled sooo good when it was served!!! With cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, and quezo de bola folded in scrambled eggs, this is definitely a lot cheesier than you think. Pair it with their whole wheat bread and you’d definitely enjoy this one! One of my favorites during this visit!

✅ TRUFFLE PARMESAN FRIES (Php 275)
This is your usual fries with truffle flavor and parmesan cheese. Make sure to eat them while hot, so you’d get to enjoy its full flavor! The truffle flavor had just enough strength so as to keep the dish enjoyable and not overpowering.

✅ CLAM CHOWDER (Php 225, +Php 70 for Bread Bowl)
A hearty way to start your meal! There are plenty of clams in this one, and the creamy and flavorful soup will surely warm up your insides before you indulge on their other food offerings. Make sure to get it in a bread bowl to keep you filled (and, make your soup more IG-worthy, too!)

✅ CLASSIC BLT BACON LETTUCE TOMATO (Php 245)
The best thing about Nic’s sandwiches is that they use whole wheat bread, which makes you feel full faster. The bacon is flavorful and crisp, and they definitely did not scrimp on them. The lettuce were fresh, and the tomatoes were really juicy! This is a tasty meal on its own.

✅ SHRIMP SALMON SALAD
If you want something fresh, you may opt for this one. For me, the smoked salmon was the most flavorful part of this dish, and it was balanced well by the fresh shrimps and fresh Romaine lettuce.

✅ SPICY TUNA PASTA (Php 225)
Their pastas’ serving sizes are huge! In fact, the sizes are mostly for sharing, unless you have a really huge appetite for pasta. The spice level is just right, and I appreciated how the tuna flakes were plentiful. You practically get some tuna in every bite!

✅ SALMON IN TOMATO CREAM PASTA (Php 345)
If you’re a fan of cream-based pastas, then you’d surely enjoy this one. The pasta is well coated with the creamy tomato sauce, and the smoked salmon gave the dish some depth in flavor.

❤️ SHRIMP, MUSHROOM, AMD ANCHOVY PIZZA (Php 345)
I can’t believe I’ll love a pizza that is not served by a pizza chain! Their pizza is loaded with LOTS of toppings, and each bite is really packed with a punch of flavor. Easily one of my faves!

✅ SMOKED MILKFISH RICE (Php 245)
The smoked milkfish they use in this one is the same one they sell in jars. We had the spicy variant, and it is actually quite hot for those who are intolerant to spicy food. I enjoyed it a lot, though! This is served with fried rice and a sunny side up egg, just like your classic silog meal.

✅ BABY BACK RIBS (Php 445)
Tender meat that’s not dry on the inside, this classic American favorite has a sweet-salty glaze that’s perfect for the Filipino palate. The meat is fall of the bone, too!

Nic’s have a slew of good savory food as mentioned above, but their bestsellers are actually their pastries and cakes! In fact some of their cakes have even won awards from Inquirer. ❤️ They served us a lot of cakes, such as:
✅ Dark Decadent
✅ Chocolate Tower
✅ Oreo Cheesecake
✅ Blueberry Cheesecake
✅ Yema Cake
✅ Dark Turtle Brittle
✅ Dulce de Leche
✅ Sugarfree Javanilla
✅ Salted Caramel

My favorites are their Dark Brittle Turtle Cake and Yema Cake! No wonder these cakes won awards from Inquirer Lifestyle! 😍

They also have pastries, which you can pair with their coffee. Their Coffee Classics are on Buy 3 Get 1 daily from 2 to 6pm, so you can take advantage of that when you’re here for a meeting or out with friends for a quick chat. The best part is, you don’t have to limit yourselves on what to get as you can mix and match to your heart’s content!

For those who want to unwind and chill for a bit, Nic’s also have something for you! From 3 to 8pm daily, you get half off any of their cocktails! Now THAT’S definitely an awesome happy hour(s). Their cocktails have various liquor bases, and various fruit flavors, too. Name it, they’d surely have it!

Their ambiance is great, too! The feel is very modern, and the color combinations of black, red, and white all scream NY fashion. In summary, with the variety of food and drinks they serve: from hot dishes, to their coffee, cakes, and pastries, and even their cocktails, Nic’s is truly a café worth visiting and trying out. To reward their loyal customers, they have also launched their newest loyalty card, which will gain you some freebies on your 5th, 10th, and 15th visit! Yay! ❤️ Visit them soon to try out some of my favorites!

Nic’s has branches in LG/F UP Town Center, and G/F Park Terraces, San Lorenzo, Makati City.

To know more about Nic’s and their food and drink offerings, click on the link below to read what other foodies have to say: