LIST: Budget-Friendly Restaurants for a Valentine's Day Date

(SPOT.ph) When you think of spending for Valentine's Day, you and your partner have to take into account how much you're willing to spend for a night of romance. Especially if you have other spendables in the background—bouquets, chocolates, accommodation, or even an engagement ring. But you can at least rest easy about the dining part of the equation, as we've rounded up restaurants across the Metro that are both romantic and budget-friendly, costing P3,000 or under for two.

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Here are restaurant ideas for Valentine's Day under P3,000 budget:

Bolero

How befitting for Valentine's Day. Bolero, which we all know is a Filipino word that means sweet talker, is meant to do just that: Woo you away, one plate at a time. Helmed by Chef Fernando Alcalá of Kava in Marbella, Spain, the restaurant knows how to make you weak in the knees with its European-forward cuisine.

Staying within the P3,000 budget, you can only go for a few Bolero dishes—but none that won't leave a lasting impression. Start the date off with the Lamb Tsukune Lebanse-Style (P350) which is served with tzatziki and flatbread for your appetizer, then proceed with two main courses of Whole Grilled Chicken with Creamy Pumpkin (P1,190) and miso-based curry Pappardelle, Creamy Miso, Mushrooms (P880) you can share with your beau. But remember: Your utmost priority as a couple is to get a serving of the restaurant's  Award-Winning Spain Cheesecake (P550) that got Chef Alcalá the Michelin recognition. Savor and split the silky dessert—but if it turns out that it's too good for sharing and that it could cause an argument, you might as well go over budget and order a second slice.

Bolero is at G/F Verve Tower 2, High Street South, 26th-27th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Bonifacio Global City. For more information, check out Bolero Manila's Facebook page.

Your Local 

Your Local, one of the best restaurants in the Legazpi Village in Makati City, is a great place for both date-night dinners. While they do usually offer a special Valentine's Day menu during this time of the month, there is a more affordable way to go about spending a reasonably-priced romantic dinner for two at this cozy, candle-lit restaurant.

You can start with sharing a serving of Parmesan Fries with Truffled Ketchup (P240) while waiting for the main dishes. For their bestselling, can-do-no-wrong main entrees, go for the Lamb Rendang (P640) and Torched Salmon Donburi (P795) so you get to experience the magic they can do with two types of meats. Then you can split a serving of the Chocolate Earl Grey Pudding (P360) for a sweet, palate-cleansing dessert. And since Your Local is great at cocktails, you can try two of their three signature cocktails: tequila-based Op-ún (P370), gin-based Ukiyo (P395), and rum-based Kalma (P385).

Your Local is at G/F Universal LMS Building, 106 Esteban Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City. For more information, visit the Your Local Facebook page.

Cafe Guilt

Quezon City is brimming with budget-friendly places to eat, but if you're looking for romance in paradise, head on over to Cafe Guilt. Its modern tropical interiors make for a great date pot that doesn't require you to wear heels or a tie. You can dress comfortably while you nosh on their dishes.

Begin the Valentine's Day meal with an order of Smoked Salmon Salad (P560) as your appetizer, and follow it up with the heavyweights, namely the Grassfed Ribeye Steak Rice (P698) and Kimchi Rice With Braised Beef Brisket (P545). Pair these with a glass of their bestselling Angel's Breath (P580) which has lavender tea and gin, and Spice Green Margarita (P580) which uses tequila and a spiced green apple agave. 

Cafe Guilt is at 35 Scout Castor Street corner Scout Reyes Street, Quezon City. For more information, check out Cafe Guilt's Facebook page.

Poco Deli

Now, let's do something a little unusual for Valentine’s Day—instead of ordering a slab of juicy steak, let’s go for sausages instead. Of course, Poco Deli has been in the business of making the best homemade sausages and bacon in town since 2008. So if you're up for a literal, err.. sausage fest on Valentine's Day, they have three branches within Metro Manila. There's one at Capitol Commons in Pasig City, One Parkade in Taguig City, and East Capitol Drive in Pasig City.

Start the meal strong and go straight for the Sausage Sampler (P850) for your appetizer—this way, you can get a taste of the deli's handcrafted and slow-smoked sausages. For your heftier mains, you should go for their claim-to-fame Bacon Slab (P480/single) which highlights a French pork belly that's cured and wood-smoked for eight hours, add in a plate of the Black Truffle Mushroom Pasta (P560) whose aroma will whisk you away into umami dreamland, and then end it on a sweet note and order a slice of Blackout Chocolate Cake (P280) for sharing. While the deli's craft cocktails sound good, especially the Manila Basil Smash Cocktail, the meatiness of the dishes calls for beer. Go and order a Guinness (P260) or a San Miguel Pale Pilsen (P150), then decide if you still want to order the cocktail afterward.

See list of Poco Deli branches. For more information, check out Poco Deli’s Facebook page.

The Black Pig

For those in the south of Metro Manila, head on over to the neighborhood gem that is Chef Carlos Garcia's The Black Pig that's inconspicuously tucked in an intimate space at Commercenter. But as unassuming as it is, the space exudes romance and a multifaceted menu that covers no-frills, no-fuss takes on comfort food, but also can go the fancier route with its different kinds of Iberico for the charcuterie boards.

The menu changes to stay true to its goal to use seasonal, fresh ingredients, but based on its core menu, you can always rely on the Black Pig Charcuterie  Board (P600/half) that will be available for appetizers. Then order the Half-Roasted Chicken (P650) and a Mushroom Risotto (P480) for your mains, and end the meal with a sweet-tart Mixed Berries Pavlova (P450) for dessert. Since Black Pig has its own bar, do try their craft cocktails like the Signature Cocktail 007 (P380) and Signature Cocktail Chili Pineapple Margarita (P290).

The Black Pig is at Commercenter Building, Filinvest Avenue corner, Commerce Avenue, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. For more information, check out The Black Pig's Facebook page.

Seven Plates

San Juan has long been overlooked as a prime area for a place to dine, so if you're down to discover new, under-the-radar restaurants for your next date, pin your Waze to Seven Plates at The Corner House. The restaurant's name gets inspiration from "the seven corners of the world" so, needless to say, the options fly from one continent to another.

The menu is priced quite reasonably, so setting a P3,000 budget won't be a problem. Go for the Vietnamese cuisine-inspired Banana Blossom Salad (P240) for your starters, then the Steak Diane (P1,100) and a Pastel De Lengua (P680) for your mains. For dessert, go with the one-of-a-kind Squash Suman (P260) and order two glasses of white wine (P290/glass).

Seven Plates is at 1F, The Corner House, P Guevarra, corner Recto, San Juan. For more information, check out Seven Plates' Facebook page.

Gubat QC

For the "not like other girls" who wouldn't mind eating using their hands, a.k.a. kamayan, Gubat QC is a hidden Quezon City gem that knows how to capture the humble Filipino dining experience: ulam, rice, salted, egg, and pako salad, served on a banana leaf.

Gubat QC is the most affordable of the eateries on this list, to the point that you can order all the rice meals and still not exceed the P3,000 budget. But, we're going to recommend our personal favorites: Dinakdakan (P230) for your appetizer, then order the Lechon Kawali (P250) and Beef Tapa (P185) for your main meals, and for dessert, well, your only option is the Leche Flan (P75). 

Gubat is at Bonsai Society, President Carlos P. Garcia Ave, Diliman, Quezon City. For more information, check out Gubat QC's Facebook page.

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