Elbert's Collective is Closing
Keeping a restaurant standing in this economy is no easy task.
(SPOT.ph) The rumors are true. Elbert’s Collective, the Salcedo Village modern diner that gathered in one place all of the greatest hits from Elbert Cuenca’s restaurants and more, is closing shop. The veteran restaurateur confirmed it himself to SPOT.ph: “We can confirm that Elbert’s Collective is closing.”
It does seem like it's becoming tougher to keep a restaurant standing these days, but asked for the reason why he's shutting down Elbert's Collective, Cuenca, who continues to run the upscale and long-standing Elbert’s Steak Room just a few steps away, said: “It’s hard to pinpoint a particular reason for its failure, but all we can say is that we tried our best and still came up short.” He added, however, that he’s not closing the doors to seeing the Elbert’s Collective concept back sometime in the future. “For now, we will regroup. Maybe an opportunity to revive the concept elsewhere will present itself.”
Also read: Elbert's Signature Pizzas, Ribeye Tapa + More Await at Elbert's Collective
Four restaurants in one
Elbert’s Collective opened sometime in August of 2023 in Salcedo Village's Leviste Street in Makati City, taking over the restaurant that used to be neighbor to Elbert’s Pizzeria; the pizza joint ran by his chef-brother Adrian Cuenca was incorporated into the “Collective” concept. Outfitted with an eye-popping modern retro design, Elbert's Collective is where one can get not only excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas but also the lunch specials of Elbert’s Steak Room, the mouth-watering sandwiches of Elbert’s Diner, and the expertly mixed drinks from his much-missed Elbert’s Upstairs Bar. “It's essentially four restaurants,” Cuenca told Spot when Elbert’s Collective opened.
What’s next for Cuenca? “Personally, I’ll focus on Elbert’s Steak Room and Happy Valley, a Cantonese Restaurant in Makati that’s been very delayed in creating.” He’s targeting the end of May as the restaurant’s closing date, so if you're a fan of the Collective, its Salpicao Tapas, Chicago Style Hotdog sandwich, Beef Carpaccio and more, better visit soon. It might take a long while before your palates reunite with these favorites again.
As for us, we’ll miss one of the best, most indulgent carbonaras this city’s ever had. We’ll miss the Umami Burger which had us mindblown the first time we had it. And we’ll miss the addictive Philly Cheesesteak, too, of course, and the place itself, which we named one of the Most Beautiful Restaurants last year. We asked Cuenca what he will miss: “I will miss our regular customers who’ve become part of our family,” he told Spot. “We thank everyone who came out to support us these past two years.”
Elbert’s Collective is located at V Corporate Center, 125 LP Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City. Contact: 0917-677-8325. Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday.