La Gondola: A Sense of the Exceptional

Cebu's crème de la creme trooped to Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino's Italian restaurant which now serves up a whole new dining experience after a quick two-month renovation.

The new La Gondola offers a peek of chic Venice, of its fresh interiors with rustic ivory stone walls and pillars, a beautiful picture of gondolas on one wall that are accented by deep blue neo-classical curtains, effortlessly achieving a distinctly stylish elegance. Functionality comes into play in the luxurious bar with an espresso machine that greets diners as they enter the restaurant, as well as the glass windows that offer guests a view of the chefs at work in their culinary playground. During the day, sunlight coming in through large glass windows illuminates the restaurant with a cheery glow. Aside from new tables under off-white awnings along the Gourmet Walk, which is reminiscent of a cobblestone walk in Europe and perfect for people-watching, is a much larger casual al fresco dining area that can seat 40.

The dishy Italian Chef Vito Froio offers brand-new flavors in an all-new menu with refreshing salads, hearty soups, grilled items, authentic Italian pastas and pizzas, and gleefully sinful desserts. "You will taste the genuine flavor of Italy in our Italian tomato sauce, in the freshness of our buffalo mozzarella, in the harmony of our homemade pastas and in the simple elegance of our rustic wood-fired oven pizzas," Chef Vito passionately writes in a welcome note to diners on the first page of the menu. In the same letter, he makes a commitment to personally assisting the "esteemed pilgrim of the palate" in selecting a dish and finding a suitable wine - and there are a number of good-value wines in the well-thought-of wine list - to match the dish, as well as to accommodate any special dietary requests.

Get a sense of the exceptional at the new La Gondola, which opens daily for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and for dinner from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. An afternoon menu is offered from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m., which offers selected soups, salads, pizzas, pastas and desserts.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (32) 232-6888 local 8611. La Gondola is located at the Gourmet Walk of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City.