Italian dining is more than just pizza and pasta. At Al Dente Ristorante in Bonifacio Global City, the experience extends to house-made salumi, fresh sausages, seafood, dry-aged meats, and desserts, bringing different aspects of Italian cuisine together under one roof.
Located in Uptown BGC, the restaurant recently presented its culinary direction to Manila’s food and lifestyle media through a curated dinner featuring dishes from its regular menu.
A Taste of Italy, Made In-House
At the heart of Al Dente Ristorante is its commitment to producing much of its food in its own kitchen. From cured meats and sausages to fresh pasta, the restaurant takes a hands-on approach to preparing its offerings. It also maintains a dry-aging program, allowing its kitchen to develop the flavor and texture of its meat.
For co-founder and culinary director Donatello Montrone, the goal is to give diners access to a complete Italian dining experience.
“We wanted BGC to have the whole Italian experience in one place, from the salumi and the pizza through to the dry-aged meat and the dessert,” he shares.
However, making everything from scratch is not always the priority. Around half of the restaurant’s pasta selection uses fresh, house-made pasta, while the rest features premium imported Italian dry pasta.
“Not everything should be handmade for the sake of saying it is handmade. For some dishes, an excellent Italian dry pasta is simply the better product,” Montrone explains. “The right technique for each dish matters more than the marketing.”
Beyond Pizza and Pasta
The restaurant’s menu brings together antipasti, pizza, pasta, seafood, meats, desserts, and wine. During the media dinner, guests experienced a selection that moved from house-made salumi and pizza to Italian dry pasta, fresh pasta, dry-aged meat, seafood, and dessert.
With an average spend of around ₱1,500 per person, Al Dente Ristorante offers an option for both casual meals and special gatherings.
Built Around Italian Food
Al Dente Ristorante is part of Al Dente Food Group, an independent Manila-based hospitality company co-founded by Montrone. The group also operates Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar, its original fresh-pasta concept, and Moderna, an intimate 12-seat tasting experience open from Friday to Sunday.
Born and raised in Southern Italy, Montrone grew up in a family of farmers and winemakers. He also spent formative years working in a traditional Piedmontese steakhouse in Turin before eventually moving to Manila.
Today, Al Dente Ristorante welcomes guests for everyday dining, corporate gatherings, and private celebrations.
For Montrone, the real measure of success is simple: “The measure for us is not whether someone visits once for an occasion. It is whether they come back in three weeks because they felt like eating well, without making an event of it.”
Al Dente Ristorante is located at Uptown BGC, Taguig. For reservations, call +63 945 544 9968.
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