Tinatangi Cafe in Salawag Dasmarinas Overview

After my son’s midterm exams, I decided to bring him and my husband to Tinatangi Cafe in Salawag Dasmarinas. Ever since a friend mentioned this restaurant to me, it’s been on my list to visit once we got some free time. And yeah, I thought that we needed a relaxing place to visit after a stressful week at school.

The restaurant is like a hidden gem along the highway, but you can rely to Google maps to bring you there (that’s what we did). They have a free parking area at the back but the space is limited so if you go there on weekends or at night, you might find it hard to find a space.

Imagine a cozy, open-air café nestled beneath the shade of towering trees, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The soft sound of leaves rustling fills the air, while birds chirp melodically from the trees, adding to the tranquil ambiance. The café has a rustic charm, with wooden tables and chairs scattered across the patio, each offering a perfect view of the greenery around. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. This serene escape provides the perfect atmosphere for relaxation, reflection, and a peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

To order foods, you need to do it on your own at the cashier. I was told that serving time was around 15-20 minutes, but unfortunately our drinks came after 30 minutes.

I only ordered one drink which was their best seller – Tinatangi Dirty Cream which is a combination of espresso shot, caramel, hazelnut, heavy cream and milk. It cost P180. Okay naman sya, nothing special though.

For the food, we ordered the following that arrived after 40 minutes of waiting:

Honey Garlic Chicken that was served with sinangag rice and some cucumber slices on the side. My husband didn’t like it because it was too hard to chew. I tried it also and I agreed. We thought that they just microwaved it and it was cooked a few hours ago. It wasn’t hot when it was served so don’t blame us if that’s our impression about it.

Salisbury Steak with mushroom sauce served with fries and rice. My son ordered this, he is a foodie and according to him the taste of the burger patty is so flavorful but in a bad way. It’s full of herbs and spices that overpowered the taste of the meat.

Sizzling Pork Sisig with egg and rice. The plate was supposed to be sizzling when it arrived but it’s not. I can’t even cook the fresh egg properly because I find the plate not hot enough. There’s nothing special with the taste of the pork too. It is something you will not look forward to try again and again.

Tinatangi Nachos with cheese, jalapeno and black olives. I think this was the only dish that our family enjoyed the most. It’s not even cooked nor has a lot of seasonings on it. If we will ever go back here, this is what we’re gonna order again or perhaps try their pastas next.

For dessert, we also ordered their Oreo Cheesecake but again, it’s not remarkable. I have tried better tasting Oreo cheesecakes with the same price as this one.

There are a lot of students in the area (in the airconditioned rooms to be exact), but I don’t know if they are returning customers or first time customers like us.

Overall, I would rate the place 9/10, the service 5/10 and the food 6/10. The food is affordable considering that you’ll dine in a nice ambiance but you can get better tasting dishes in other places.

Still, we might return here to try the other food in their menu with a hope that their other dishes might taste better for us.