Located in the penthouse of W building (BGC), Le Jardin boasts of a gorgeous view of the city, scrumptious, unpretentious French food, and glorious boutique (not famous, but beautiful and unique) wines.
Their wine selection is a wine nerd’s dream: They are selected by their French sommelier, whose intent was to have one-of-a-kind, exquisite wines for Le Jardin.
Here are a few of my personal recommendations:
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Chardonnay
First, I was immediately blown away by their inclusion of Nicolas Feuillatte. A little known Champagne label in the Philippines, it is amazing to have without shelling out “big name” prices. My personal pick is the Brut Chardonnay, with its beautiful, creamy texture that makes it resilient enough to pair with an entire meal (if you’re feeling like having a bubbly evening).
Le Vignoble de Saint-Jeannet Cuvée de Prestige Pressoir Romain Blanc
Le Jardin’s interiors immediately evoke images of Provence, and a great way to keep in theme is to order a bottle from the region. I highly recommend a bottle of Le Vignoble de Saint-Jeannet Cuvée de Prestige Pressoir Romain Blanc. It’s quite a mouthful, but I promise that this surprisingly delightful wine from an unusual region is interesting… A back story: Saint-Jeannet is a mountainous region within Côtes d’Azur, made out of a grape called Rolle, a cousin of the Italian Vermentino. It goes well with almost any food because of its robust structure, but I recommend trying it with Le Jardin’s Filét de Merou.
If that doesn’t make you feel like a glamorous Hollywood star from the 50’s vacationing along the French Riviera, then… Well.
Mongeard Savigny 1er Beaune
As a personal bias, my husband and I decided to relive our trip to our first vineyard by having a bottle of Mongeard Savigny 1er Beaune. There’s a phenomenon (in my opinion, anyway) that involves a wine from a specific region always smelling like the place it came from. Such is the case of this wine; whose earthy, old world interpretation of a Pinot Noir reminded us of our tour (see here). It is divine with the Coq au Vin.
Château Vieux Touron Monbazillac
For dessert, have a Château Vieux Touron Monbazillac. The long-lost brother (often disowned) of the famous Sauternes (some books will say Monbazillac is part of Bordeaux, some wouldn’t) makes an excellent dessert wine that won’t require you to break the proverbial bank. This liquid gold is a must-have with any of Le Jardin’s desserts, but I love it with their crème brulée.
I know it sounds cliché, but don’t take my word for it. Make a reservation through +63917-8176584, or check out their website at http://lejardinmanila.net. They are open during the following times:
Monday: 4pm to 11pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 7:30am to 11pm
Sunday: 7:30am to 3pm
I actually like lunch more because the cityscape looks prettier. If you’re hesitant to do a wine flight for lunch, you can always tell yourself: It’s always wine-o’clock somewhere. 😉
Cheers!
