White huge Gazebos, an ancestral house, Cherry Blossoms, a wine library–all these I stumbled upon at La Vie Parisienne in Cebu and a smaller version of the wine library and bakery in Quezon City. Have you been to Paris? Well you don’t really need to fly Paris, France to have a taste of the city of lights because you can simply fly to south of the Philippines or visit the biggest city in Metro Manila.

So on a trip to Cebu, I decided to bring my family here during our vacation. Easily found along Gorordo Avenue and merely a few minutes away from our hotel, we spent our Saturday night at La Vie Parisienne.

The entire place was huge and it has several areas, making it unique. The entrance is the French bakery with the smell of freshly baked bread wafting in the air as you enter. On display were croissants, baguettes, Macarons and other pastries you can imagine. To the right is the wine shop filled with wine bottles from different countries. They also have a display of beers from different countries.

Stepping outside the back of the bakery leads you to a colorful bar and tables were scattered under the huge Gazebos. Beside the area are colorful block chairs and cozy colorful couches filled with people on a Saturday night out. The idea of a romantic setting of Paris suddenly turns to a happening bar at night. Artificial Cherry Blossoms lit at night emphasizing the beautiful Gazebos lit in white which stands out even from the street outside.

It was a busy night but we found a table on top of the open area of the bakery with a view of the entire place. It was partially covered but we chose the table near the railing with a better view of La Vie Parisienne.

Farther from the bar is the old ancestral house, owned by the Velez family, wherein the granddaughter was a former colleague I once worked with in Manila. It was beautifully lit at night and inside was an artistic colorful house full of paintings on the walls of the house. It’s the best romantic setting for a date night with the yellow soft lights of a former home, quiet setting and fewer people dining.

Ordering in La Vie Parisienne was quite an experience as you don’t get to order everything in one area. If you want bread, sandwiches, quiche, beer and wine, you have to order at the bakery and winery. If you want drinks, you get them at the bar near the Gazebo area. If you want pizza from different parts of the world, there’s a small kiosk beside the Gazebo at the back. For pastas and main dishes, you can order them from the old ancestral house. Some might find this interesting while others inconvenient but we were all up for new experiences!

They give you a number on an empty wine bottle which was quite unique. We ordered their Salmon Carbonara Pasta (Php250) and Colombian Pizza (Php360) which were alright, the serving of the pasta was good for one but the pizza can be shared among three or four people. They have so many choices of food so definitely you’ll love it. For the complete list of their food, visit the menu at Zomato.

They have a lot of waiters so service was fine and the waitress we had was friendly especially the one from the bakery who was patient even if I took awhile in choosing a cheap wine bottle, Shanpelino Vin Blanc (White Wine) (Php290). It was alright for a cheap wine that was actually quite good. It was perfect for a chill night out with my family in Cebu.

The prices of their food isn’t expensive so it was worth having our dinner there and the best thing I loved about La Vie Parisienne is the ambiance which is simply gorgeous and same goes for the branch in Quezon City at the Hotel Rembrandt in Tomas Morato.

Though smaller as it only had the bakery and wine shop, the interiors were still beautifully done as endless rows of wine bottles adorn the walls of La Vie Parisienne. There were only a few tables and people on a Sunday night when I decided to invite my friends there for a quiet low key dinner.

I bought a French Baguette and bread to bring home. During dinner, we had Tradition Sandwich (Php155) which had Parma Ham or Rosette, Cornichons, lettuce and butter in baguette and Deli Sub (Php145) which had ham or Mortadella, tomato, butter and lettuce in baguette. Both were alright though the end of the baguettes were a bit hard to eat despite being freshly baked. Their service was fast and the waiter attentive as he poured as glasses of Shanpelino Vin Blanc (White Wine) (Php290). We ordered two bottles for the long night of bonding with my friends.

For desserts, we tried the different flavors of their Macarons (P48/each) and Citron Lemon Tartlet (Php115). The Macarons were deliciously sweet with the four different flavors we tried–Chocolate, Raspberry, Chocolate, Vanilla and Mango. I preferred the Chocolate flavor but the Mango was quite different which was quite a treat! Their Citron Lemon Tartlet was alright and it’s not super sweet.

For the complete list of their menu, visit Zomato. I wish they had other food such as pastas and pizzas in their branch in Quezon City as I love the ambiance and since I can’t always visit Cebu, this is a good alternative to La Vie Parisienne down in the metro. Also hopefully they’ll put their own restroom because you have to go outside and enter Hotel Rembrandt to use theirs.

It was a rainy evening and the restaurant was perfect for the ambiance we wanted that night. Definitely, if you want to buy wine and are looking for a chill place to dine, why not have a Parisian experience in La Vie Parisienne in Philippines? It’s worth checking out and you’ll probably also love the beautiful ambiance of this restaurant.

For more info about La Vie Parisienne, you may visit the following websites:

Facebook: La Vie Parisienne QC; La Vie Parisienne Cebu`