There’s been a well established notion that coffee runs in the veins of every Nagueño. Probably due to the fact that this tiny city in Camarines Sur hosts over a dozen cafes and a bunch of little coffee shops. Even after living in the city for some good 20 or so years, I’m still in the midst of exploring Naga’s selection of amazing coffee places. Always eager to discover the ones that offer something special.
In my recent pursuit for such establishments I finally got to experience the rumored terrarium cafe that I—prior to my visit, had only ever seen on my facebook feed. Arscapes Gallery Cafe presents a unique experience by surrounding you with a gallery of miniature worlds encased in glass. Every piece is mesmerizing, giving a glimpse of how beautiful the tiny worlds beneath our feet can be, especially when composed like an artform. While waiting for our order, I also found some amusement with the tiny fishes swimming about in their aquariums that were pretty eager to follow you around—which had me walking around the aquarium for a few good minutes, right until I became incredibly embarrassed when a couple of other patrons walked in on my goofiness.
Because the place is populated by these large aquariums and terrariums, the real estate for seats and tables had to unfortunately be reduced. You can find two types of circular tables within the place. One is fairly decent in size, could probably fit a couple of dishes and a few drinks. The other is a tinier variant that only offers enough space for maybe a single dish and a drink or maybe about 4 drinks max. Each table also have enough seating space for maybe 2–3 guests max, any more than that in one table would make the area feel quite cramped. This may pose a challenge for larger groups looking to visit, although there seems to be a second floor that could have better seat accommodations.
The place was also blasting with OPM (Original Pilipino Music) music and the staff’s service were fairly standard. Ate from the counter was pretty helpful when I asked for some recommendations from their menu. The place’s atmosphere felt pretty reserved which, some people such as myself prefer. It’s quite the contrast from establishments like Starbucks that are scientifically engineered to provide an incredibly friendly and social atmosphere.
On our first visit, me and my companion had ordered a couple of pastas and one non-coffee drink each. In hindsight, I probably should’ve tried their coffee first so I could talk about it here—with the place being a cafe and all; but their matcha selection looked quite exquisite. So we ended up ordering one Spanish Latte Matcha and a Tropical Pink Fizz.
Their Spanish Latte Matcha actually had me surprised. I guess I got way too used to Matcha drinks being overbearingly sweet, but Arscapes’ Spanish Latte Matcha had just the right ratio. Not too sweet, and not too bitter either.
The Tropical Pink Fizz was what you’d expect from it. A soda drink with a tropical flavor.
We also ordered a Pain Au Chocolat but honestly, no other pastry shop has beaten that one particular croissant store along the Almeda Highway.
The highlight of our visit was definitely their unforgettable pasta dishes. Pastas in Cafes in Naga are particularly common, but pastas in cafes that make you want to visit on a regular basis are few and far between. Arscapes’ Pasta Carbonara is this authentic, egg based carbonara; a far cry from the creamy, cream based carbonara our Filipino taste buds are accustomed to. It had this firm and delightful taste which had me hooked from the very first bite.
While delectable cafe pasta can be hard to find within Naga, a decent Truffle Pasta is even rarer. The usual “truffle pastas” I’ve had certainly smelled like truffles but they never really tasted like one. Because of this, I have developed a personal pursuit for an actually good truffle dish. Which is why every time a cafe or a restaurant has one on their menu, you can expect me to try some without fail. This is also why I ordered Arscape’s Truffle Pasta, in which I proudly declare, is one of the two truffle pastas in town that actually hits the spot.
The Carbonara and the Truffle Pasta looks almost exactly the same but I assure you, the taste is far from that. Arscapes’ pastas aren’t only great, they’re amazing!
So, based from this first time experience, Arscapes Gallery Cafe is definitely a place that I highly recommend you experience for yourselves. Arscapes’ terrariums alone warrant a visit but staying a while and having some of their delectable dishes and satisfying beverages completes the experience. For a better viewing experience, I highly suggest that you visit during sun down; it’s when the places lighting truly makes the displays pop and makes your visit even more worth it. I myself am eager to go visit the place again and next time I do, I’ll probably be writing about their food specifically. Until then, I’ll keep a look out for some other awesome cafes in Naga City and you can expect me to share them with you!
