Restaurant Review: A Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante

We spontaneously arranged a double-date-for-a-cause one Saturday with Jeff and Joie. Magulo ang usapan. Walang plano. Ubusan ng load. Pasakitan ng ulo. But surprisingly, it turned out really well. We were supposed to buy some relief goods to donate to the victims of habagat. Since Jeff also needed to have his computer checked at Park Square, they instructed us to park near Glorietta. And since Jeff was carrying his beloved CPU, Joie requested if we could have lunch at the nearest possible restaurant which led us to A Veneto.

If I remember it correctly, it was my second time at A Veneto. The first time was when I was invited to a despedida dinner of a former teammate. But since I was forced to work overtime, the only thing left at the table for me was a slice of cold pizza so I consider my second time as my real first time. Hehe! Not much has actually changed when it comes to the restaurant’s interiors. It’s still a bit uninviting and gloomy given that we went there for lunch.

Anyway, we decided to have appetizer, a 10-inch pizza and two pasta dishes. Boyet wanted to get their Buffalo Wings, but we were informed that they were out of stock so we settled for their Chicken Wings instead.

The serving is very generous as the basket has six deep-fried chicken wings coated with a sweet chili sauce (a.k.a JUFRAN). The chicken wings are not bad, but it didn’t blow me away maybe because I conditioned my tongue to a spicier and tastier Buffalo Wings.

Boyet was eyeing on the Baked Ziti with Meatballs so he suggested it to the group. We initially asked the waiter if it’s good for sharing. According to him, it’s already good for 2-3 people. Served to us were three large meatballs on top of penne pasta with marinara sauce, topped with cheese. Though a little dry, the meatballs taste good. This pasta dish is quite on the bland side so I requested for some Parmesan cheese which made a big difference to its taste.


Joie suggested we get the 10-inch Bacon Cheeseburger Pie which was the same thing on my mind. Same wavelength na kami hihi!

I didn’t appreciate it at first bite as I thought it to be as bland as the baked ziti. But when I took another bite, I finally got the very nice blend of the flavors from the ground beef and bacon. I love eating crispy thin crust pizza as it highlights the taste of the pizza toppings. This was definitely the case with the Bacon Cheeseburger Pie.

I wasn’t very enthusiastic when Joie requested for a pesto pasta dish. It’s not that I don’t like pesto. I actually do. But if you were to ask me to rank, pesto only comes third after cream-based and tomato-based pasta dishes.


As proof that I wasn’t interested in it, I tried it last when I was nearly full. But suffice to say, I think I saved the best for last. Among all the food on the table, I have to give the highest mark to the Nut Pesto with Chicken. Topped on it are very tender strips of fried chicken breast and served with bread on the side. I enjoyed tasting all the different herbs and the strong garlicky flavor even if I ended up brushing my teeth three times as soon as I got home. :p


A Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante
Glorietta 3
Ayala Center, Makati