Rico’s Cafe | Must-try Café Hidden in Sta. Rosa, Laguna

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Rico's Café is a local café located at Nena’s Sanctuary in Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate, Laguna. The concept of Rico’s Café is based on Finopino, a refined take on traditional Filipino cuisine. They uses European techniques to elevate the traditional Filipino dishes.

Rico's Café offers both indoor and outdoor dining, with views of the Sta. Elena Golf Course across the lake. The location sets a slow and relaxed atmosphere.

The menu of Rico's Café ranges from soups to desserts, with an extensive coffee and other beverages.

For starters, we tried one of their best-sellers, the Pugita Kinilaw. A thinly sliced octopus tentacles soaked in vinegar. While Kinilaw usually relies solely on vinegar, their version has coconut milk.

For the mains, we ordered two dishes: first was the Signature Fried Chicken in Sinigang Gravy. While the chicken was good, I feel it’s worth exploring other dishes offered by Rico’s Café.

The next one was Laing in Pork Roulade. A large serving of Laing sitting on 2 slices of pork roulade with huge prawns on top.

Now for the highlight of this experience, we ordered Tiramisuman, a specialty of Rico’s Café. A tiramisu with Suman and Mascarpone Cream soaked in Kapeng Barako. It is wrapped in banana leaves like a traditional suman. The presentation of this dessert was pretty unique.

For coffee, we tried the Muscovado Latte Oat (hot) and Iced Kape Tsokolate Dairy (cold). The Muscovado Latte Oat was so good we ordered it twice. The Iced Kape Tsokolate Dairy was enjoyable as well, though it leaned more toward a tsokolate drink than coffee.

Rico's Café served elevated traditional Filipino cuisine in a relaxed setting. While the price lean toward the expensive side, i think it is decently priced because of the taste, food preparations and generous portions. The service was also commendable. Although it’s not the most accessible location, I find Rico's Cafe is ideal for leisure dining or special occasions.

Recommendations: Try the Pugita Kinilaw and Tiramisuman

Tip: Best to reserve in advance.

Here are a few nearby places with intriguing food scenes that you should explore:

IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER IN RICO’S CAFÉ

Rico’s Café Information
- Website: https://www.nenasanctuary.com
- FB: @nenasanctuary
- Address: Sta Elena Golf and Country Estate, Txokolate Road, Santa Rosa, Laguna
- eMail: inquiry@nenasanctuary.com
- Contact Number: +63 998 964 3181
Rico’s Café store hours:
- Tuesday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Friday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
To reserve a table, email ricoscafe@nenasanctuary.com
Rico’s Café has a spacious parking space.
Rico’s Café accepts credit cards.
Rico’s Café is Pet-friendly.
Dress code is casual outfit.