WHEN we hear through the grapevine about a new place that we just have to check out, we dig deep where it is in the city until we finally see for ourselves what the fuss is about. The search couldn’t be more thorough for places hiding in plain sight like in the case of Bottega. If you’re like any driver in Cebu City looking to worm your way out of the traffic, you’ve probably zoomed past it along C.S. Rosal St.
It’s a café tucked behind crowded streets—just the way brothers Christian Paolo Lat and Ivan Dominic Lat like it.
“The ones that find it appreciate what we do,” explained Christian.
Open since May last year, it was put up out of the desire to serve grilled cheese sandwiches in a bigger and laid-back setting, after occupying a stall in Sugbo Mercado (the name of the store was Melt Bros, which they first introduced in Manila).
Bottega’s choices include a selection of pastries from Pie Cebu, and dishes like Poutine—a dish originating from Canada—which the brothers included in their menu, them being Ottawa natives. Bottega’s version is the breakfast kind, made with home fries, mozarella cheese, bacon blanketed with egg and bathed in gravy.
Presently, the place serves coffee together with its dishes using beans sourced from Linear Coffee Roasters. It also has matcha latte for those who have a hankering for the beverage.
Being neighbors back then with Linear, one complemented the other—Bottega’s dishes and Linear’s coffee—forming a certain kinship. That’s part of the vision of Bottega, which is to tie up with brands it believes in, recognizing the art form behind these things be it music, art or simply making coffee.
“We don’t put it out there if we don’t like it,” as Ivan simply said. This is part of the brand’s constant evolution, hence their interest in collaborating with other local brands. For Bottega, the space allows for other activities other than just have people hang out, drink and eat.
“If you look up the word bottega, it means a studio. It’s where an artist does his work,” said Christian, citing the place’s versatility perfect for pop-ups, film screenings and even exhibits.
“Everything is pretty much detachable. What excites me about Bottega is that we have a vision where we want to go but it’s still somewhat vague. It’s a never-ending process because we get inspiration on a daily.”
Bottega is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.