LOOK: Vintage spots turned restaurants

By Marah Ruiz

Published On: July 5, 2019, 10:27 AM

Updated On: August 13, 2021, 05:53 PM

Historical or sentimental, the spirit of these beautiful places live on as they undergo transformation.

PopTalk host Tonipet Gaba takes celebrity reviewer Sanya Lopez, food blogger Reese Rayos, and Chef Anton Amoncio to three vintage spots that have been turned into restaurants.

The Laurel Mansion, then called Villa Pacencia, was built in 1957 and was the residence of former president Jose P. Laurel. The three-storey mansion is now considered a heritage site in Mandaluyong.

As part of its development and preservation, the place was opened to several business. Conti's was one of the establishments that were lucky to get a spot at the former president's home.

Aside from the famed Mango Brave, check out what else Conti's has to offer.

Café Oley in Quezon City was an ancestral house built in 1983. It used to just be a family-run bakery but was extended to connect to some parts of the house to accommodate a dining area.

The restaurant serves heirloom recipes from the Ilocano-Ilonggo family who owns and runs it.

The five-storey neoclassical building in Binondo, Manila which houses 1919 Grande Café used to be the first Philippine office of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation or HSBC.

The historic building went through restoration and renovation, but 1919 Grande Café chose to retain a few fixtures like the 23-foot high ceiling of the bank lobby and the original flooring. Some old office counter tops were also used to decorate the bar.

Another special feature is a private dining area which used to be the bank's underground money vault.

Check out what 1919 Grande Café has to offer.