Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar in BGC: In-House Pasta, Aperitivo Drinks, and Southern Italian Traditions

At its core, the food has always been the priority. Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar is intentional about staying true to traditional Italian techniques and flavors, without over-adjusting to trends or expectations. The goal is simple: to serve food that feels real and familiar, and to create a dining experience that, even for a short time, brings guests closer to what it feels like to sit down for a proper meal in Italy.

IMAGE from Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar

This same commitment to an authentic Italian dining experience also shaped how the restaurant’s space evolved.

The team initially planned for a separate bar upstairs, but the strong demand for a full dine-in experience led them to adapt. Instead, they focused on creating more space for guests and made the bar a natural extension of the restaurant. Its aperitivo-inspired drink program reflects this direction, rooted in the Italian tradition of light, refreshing drinks meant to complement the meal rather than compete with it.

IMAGE from Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar

IMAGE from Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar

Guests may begin with the Arancini Sisig, a playful and flavorful take on arancini where Sicily meets Pampanga. Crispy on the outside and bold and savory inside, this antipasto brings together Italian technique and Filipino flavor in a way that is easy to enjoy and made to keep diners coming back for more.

Arancini Sisig (Php 170) / IMAGE from Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar

For the primi, the Carbonara is a classic choice prepared with egg yolk, pecorino, and crispy guanciale, tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and finished with a touch of black pepper. Rich, simple, and deeply satisfying, it highlights the restaurant’s commitment to pasta made with proper technique and balance.

Carbonara (Php 590) / IMAGE from Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar

Another recommended dish is the Pasta allo Scoglio, a seafood pasta made with mussels, prawns, and clams simmered with cherry tomatoes. Classic and comforting, it brings together the natural brininess of seafood with the brightness of tomatoes for a dish that feels both hearty and refined.

Pasta allo Scoglio (Php 990) / IMAGE from Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar

Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar was brought to life by Chef Donatello Montrone, whose roots in Basilicata in Southern Italy heavily shaped the restaurant’s approach to food. His cooking is grounded in tradition, memory, and the way meals are actually prepared and enjoyed back home.

Chef Donatello Montrone / IMAGE from Philippine Primer

Growing up around Aglianico vineyards and being raised by a family of farmers and winemakers, Donatello has always known the food of Southern Italy. He spent his formative years in Turin, where he learned the fundamentals of meat, fire, repetition, and respect for ingredients in his uncle’s traditional Piedmontese steakhouse. Soon after, he served 10 years in the Italian Army, an environment that reinforced discipline, structure, precision, and leadership under pressure.

After his military service and move to Manila, Donatello founded and developed SmartBite. In his entrepreneurial journey, he was eventually led back to the kitchen with a clear vision. In that pursuit, he founded Al Dente Food Group and opened its first restaurant, Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar, founded in 2024 in Forbestown. Rooted in Italian tradition and shaped by a clear respect for ingredients, the restaurant continues to serve fresh pasta and Italian comfort in a way that feels honest, familiar, and true to its beginnings.

With fresh pasta at its heart, Al Dente Fresh Pasta Bar brings together honest Italian cooking, thoughtful drinks, and a dining experience shaped by tradition and care. It is a place where every plate reflects a simple promise: to serve food that feels real, familiar, and close to the warmth of a proper meal in Italy.