Elegant, romantic and tranquil...

That was my first impression of Café Mina the moment I stepped inside.

This dainty restaurant is a gem situated in an unlikely spot along Bacolod's Circumferential Road. More surprisingly, it is next to Star Oil gasoline station that is several meters away from The New Government Center.

That said, Café Mina is a bit far from the rest of the bistros and shops that people often go to in the east side of the city. In this case, being away from where most of the action takes place is not bad. If you are looking for a more quiet but very pleasant place to enjoy a cup of coffee by yourself or with some company, this place is the perfect choice.

The café is decorated with eye-catching novelty items. I am sure that these items are not so rare, but they are something you do not usually see in other places. I could not stop looking around. I secretly did an ocular inspection of every decor that is in there while waiting for our food and drinks. 

Take a look at some of my snaps:

Seeing the sweets inside the refrigerated pastry display makes me think about having dessert already when our food order has not yet arrived on our table.

The walls are ornamented with interesting novelty pieces that are refreshing to look at.

Sorry for the bad shot but in reality the restaurant has good ambient lighting.

You will certainly appreciate the dark ceiling if you have sensitive eyes like me. The lighting is modern and ambient.

I wished I was able to take more pictures but I could not leave unattended my 3-year-old hyperactive son who could not stop looking at the die-cast metal cars that were on the wooden shelf on the wall.

The café served meals as well and Café Mina has an interesting selection of dishes. Looking at their menu, I could tell that the owners took a really good time in carefully selecting the menu items. The choices are unique and classy. I am positive that the dishes carefully picked and meant to tickle the palate of people who know how to appreciate good cuisine.

Prepare to spend more or less Php 250 per head for a meal and around a hundred more depending on the drink you choose to pair your food with. 

Don't worry about the prices sounding a bit expensive. Wait until you actually see the food portions. And you will see that it is super worth it. The serving sizes are generous and on top of that they are very flavorful. Good Job, Café Mina!

Here is a peek at what we had for lunch.

I am a big fan of sausages so I ordered this dish that consisted of three types of sausage. I should have taken note of the name and the price but I did not. I was expecting that the sausages will arrive as logs with either mustard or ketchup but I was delighted to see that they had sliced them. The sauce was sweet and spicy and it went well with the taste of the sesame seeds.

Look at the meat! I love the little flags that were on top of the burger. This meal can satisfy any gastrophile. Here is a closer view.

And the food indulgence would not have been complete without chips.

I love how artistic they are when it comes to food presentation. I have never thought of thing that you use to deep fry food as a pretty serving vessel for fries or chips.

I wanted to have a cheesecake for the grand finale but, we were so stuffed that we decided to settle with coffee. 

What can I say about this cup?

Aromatic, and flavorful with the just the right amount of bitterness that I want from a strong coffee. It was exactly what my cup of coffee should be.

To end this post, I say that you should come to Café Mina. A blissful and classy dining experience is guaranteed.

One last thing...

Its worth mentioning that I super love the tasteful silverware. 

Have you been to Café Mina? Share your thoughts below. If you haven't gone there yet, below is information on how you can find that place:

Cafe Mina is located at the Star Oil Gas station, a few meters away from Bacolod's New Government Center. You may call the café at (034) 713 8833. They open daily from 8AM to 12 Midnight.