Sonyas Garden Tagaytay: Not as Good as expected

Cheche
12/07/2020
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Sonyas Garden Tagaytay

 3.9/5

Sonyas Garden Tagaytay is definitely on our list of romantic Bed and Breakfasts… Many thanks go to the creator and owner, Sonya Garcia, for bringing us this slice of paradise. Whether it is your first or forty-first time at Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay, it never fails to captivate.

For those that want beautiful views, the fresh and inviting smell of fragrant flowers, the peace and tranquility of being in nature, and maybe even a touch of romance, then you can’t go past Sonya’s Secret. But, as more and more people visit and the word spreads, Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay won’t be a secret much longer.

With all the new establishments and hotels starting up in Tagaytay. Sonya’s still offers a timeless escape from city life where you can enjoy healthy meals in a lush garden setting.

Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay

UPDATE:

I just recently was in Tagaytay and decided to have lunch at Sonya’s Garden. The food was always so nicely prepared and well worth the price… But now… The food was served from a buffet and by the time I got to it most of the dishes had started to dry or go stale. Very disappointing especially since I have raved about the food in the past. Most of the food I tried was not up to par and the complete lunch was not worth the price we paid.

Everything else about Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay was as I remembered it to be, the gardens, cottages, and Spa are still as good as ever… It is just the food that is letting the team down. Come on Sonya, get it back the way it used to be…

Ideal for a family weekend or romantic couples retreat, Sonya comes ready to please. Starting with Sonya’s kitchen, which had long been renowned for serving organic garden vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. As we strolled to the main dining area, the true beauty of the place became evident.

Adorably quaint cottages, an office, a gift shop, and a panaderia (bakery) where bread, cakes, and pastries are freshly baked and on sale. The main dining area is a huge greenhouse with flowing white canopies that really set to mood for romantic late-night dinners.

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The food At Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay

*** Please read the update at the top of the page. The food on my last trip here was over-priced and disappointing.

The food, as usual, was wonderful and the ambiance is perfect for a couple or barkada’s getaway. We were entertained by the staff, asking if we’ve already eaten, “Kumain ka na?”, in three different musical tones. It was hilarious. And hospitable.

Sonya offers a fixed all-you-can-eat organic menu. It starts with freshly harvested arugula and lettuce handpicked from her garden, topped with mango, broad beans, eggs, cucumber, jackfruit, edible flowers, and other fruits that are in season. This is then drizzled with Sonya’s Secret Salad Dressing.
Pasta is also served with two choices of sauce: sundried tomatoes, and chicken cream with mangoes. Feel free to mix the two up and surprise yourself. Then, top it off with as much salmon belly, shiitake mushrooms, ratatouille, black olives, capers, and grated parmesan cheese as you want. For dessert, enjoy glazed sweet potatoes, banana rolls with sesame and jackfruit, and homemade chocolate cake.

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Dessert Anyone?

There were three kinds of desserts served – glazed sweet potato, banana rolls with sesame and jackfruit, and the Smashingly Sinful Homemade Chocolate Cake.

Hmm… Disappointing… Well, the desserts were not so good. The sweet potato was hard to chew, the banana rolls or turon were unexceptional, and the chocolate cake did not satisfy me at all. Or maybe I just had high expectations for the chocolate cake because of its description. But overall, the set menu was worth its price because of the unlimited servings and fresh, organic ingredients.

Sonyas Garden also has a bakery, and they call this “panaderia”. It’s a habit for Filipinos to bring presents or treats for Their loved ones back at home (pasalubong) so we visited the bakery next.

Have been to Sonya’s BNB a handful of times and we’ve always been fans of this rustic ambiance. While the staff remains warm and kind, unfortunately, it seems that the quality of our stay has fallen quite a bit from its glory days a few years ago.

The stay comes with free breakfast and lunch or dinner. Unlike the previous times we visited, the salad is now plated, there are no more of those delicious bread spreads, and you have to ask for salmon to be served instead of before. We were quite disappointed with our stay and it’s unlikely that we’ll come back again unless it’s to go to the spa.

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Sonyas Garden Panaderia

Blending with the perfumed air from the garden, the aroma of freshly baked Spanish bread wafting from the Sonyas Garden Panaderia often arrests guests in their tracks.

There is a comfort to be found in being cosseted by a plateful of traditional Filipino pastries like kalihim, ogoy-ogoy, putok, adobini and monay. Or how about a bite of the sweet and buttery Spanish bread or cheese hopia with real Parmesan cheese? Have a butter cookie and feel a quiver of delight shoot into your bones.

After lunch, we decided to have a casual stroll around the garden. I love the charm of this place. Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay is a location all to itself. It is so easy to leave the outside world behind once you walk through the gates.

Next… The Cottages

One of the things I found adorable was that each cottage has a unique personality that is part of Europe and Sonya. Think romantic, think rustic, and enjoy being detached from modern life for a day. As part of the rustic experience, rooms do not include many modern facilities like televisions, air-conditioning, and telephones.

Cottages have different room configurations that can comfortably accommodate anywhere from 2 to 6 guests. Special arrangements can be made to accommodate up to 13 people in the biggest cottage, which is Lavender. Special arrangements can also be made for big groups such as corporate planning sessions, wedding showers, reunions, etc.

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Sonya’s Garden B&B

Many guests have already vowed to return for the simple joys it offers, like waking up to the smell of flowers, languishing in bed from last night’s soothing massage, contemplating in the undisturbed solitude that surrounds each cottage, relaxing by the charming bay windows that open to a resplendent view of nature, enjoying the warm hospitality of Sonya and her staff—and other delightful discoveries that have made a stay at the B&B a unique experience for every person.

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What are your rates for Sonya’s Garden B&B?

Rate for one-night stay per person
Weekdays (Mon-Thurs) – ₱3,000 ($63)	Holidays – ₱3,740 ($78)
Weekends (Fri-Sun) – ₱3,400 ($72)	Single Occupancy – ₱5,000 ($105)

This includes a sumptuous breakfast and a complimentary lunch or dinner with a serenade. Unlike the restaurant, which has a fixed menu, the Sonyas Garden B&B has flexible fare that changes from season to season. Guest who may have special requirements may make arrangements at the time they make their reservation and with due advance notice.

Spa Facilities

Treat yourself to a relaxing massage or body scrub. There is a full-time spa facility in the garden where guests are treated to a full pampering experience. While guests of the B&B may also request for these services to be provided at their respective cottages, it is recommended that they visit the Sonyas Garden SPA for a complete rejuvenation of the mind and body. Try Sonya’s Garden Signature massage. You won’t regret it. It’s a stirring full body massage using a combination of Sonya’s most favorite strokes and lavender-scented oil. believe me, it’s divine.

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You can choose from a unique variety of facials using different herbs, organic ingredients, and luxurious masks that naturally rejuvenate the skin with their All-Natural facial massage.

If you’ve got the time, take a moment to be spoiled by a combination of services designed to invigorate you from top to toe. Choose what suits your fancy like indulgent packages massage.

Their foot spa is fantastic. Best enjoyed after a lunch at the garden, our relaxing foot massages are the ideal R&R to send you off before heading back to the city.

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Sonyas Garden Country Store

Sonyas Garden has a Country Store that allows guests to purchase some of her offerings to take home or give as gifts, including the Secret Salad Dressing. Freshly baked bread, signature pastries, and salad greens are also available at the Panaderia next door.

Check-in Check-out

Guests can check-in between 2 pm -7 pm. and checkout at 12 noon. If, however, you have special requirements, we would suggest that you mention this at the time you make your reservation. Sonya’s allows some flexibility with check-in/checkout so long as it does not conflict with its commitments to other guests.

Pets at Sonyas Garden Tagaytay

Dogs are welcome, preferably those that are gentle and petite. Other pets are allowed as long as they remain securely under their owner’s custody. Noisy and ferocious animals are discouraged. We would like to remind guests that Sonya’s is a farm and that there are free-range farm animals that abound in the area and that Sonya’s Garden cannot be responsible for any pet brought into the premises.

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The Art Of Doing Nothing

For those who want to renew their inner selves, Sonyas Garden has therapeutic and creative activities to experience with the owner. When she is available, Sonya herself conducts a yoga class for beginners to set the mood for a surreal restorative experience. These are only a handful of ways that guests of Sonya can experience the nourishment of body and soul at the B&B.

Learn “The Art of Doing Nothing” at Sonyas Garden or visit the spa to relax. Any activity you choose is sure to refresh your body and mind.

How do we get to Sonya’s Garden Tagaytay?

Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite, PH
(near the vicinity of Tagaytay City)

From South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), take the Santa Rosa exit and turn right towards Tagaytay.
Upon reaching the main Aguinaldo highway, turn right towards Nasugbu, Batangas.
Go past Tagaytay Rotunda and proceed for 10 kilometers.
After Splendido Taal Golf Country Club (on your left), make a right turn on Buck Estate Road.
Drive for 2 km and watch for Sonyas Garden on the left side.

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How do we make a reservation?

To make a reservation at the RESTAURANT, call +63 917 532 9097. To make a reservation at the Sonyas Garden SPA, call +63 917 503 1080.

Sonyas Garden in Tagaytay is tops among the healing sanctuaries I have visited in NCR. Who would think that right here in our land lies a place so sacred that one instantly feels so blessed the minute one steps inside this paradise? This garden is the way God wanted it to be from the beginning. No wonder it is a favorite place for very special occasions that will certainly outlast a lifetime.

No matter how many times you have visited Sonyas Garden Tagaytay, it’s always like the first time. And like true love’s kiss, it will always be sweet. After all, in this paradise, you have a romance with the ordinariness of living while basking in simple abundance.

As Sonya concluded, “Now I will begin my doing-nothing ritual — linger in bed and relish my dreams. So should you.”

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