VIA MARE IS BASKING IN ITS GOLDEN ERA

For a restaurant, to reach the age of 50 is quite a feat.

- NINO ANGELO COMSTI

tall order CARLO MIGUEL MANIEGO COMSTI

Given the fickle market, surviving five is already an accomplishment, what more multiple decades. It only means that they have managed to appease generations and have successfully adjusted to the times. Such is the case of Via Mare, a longtime brand that recently celebrated its golden year anniversary.

Back in Sept. 5, 1975, at a time when European and continental menus ruled the scene, a small and humble shop situated in Legaspi Village, Makati, dared to change the game and introduce Filipino cuisine in a manner it has never been presented before — with the elegance and grace of a fine dining restaurant. Founded by Glenda Rosales Barretto and friends, it was called Via Mare, Latin for “way of the sea,” showcasing seafood specialties prepared with care and detail and served with warm hospitality.