Cafe Eight Buffet: High-End Dining in Crimson Hotel

As you know, I’m always on the lookout for great buffet deals. With the rising restaurant rates, buffets can give you good value for money. Or in my case, an opportunity to binge on delicious bites like fresh sushi and sashimi.

Cafe Eight is the main restaurant in Crimson Hotel, Alabang. Recently, it has opened its dinner buffet spread, scheduled every Friday and Saturday. I haven’t been to Cafe Eight before and I couldn’t find any recent reviews, so I don’t really know what to expect.

I went here with my boyfriend Hali for their Saturday dinner buffet. We availed of their introductory price of P1200 per person.

Cafe Eight Buffet

Cafe Eight is located in the 8th floor of Crimson Hotel. The interior looks classy, although it is a bit small compared to other buffet restaurants – I read that the seating capacity is only 40+ people, so it’s ideal for intimate dining. There is also a nice city view from the window site, but it seems to be reserved for groups only.

Cafe Eight has a few food stations. Here you can find:

• Mains including Filipino, Malaysian, Korean, and Chinese dishes
• Italian station with pasta and pizza
• Carving station for roasted pork
• Carving station for peking duck
• Sushi, salad, and fresh seafood station
• Dessert station

The first food station contains soups, rice, and main entrees like roasted pork loin, chicken cashew, beef rendang, and mixed seafood. I liked most of them, particularly the beef rendang which tastes like the ones made in Malaysia.

The pasta station is interesting because you can order different types of pasta (bolognese, carbonara, pesto, etc.) and you can ask the chef to prepare them in the cheese wheel. It’s the first time I’ve been to a buffet with a cheese wheel. The linguine bolognese (prepared in the cheese wheel) and the lasagna were very good.

There are also carving stations for roasted pork and peking duck. The roasted pork was labeled differently (I think it was called pork pancetta), but it tastes like regular lechon. I liked the roasted vegetables served beside the meats.

Another food station serves different types of salad (greens, potato salad, strawberry mixed salad, etc.). A small grazing plate is ready with slices of meat and cheeses. There is also an iced plate of fresh seafood including scallops, mussels, and shrimps. I skipped the fresh seafood because it didn’t look appealing to me.

The sushi section is one that disappointed me here in Cafe Eight. The only sushi available is maki – there is no sushi nigiri as advertised in Crimson Hotel’s Facebook page. There are also no sashimis. For me, a buffet isn’t complete without sashimi and a high-end buffet like Cafe Eight should know better than to exclude them in their menu.

Anyway, the last food station is the desserts. This is one of the most interesting spreads in Cafe Eight. There are plates of leche flan, mini fresh fruit tarts, chocolate cakes, cups of mango tapioca and chocolate, and bite-sized pastries. There is also a make-your-own halo-halo section.

I loved the desserts in Cafe Eight – these aren’t the same cake and jelly sizes served in every other buffet restaurant, these are professional creations. Hali is particularly fond of the mini fresh fruit tarts.

As for the drinks, the only ones included in the buffet rate are water and coffee. You can order other drinks for additional fees. Adding more drink options is another area that Cafe Eight can improve on.

Overall Thoughts

Here are my overall thoughts about Cafe Eight buffet dining in Crimson Hotel.

• Variety. There is limited variety of food. In my opinion, the quality of the food makes up for it. On the other hand, my boyfriend was unsatisfied with the selection. So whether this is a deal-breaker for you depends on what you are looking for in a buffet. The menu spread can be vastly improved, in my option especially in the sushi section where there is only maki sushi (no nigiri sushi, no sashimi). The drink selection is also limited (only water or coffee).
• Quality and taste. This is one of the best buffets in Manila hands down. Dishes like beef rendang and pasta choices like the lasagna show that the food is professionally prepared and is made with premium ingredients.
• Service. Service is good. We didn’t really require much help, but whenever we needed to wave down a server, they were fast and attentive.
• Overall. The food is really good, but they can improve by adding more items in their buffet spread. We availed of their introductory rate of P1200 per person and I would say that it’s sulit. The restaurant is ideal for intimate gatherings, so for people living in the south like me, this can be a staple buffet option especially with families and loved ones.

About Cafe Eight in Crimson Hotel

Cafe Eight is located on the 8th floor of Crimson Hotel in Alabang.

For the dinner buffet, here are the current rates (Updated as of 2023):

• Friday – P1200 per person
• Saturday – P1500 per person

Dinner buffet runs from 6PM to 10PM.

They also offer daily breakfast buffet for checked-in and walk-in guests, as well as brunch buffet every Sunday. The rates for breakfast and brunch buffets are different, so it’s best to check with the hotel.

Reminders and tips:

• It’s best to make early reservations. You can contact them via Facebook.
• Parking is free. You can validate your parking ticket in the payment counter before you leave.

Have you been to Cafe Eight in Crimson Hotel? Let us know in the comments section below!

What to read next:

Love eating at buffets? Check out these articles:

• Buffet 101
• Marriott Cafe
• Medley Buffet by Okada
• Cafe 1228 by New World Makati Hotel
• Cafe Eight by Crimson Hotel
• Misto at Seda BGC
• The Alley by Vikings
• Ultimate Buffet Guide: The Best Buffet Restaurants in Manila