We went to la mensa for lunch after not being there for over a year. I asked for beef tapas, not available so i asked for a BLT. My wife not very hungry so she only wanted a halo halo, not available, no ice cream left. More than 30 minutes after we placed our order the waitress came and told me they had no tomatoes so would it be ok if they just put extra bacon in my BLT, after already waiting so long i was not going to change my order so now i was getting a BL. When it came the bacon was only half cooked, quite a surprise when the menu said it would be crispy bacon. On leaving, the drive along their one way system is now a bit hazardous due to a mass of motorbikes parked on the right side and a deep uncovered canal on the left, and guess what, there is no parking signs along that part of the road. All in all a bad experience.
I've been there once. The food was good but I had to apply for a bank loan to afford it! The one issue for me - and this may have been corrected by now - is connected to having a dog suffering severe separation anxiety, whom we have to take everywhere with us and thus often are obliged to sit outside. La Mensa was very pricey but none of the outside tables had any cover. If it rained I am sure the staff would have helped take our food inside - but how wet it would have been by then! And would our dog have been allowed inside even then? For such a high price level, I would have thought a few parasols were affordable. So having to sit unsheltered outside plus the very high prices, it was a one-time trip. With your review, I think it will stay that way. Thanks.
I wouldn't disagree CharlyB. We used to use La Mensa most times we came into town shopping but it's been in steady decline for over a year IMO. La Mensa, Islas Buglas and Hotel Dumaguete are all owned by the same company (Reisa Grp) but won't share/exchange goods if one runs out. The staff also have some severe shortcomings e.g. I ordered a bottle of wine in La Mensa but the waitress had obviously not been shown how to open the bottle. It seems the senior staff on duty just gave her the corkscrew and told her to get on with it while they stood back and laughed at her. In the end I showed her how to do it and had a few choice words with the staff. That was the last time we used the place. We've found the Piapi Deli (GF of Hotel Dumaguete) a far better alternative.
To be sure, in terms of the building, the surroundings and the possibilities for a really nice atmosphere, it is a location that could thrive as a restaurant for sure, but not under current ownership/management. If Bahia or Si Senor management would take over I am sure it would be a success within a year or so.
