The story
On the third floor of the Comuna artist community in Makati, Celera offers a refined casual dining experience that has quickly earned a Michelin star. The name is a play on selera, the Malay word for “appetite,” and it signals the restaurant’s deep, confident roots in Asian cooking.
Founder and Executive Chef Nicco Santos brings two decades of experience to the kitchen. With Executive Sous-Chef Quenee Vilar, Beverage Director Pamela Begre, and a dedicated team, he has built a restaurant around the idea of food as a bridge between cultures. The menu is described as a cuisine d’auteur—an evolving, personal style that draws on a rich vein of Asian flavors, ingredients, and techniques. This is not fusion for its own sake; it is a layered, thoughtful cooking born from the marriage of different culinary traditions.
The setting is as intentional as the food. Celera is located within the emerging artist community of Comuna, and the space is designed for connection. The dining experience is communal, meant to bring people together around a shared table. The atmosphere is worldly but welcoming, a fine dining room without pretense.
The tasting menu changes regularly, a reflection of the kitchen’s restless creativity. Guests are asked to inform the team of any allergies or dietary restrictions in advance, ensuring the experience can be tailored. The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Celera’s Michelin star recognizes the high quality of its cooking, but the restaurant’s ambition goes beyond awards. It is a place where Asian contemporary cuisine is explored with rigor and warmth, in a space that feels both intimate and expansive. For anyone seeking a distinctive fine dining experience in Manila, it is an essential stop.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
Location
Instagram