New dining experiences highlight global flavours, local sourcing, plant-forward cuisine, and inclusive banquet offerings.
Novotel Manila Araneta City is refreshing its culinary offerings with the launch of Freshfinity at Food Exchange Manila, the reopening of Indulge Gelato & Bakery, a plant-forward menu at Gourmet Bar by Novotel, and Halal certification for its banquet kitchen.
The initiatives mark a new chapter for the hotel following its 10th anniversary, bringing together culinary diversity, responsible sourcing, and more mindful dining.
Freshfinity takes the familiar abundance of buffet dining and gives it a more focused culinary identity one shaped not only by variety, but by responsible dining, local partnerships, and a thoughtful balance of global inspiration and Filipino expression.
Led by Cluster Executive Chef for Outlets Athena Tuble, Freshfinity features six international culinary stations: Maharaja for Indian cuisine, Flavors of Asia for Asian favourites, Sakura Sumi for Japanese specialties, Cucina Italiana for Italian dishes, Brasserie Maison for premium meats and seafood, and Butcher’s Block for carved roasts.
The buffet also promotes responsible dining through portion-conscious presentation and partnerships with Filipino suppliers, including Meliomar, A2Z, Metro Pacific, and Auro Chocolate, supporting local producers while showcasing Philippine ingredients.
Freshfinity is available every Friday for dinner and Saturdays and Sundays for lunch and dinner at PHP 2,799 nett per person.
Meanwhile, Indulge Gelato & Bakery returns with refreshed interiors and an expanded selection of pastries, cakes, gelato, and savoury creations. Highlights include Matcha Croissant, Ube Cheese Croissant, Mango Shortcake, Matcha Biscoff Cheesecake, Chicken Adobo Pocket, and Longganisa Egg Danish, under the direction of Cluster Executive Pastry Chef Angelique “Angel” Llantanda.
At Gourmet Bar by Novotel, Cluster Executive Chef for Banquet Michael Ramos introduces a plant-forward menu under Novotel’s Longevity at Novotel initiative. Dishes include Seared Cabbage Steak with miso cream, Cauliflower Bibimbap with crispy tofu, and a Brown Lentils and Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl, reflecting the brand’s focus on flavourful, balanced dining.
Part of Novotel’s Four Pillars of Life campaign, Longevity at Novotel embraces a refreshingly simple idea: living well begins with the choices we make every day. It is about feeling good, sleeping deeply, moving with ease, and creating meaningful connections with the people and places around us.
Anchored in four essential pillars: Eat, Sleep, Move and Meet — Novotel’s evolving vision of wellbeing moves beyond fleeting wellness trends, focusing instead on thoughtful, everyday rituals that can make a lasting difference.
The brand is embracing a more plant-forward approach to dining, with thoughtfully sourced ingredients and dishes that bring together flavour, freshness and nourishment. The result is food designed not simply to satisfy, but to make guests feel good proving that a more balanced way of eating can still be one of life’s great pleasures.
The hotel has also secured Halal certification for its banquet kitchen, expanding its capacity to serve meetings, conferences, weddings, and social events with more inclusive dining options. Its banquet offerings include Indian and Chinese cuisines, complemented by the hotel’s homegrown Prana Indian Cuisine.
Together, these developments reinforce Novotel Manila Araneta City’s evolving culinary direction, combining international influences, Filipino ingredients, wellness-focused dining, and greater inclusivity across its restaurants and events.
