Restaurant in Quezon City, Philippines
Credentialed Italian in a mall setting.

CIBO is a Filipino-founded casual Italian chain ranked 31st in the 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains 2025 — a real credential for a relaxed mall-based restaurant in Cubao, Quezon City. The pizza and pasta deliver consistent technical quality above the category average. Book for an easy, food-focused meal; skip it if setting and service are as important to you as what is on the plate.
CIBO landed 31st in the 50 Leading World Artisan Pizza Chains 2025 — a global benchmark that puts this Quezon City institution on the same list as dedicated pizzerias from Naples to New York. For a Filipino-founded casual Italian chain operating out of a mall address in Cubao, that ranking is worth paying attention to. It answers the first question most food-focused visitors ask: is this actually good, or is it just popular?
The answer is both, and that distinction matters for how you should approach a visit. CIBO is the kind of place that earns repeat business from people who know Italian food, not just from diners looking for a comfortable mall meal. Founded by Margarita Fores, whose name carries real weight in Philippine culinary circles, the chain has built its reputation on modern Italian cooking — pizza, pasta, and casual fare , done with more discipline than the format usually demands.
The Cubao location sits inside Alimall, which sets the physical context: you are eating in a mall, and the atmosphere reflects that. Expect a lively, mid-volume dining room where the energy runs warm and social rather than hushed and intimate. This is not the venue for a quiet anniversary dinner where the room itself contributes to the occasion. The sound level during peak hours tracks closer to a busy trattoria than a formal dining room, which suits the format well if you are eating with a group or keeping things relaxed.
Where CIBO earns its price point , whatever that turns out to be when you visit, since pricing is not confirmed in our data , is in the consistency and technical care behind the food. A global artisan pizza ranking does not happen by accident. The kitchen is working to a standard, and for a casual Italian chain in Southeast Asia, that standard sits noticeably above the category average. Fores has long championed Italian culinary technique applied to the Philippine context, and that philosophy shows in the product rather than the decor.
Service at CIBO runs functional and friendly rather than polished. You should not arrive expecting the attentive, proactive service rhythm of a fine dining room. Staff are generally accommodating, but the experience is self-directed: you choose your pace, you flag when you need something, and the interaction is transactional in the leading sense of the word , efficient and without pretension. For the explorer diner who wants to focus on the food rather than manage a formal service encounter, this is actually a point in CIBO's favour.
Book CIBO if you want dependable modern Italian cooking with a credentialed pizza program, and you are comfortable with a casual mall setting. It is the right call for a relaxed lunch, a group dinner without fuss, or a mid-trip meal where quality matters but ceremony does not. If you are in Cubao and the alternative is a generic chain, CIBO is the obvious upgrade.
Do not book it if you need the venue itself to carry the occasion , the Alimall location and the casual format are not going to create atmosphere on their own. For special events where setting and service matter as much as food, look at options elsewhere in Metro Manila.
Booking is easy. Walk-ins are realistic for most visit times, though weekend lunch at a popular mall location can compress availability. No reservation system details are confirmed in our data, so check directly with the venue before arriving for a time-sensitive meal.
CIBO is located at Alimall in Cubao, Quezon City. Phone and website details are not confirmed in our data , verify current contact information and hours before visiting. Dress code is casual; the mall setting and the format make smart casual or everyday wear entirely appropriate. The venue suits solo diners, couples, and groups equally well. For more restaurants and experiences across the city, see our full Quezon City restaurants guide, our full Quezon City bars guide, and our full Quezon City experiences guide.
If Italian is not the priority and you want to explore the broader Manila dining scene, Toyo Eatery in Manila is among the strongest modern Filipino options in the metro. Further afield, Helm in Makati and Linamnam in Parañaque are worth the trip for serious food explorers.
Quick reference: Cubao, Quezon City | Casual Italian | Global pizza ranking (31st, 50 Leading World Artisan Pizza Chains 2025) | Easy booking | Casual dress | Mall setting.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIBO | CIBO is a homegrown Filipino Italian restaurant chain founded by Margarita Fores, known for its modern Italian dishes, including pizza, pasta, and casual Italian fare. It was ranked 31st in the 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains 2025. | Easy | — | ||
| Toyo Eatery | Modern Fillipino | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — | |
| Gallery By Chele | Modern Fillipino | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — | |
| Hapag | Filipino | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — | |
| M Dining + Bar M | Asian Fusion | Unknown | — | ||
| Locavore | Creative Cuisine | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
CIBO's menu covers modern Italian staples — pizza, pasta, and casual fare — which typically includes options adaptable for vegetarians. Confirm specific dietary needs directly with the Alimall branch before visiting, as menu details are not confirmed in our current data. The broad Italian format generally allows more flexibility than tasting-menu or omakase formats.
Go in knowing this is a mall restaurant — the Cubao location is inside Alimall, so the setting is casual and commercial, not intimate. The draw is the food program: CIBO ranked 31st in the 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains 2025, which is a credible global benchmark. Order the pizza; that is where the credential lives.
Bar seating details for the Alimall location are not confirmed in our data. Given the mall setting and casual format, a dedicated bar counter is not a standard feature of this style of outlet — plan around table dining and confirm with the branch directly.
For a more chef-driven Filipino experience with similar accessibility, Toyo Eatery is the Quezon City reference point. If you want upscale dining with serious culinary credentials, Gallery by Chele and Hapag sit at a different price and formality tier but are worth the consideration if occasion matters. CIBO is the right call when you want dependable Italian and a globally ranked pizza program without the occasion-dining price tag.
Not the obvious choice. The Alimall setting is casual and mall-bound, which works against the atmosphere most people want for a celebration. For a special occasion in Metro Manila, Hapag or Gallery by Chele deliver more intentional dining environments. CIBO is better framed as a reliable weeknight or family meal option where the pizza ranking adds genuine credibility to the food.
Casual clothes are fine. The Cubao location is inside a shopping mall, and the atmosphere matches that context. There is no indication of a dress code, and the Filipino-Italian chain format run by Margarita Fores is designed for everyday dining, not occasion wear.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.