Josh Boutwood’s Osteria returns for a limited time.

Much like its initial run last year, Osteria puts front and center hearty Italian fare, done with much sophistication, thanks to the freshest ingredients and Boutwood’s modern approach.

The result is comparable to a third date; you’re still trying very hard to impress, as feelings of warmth, familiarity, and fondness have already surfaced.

Osteria isn’t his first side quest since his restaurant received two Michelin stars in October 2026.

Now that the clamor from having received the highest honor in the inaugural Philippine Michelin Guide has somewhat died down, Boutwood admits he’s feeling the pressure.

“But it’s strange how my mind works,” Boutwood says. “I have to add more in order to do more.”

“Doing something like Osteria really does make my mind a little bit more at ease in trying to reorganize the other,” he continued.

As such, Boutwood has mustered a sound game plan for Osteria’s return. In a joint Instagram Reel with Powerplant Mall, he said, “What we’re going to do is introduce dishes little by little as we go along.”

So that guests can come for their favorites in the first week, and try new dishes in the second and third weeks. “On the fourth week, they go back to their favorites and on the fifth, we say good bye,” he said.

“It’s been so busy recently, I had to be very logical,” Boutwood said, adding they already knew what their guests’ favorites were from Osteria’s first run.

That includes the show-stopping Chilean mussels, which simply must be eaten with the incredible sourdough bread from Boutwood’s The Test Kitchen.

The bread comes with the lightest butter on the side, and mopping the white wine sauce with it, becomes the perfect start to the meal.

The arancini di ragu, fried rice balls with beef ragu, is surprisingly light while the radicchio salad is so clean-tasting and sophisticated.

Meanwhile, the bucatini pasta bounces from salty, creamy, crunchy, and spicy, making for a satisfying forkful. The al dente rigatoni covered in rich mushroom cream sauce and paired with fennel sausage tastes like a warm hug.

Short and simple, the Osteria menu is divided into starters, salad, pasta, mains, and dessert.

Considering Osteria is helmed by a chef with a two-star Michelin restaurant, everything is reasonably priced, except perhaps for the Florentine Steak with a price tag of nearly P12,000. It’s served as a whopping 1 kilogram piece of pink porterhouse steak, which makes it a real treat for dad this Father’s Day in case you’re already looking for ways to celebrate your old man, or if we’re staying with the date metaphor, a real solid and impressive move.

Other mains — the pork cotoletta, the roasted barramundi, and the fennel roast chicken — should do the trick for much less. They are all priced below P2,000.

Make sure to leave room for dessert because they are exceptional. The Tiramisu is among the best Metro Manila has to offer, while the Pannacotta was on the lips of nearly every person we asked.

Osteria runs until June 28. Book at table +639455167151.