C' Italian Dining is the restaurant Manila food writers drive up the expressway for, and it sits — improbably — on Don Juico Avenue in Malabañas, the Perimeter Road stretch better known for beer bars and budget hotels. Chef Chris Locher, a Swiss-German who married into Pampanga, opened it in the mid-1990s, and as of August 2026 it's still the smartest table within a short trike ride of Fields Avenue.
The dish that made it famous is the Panizza: a wafer-thin, crackling pizza that arrives already sliced into strips, with a bowl of arugula and alfalfa sprouts alongside. You lay the greens on a strip, roll it up like a cigar and eat it by hand — sounds like a gimmick, tastes like a very good idea. There are a dozen toppings; the classic with prosciutto and the four-cheese are the ones people argue over. Beyond that it's a serious Italian kitchen — house-made pasta, osso buco, risotto, a good steak, tiramisu — with an actual wine list, which on Perimeter Road is a minor miracle.
It isn't cheap by Angeles standards. As of Aug 2026 a Panizza runs somewhere around ₱600–800 and mains more, so two people with a bottle of wine can clear ₱2,000. It's also the place in this guide you might want to book on a Friday or Saturday night, and to wear something with a collar.
C' has a big local following, does catering all over the province, and has spawned a branch or two elsewhere, but Don Juico Avenue is the original. Hours are typically lunch and dinner — I'd confirm before you trike over.
| Cuisine | Italian, Pizza |
|---|---|
| Two can eat for | ₱2,000 (August 2026) |
| Must order | prosciutto Panizza, four-cheese Panizza, house-made pasta, tiramisu |
| Breakfast | No |
| Late night | No — kitchen closes with the evening |
| Alcohol | Yes |
| Hours | Daily 11:00–22:00 |
Highlights
- + The Panizza — a nationally famous dish
- + Real Italian cooking and a wine list
- + A proper date-night option near the strip
Good for
- date night
- foodies
- a treat meal
- couples
- expats
Drawbacks
- − Priciest place in this guide
- − Book on weekend nights
- − Hours unconfirmed for 2026
