45 YEARS
45 YEARS
Of Splendid Cuisine and Fond Memories
The Legacy of Via Mare
How It All Started
How It All Started
On September 5, 1975, led by Glenda Rosales Barretto and a group of friends, they raised the curtains to the first Via Mare Restaurant. Located in Legaspi Makati, the foundation of our company was a Fine Dining Seafood Restaurant, hence “Via Mare”, which is latin for “Way of The Sea”.
VIA MARE CATERING
VIA MARE CATERING
A clamor for the refined service of Via Mare prompted the management to establish it’s Catering Division. Since then,
No other Filipino restaurant has been the top-of-mind when it comes to hosting dinners for dignitaries, heads of state, international celebrities, and international events.
From beauty queens during the 1995 Miss Universe pageant in Manila, the papal visit of then Pope John Paul II, the 1996 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, the gala of the Philippine-run of West End’s Miss Saigon, the 2007 ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the weddings of illustrious families, and other milestones in Philippine history, Via Mare was always the top choice.
In the photo (top to bottom) : (1) Glenda Barretto at a very young age, (2) Glenda Barretto’s recent photo (3) Book, “Via Mare: 40 Years of iconic event, through menus, recipes, and memories.”
Over the years, we have been honored to cater some of the most high-profile visitors to visit the Philippines.
STATE FUNCTIONS
STATE FUNCTIONS
We’ve been fortunate enough to be given the confidence by our clients to handle such delicate affairs. Among these are some of the following:
- King Fahd
- Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda
- King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain
- Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore
- President Gerald Ford
- Then California Governor Ronald Reagan
- President Bill Clinton
- His Holiness Pope John Paul II
- England’s Princess Margaret
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister Bhutto
- India’s Prime Minister Indira Ghandi
- Princess Caroline of Monaco
- US Secretary of State George P. Schultz
- The Queen of Malaysia
INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS
INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS
We’ve also had pleasure to serve many notable local and international gatherings. Some of them are:
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- World Law Conference
- ASEAN Ministerial Conference
- 8th World Congress of Aneaesthesiologists
- World Advertising Congress
- Miss Universe 1994
- APEC
- Manila International Film Festival
- Federation Dentaire Internationale
GALLERY
Gallery
Dinners Hosted By Carlos P. Romulo
Then Philippine Representative to the UN, and Foreign Affairs Secretary. Who would write thank you letters to GRB for personalized service and excellent cooking.
Via Mare
The first Via Mare Restaurant in Legaspi, Makati
State Dinners
GRB with former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
State Guests
GRB with International State Guests
Top French Chef
GRB with Paul Bocuse
Ms Universe Pageant
Via Mare catering at the 2016 Ms Universe Pageant in the Philippines
Culinary Icon Award
Glenda Barretto Recieveing an award at the LTB Association
International Guests
Guests of the State at the first Via Mare Restaurant
At Starweek Magazine
GRB featured at the Sunday Magazine of Philippine Star
By 1985, Via Mare eventually garnered the prestigious title of being the Exclusive Catering Concessionaires in the renowned Philippine International Convention Center.
- Chaine des Rotisseurs Baillage de Manille
- Food and Wine Society
- American National Restaurant Association
- Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines
- Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation.
CHANGE OVER THE YEARS
Changes Over The Years
While Via Mare maintained to be the top catering choice among the prominent and elite, it grew to accommodate the demands of its wide clientele.
Café Via Mare
CAFÉ VIA MARE
Café Via Mare was introduced to the market, dubbed to be a pioneer in introducing the first authentic Filipino café. The Via Mare Oyster Bar was also launched to cater to the more discriminating taste and specialized in serving the most succulent of oysters.
Via Mare Catering
Via Mare Catering
Via Mare Catering has served a significant portion of the upscale market for mobile catering services in the business, government and social sectors of Manila as well as other major cities of the country.
VIA MARE EXPRESS
VIA MARE EXPRESS
Moving forward into the next generation, Via Mare brings its rich culinary tradition into the Frozen Food Industry with Via Mare Express– our quality frozen foods that is our testament in our continued efforts to introducing the legacy of fine Filipino to the much newer and mobile generation of today.
NEWS
News
How Via Mare’s Glenda Barretto ended up serving presidents and princesses
October 3, 2019 - WHAT DOES it mean to be the best? You can take the example of Glenda Barretto, founder of Via Mare, and caterer extraordinaire...
Hanging out with Glenda Barretto, the unstoppable queen of Via Mare and Pinoy fine dining
August, 25 2019
Glenda Barretto: First of Her Kind
September 10, 2015- Esteemed restaurateur Glenda Barretto celebrates Via Mare’s 40th anniversary and her unwavering passion for her craft.
Bawal ang Pasaway: Mareng Winnie samples Via Mare's specialties
May 19, 2014
What Filipino chefs prepared for APEC Leaders
Nov 19, 2015
LTB Philippines Chefs Association Culinary Icon Awardee, Mrs. Glenda R. Barretto
Apr 9, 2017
9 Little-Known Facts as Via Mare turns 40
September 23, 2015- Via Mare’s staying power is a reminder that Filipino cuisine has come a long way.
Glenda Barretto Wants to Cook Tinola for Obama
February 5, 2012 - Glenda Barretto, often referred to as the doyenne of Philippine cuisine, had been a pioneer long before it became trendy for anyone to consider being a chef as a viable career.
Pepper Christmas Special: A Via Mare Christmas
December 25, 2019 - Mrs. Glenda Barretto continuously proves that Filipino food is “at par with the world’s best.”
