Living in the northern reaches of the metro, Quezon City, QC, Kyusi for millennials, I am not sure what Gen Z or Gen Alpha call the country’s most populous city and one of its largest by land area, if there is a new term at all. I grew up with the impression that for snazzy hotel dinners, you had to head south.

I remember the iconic InterContinental hotel in Makati, demolished in 2016. I even attended the final media farewell staycation for Intercon in November 2015, already a lifestyle journalist at the time. Now I am feeling old. In Intercon, in our family, when you reach the age of seven, they bring you to dine at Prince Albert Rotisserie to learn how to properly behave in a fine dining setting and how to correctly use cutlery. As young ones, we learned how to interact with staff, how to order food, and that there are places where you do not simply barge in but wait to be seated. It was an initiation. In short, that is where we learned proper decorum and manners outside the home and school. That was all in Makati.

In those days, fine dining establishments could be found on West Avenue, Alfredo’s Steak House in Tomas Morato, and a plethora of other steakhouses. But for me, for truly fine and snazzy dining, you still had to go to Makati. To my loss, to be sure; there are fine restaurants in QC and the surrounding environs that I simply did not know.

To my joy, when Finestra, long associated with Solaire in Parañaque, opened at Solaire Resort North in Vertis, I felt, perhaps irrationally, that QC had finally planted its own flag in the fine dining conversation. A proper roof deck hotel restaurant in the jungles of Kyusi.

On a recent revisit, however, the Solaire team confided what they described as a challenge. While the restaurants downstairs, Trattoria, Red Lantern, and Yakumi among them, are drawing steady crowds, Finestra has had to work harder to get diners to make the trip up.

Part of it, they said, is psychological. The name carries weight. The room, perched 38 stories above Metro Manila, with floor-to-ceiling glass framing Manila Bay on one end and the Sierra Madre on a clear day on the other, can feel imposing. From certain angles, you can even spot the carillon tower of the University of the Philippines and the Quezon Memorial Circle rising from the greenery. It is the highest vantage point in the area.

And perhaps, for a city accustomed to horizontal sprawl, vertical dining still feels like an occasion.

The solution is not to dilute Finestra’s identity but to make it more accessible. Hence, we were invited to try out the refreshed menu and the slightly rearranged interiors, now built for a slightly more casual setup. Kyusi people, you still can’t go in wearing slippers and shorts, take note.

The refreshed menu highlights Italian classics presented with a more relaxed approach. Among the signatures is the lasagna made with USDA beef ragout and béchamel, positioned for sharing. For something lighter, there is mushroom soup, while those seeking a more substantial main can opt for the Australian Wagyu Carrara M9 rib eye.

New additions include an artisanal orecchiette topped with king prawns and broccoli, as well as an aubergine parmigiana layered with confit garlic and semi-dried tomatoes. The selections are designed to suit both solo diners and groups.

The expanded bar menu introduces drinks such as the Spritz al Cacao for a lighter option. Classic-leaning choices include Il Bianco and Garibaldi al Pompelmo, rounding out the experience with a mix of signature and familiar cocktails.

For dessert, panna cotta with strawberries. A brown sugar tart served with coffee gelato.

Even the bar has been recalibrated. A spritz built with cacao notes offers a lighter entry point, while drinks such as Il Bianco and a grapefruit-forward Garibaldi cater to those who prefer something more spirit-driven.

Residents of Quezon City are not short on spending power. What they sometimes lack is the habit of going up. Finestra’s current approach suggests that intimidation can be softened without sacrificing standards. The room remains lofty. The views remain sweeping. But the message is clearer now. This is not only for anniversaries and corporate dinners. It can be for Tuesday.