ROBERTO BELLINI, founder of Cubao’s once-secret, mural-covered Italian restaurant, passed away on Nov. 24 at the age of 84.
His passing was confirmed in a Facebook post by one of his daughters, Joy Bellini.
Most fans of the restaurant learned of his death when chef Waya Araos-Wijangco said in a Facebook post, “330. Godspeed Roberto Bellini! Your little shop in Cubao was home to many memories for our family. We learned about Italian food from you, in the accessible, friendly and unpretentious space you made. I will always remember our run-ins and friendly banter at Farmers Market. You are a legend. Salute!”
The restaurant, founded in 1999, used to be a well-kept society secret, entertaining celebrities, politicians, and bohemians (thanks to its relatively accessible prices) alike. It stopped being a secret in its Cubao Expo location with the release of the 2007 film One More Chance, which had scenes set there. One of the film’s stars, John Lloyd Cruz, had kept in touch with Mr. Bellini through the years, greeting him on his birthday in January, recalling that the restaurateur told him, “You have to work, John Lloyd.” An earlier post in 2018, shows the actor with Mr. Bellini, “the only paparazzi I love.”
Being behind the camera was Mr. Bellini’s life prior to settling in the Philippines with his wife and three children.
According to a profile on Esquire by the late journalist Regina Abuyuan, Mr. Bellini had photographed Diana, Princess of Wales, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Julio Iglesias, and Tom Cruise, among others. Remnants of this past life can be seen on a wall of his restaurant which is nearly papered in his celebrity shots.
Ms. Abuyuan happened to be the co-founder of Fred’s Revolucion, Bellini’s Cubao Expo neighbor. Accordingly, the bar posted a tribute to Mr. Bellini on their Facebook page: “Buonanotte, nostro Principe” (Good night, our prince), accompanied by a photograph of their bar with a sign for Mr. Bellini, reading “Ti Vogliamo Bene” — a phrase that expresses love in Italian, literally meaning “We want the best for you.”
Hailing from Pisa and born on Jan. 3, 1940 to a family in the restaurant and hotel industry, Mr. Bellini trained to be a paratrooper and entered military service, before turning to the film camera.
To patrons of Cubao Expo, he will always be the friendly man sending free drinks to first-timers (and, if he remembered your face, on the next visit), in a pastel shirt with a few buttons open, exposing a gold chain. He would be out in the last few hours of daylight, supervising things before his restaurant opened. — J. L. Garcia
