As soon as the freshly made pizzas landed on the table, it was already clear that chefs Stephan Duhesme and Arlo Gregorio’s Cutie Pie isn’t trying to be a traditional pizza place.
What makes Cutie Pie’s pizzas different
With a crust crisp enough to hold its shape even while carrying the flavorful weight of bagna cauda, anchovies, cheese, and garlic, their Bon ‘Chovy pie was rich and savory without being too heavy.
Each bite started with the sharp saltiness of the anchovies before settling into the warmth of the bagna cauda. To round everything out was the garlic confit—soft, spreadable, and almost jam-like, it added subtle sweetness. The crust itself stayed light and crackly throughout, giving the pizza enough structure and crunch to balance all those bold flavors without feeling overloaded.
Equally awe-inspiring was their Recto-Roni, a pizza inspired by the classic pepperoni pizza. The difference, however, is that Cutie Pie’s version doesn’t actually have any pepperoni.
In its place, they used ‘nduja, a type of soft, spreadable cured meat from Italy that’s savory, spicy, and somewhat funky due to fermentation. They chose to “pepperonify” ‘nduja because they couldn’t find the right kind of pepperoni in Manila. To be honest, they might not even need to look for the classic topping anymore, because their version is just as good, if not better. And like pizza places in New York, they choose to pair this with a creamy ranch sauce on top for even more tang.
Both pies feel familiar enough to satisfy a pizza craving, but they also have just the right amount of strangeness to make you stop mid-bite. I guess that’s what happens when a fine dining chef starts making pizza.
Stephan Duhesme brings New York-style pizzas to Manila
Duhesme, best known for Metiz and Automat, built his career by redefining modern Filipino cuisine. But with Cutie Pie inside Karrivin in Makati, he’s trading tasting menus for New York-style slices while still applying the same obsessive attention to flavor, texture, and process. Because for him, pizza isn’t a step down from fine dining. If anything, it’s a different kind of challenge entirely.
“Anybody can make a burger or sandwich,” he says. “But can everybody make a great one? Not really.”
Pizza, according to him, is even more unforgiving because, unlike burgers or sandwiches, you actually need to have the right equipment for a proper pizza. “If you don’t have the right oven, forget it,” he says. “You’re never going to make great pizza.”
And for Cutie Pie, great pizzas mean leaning into an artisan New York-style approach where slices are crispier, sturdier, and built to hold a bevy of toppings while actually surviving Manila’s humidity without collapsing into a soggy, unappetizing mess. After all, the goal is to make pizza that works whether you’re eating it fresh out of the oven with friends or just grabbing a slice to-go.
Cutie Pie balances restraint and creativity
To accomplish this, Duhesme built Cutie Pie with experimentation and restraint in mind. “In fine dining, we like layering flavors,” he says. “But with pizza, things get muddy very fast.” In the Cutie Pie kitchen, every ingredient has a purpose. So instead of piling on an endless amount of toppings and cheese, they choose to keep things relatively tight and balanced by creatively using a thoughtful selection of ingredients.
That mindset shows up best in the Ate Marga pie, their take on the classic margherita pizza. Here, they swap out the fresh basil leaves that eventually turn a burnt black for a bright green basil sauce that’s added after the pie exits the oven.
It’s a small, but thoughtful detail that encapsulates their thorough but not overly serious approach over at Cutie Pie—something that I find sums up the entire place nicely.
From a daytime Cutie Pie to the evening’s sultry Josephine
The experience at Cutie Pie isn’t just tied to the food. With a space that mixes industrial interiors with cozy couches and casual seating arrangements, they encourage people to stay a while instead of rushing through a meal. Personally, it feels more like a neighborhood hangout spot than a polished project from a well-accomplished chef who’s led some of the country’s most well-known fine dining restaurants, and that relaxed energy really is the heart of the restaurant.
And once the evening rolls around, the space slowly transitions into Josephine, the bar cleverly tucked inside Cutie Pie. While the pizza shop operates during the day, Josephine takes over at night with cocktails, dimmer lighting, and a more lounge-like atmosphere. And the pairing makes perfect sense because good crusty and crunchy pizza; smooth cocktails like White Gringo (mezcal, vermouth and bitters), Geng Geng (lambanog, tequila, gin, rum, fresh fruits), and Arlo’s Manhattan (rye whiskey, bitter, maraschino cherry); and comfortable couch seating make it incredibly easy to spend your entire evening there.
That balance between thoughtful and approachable is really what defines Cutie Pie. Yes, the pizzas are carefully constructed. Yes, there’s high-level technique behind every detail. But none of it comes at the expense of fun, comfort, or the simple joy of eating pizza with other people.
For a restaurant by one of Manila’s most respected fine dining chefs, that might be the biggest surprise of all.
Cutie Pie is located at Unit 2, 2/F, Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Chino Roces Ave Ext, Magallanes, Makati City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cutie Pie is located at Unit 2, 2/F, Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Chino Roces Ave Ext, Magallanes, Makati City.
Cutie Pie was created by chef Stephan Duhesme, the chef behind Metiz and Automat.
They specialize in artisan New York-style pizza with crisp crusts and creative toppings.
Yes. At night, the space transitions into Josephine, a bar inside the restaurant.
