Regina Troy Barrios

Metro’s Guide To The Best Beach Dining In The Philippines

Article (news)

<p>The best beach days are organized around food. Coffee tastes better with sand between your toes, grilled fish seems sweeter after a swim, and gorgeous sunsets call for a drink in your hand. With summer just beginning, we put together a guide to help plan your next beach outing: if you woke up tomorrow in one of the Philippines’ great beach destinations, where would you eat from morning until night? The places below—beach destinations where the dining scenes feel especially lively right now—are your blueprint to the most delicious seaside escapes you can plan right now.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773645807482Siargao.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: CEV Siargao | Shaka Cafe </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><h3><strong>Siargao</strong></h3><p>Siargao’s waves made it famous, but lately the food has caught up with the surf. The island’s dining scene now swings comfortably between barefoot cafés and ambitious chef-driven kitchens—the sort of place where a smoothie bowl can sit happily beside a paella inspired by Spanish tradition.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773646059542Siargao 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Last Chance | Alma | Shaka Cafe </span></span></span></div><p>Start the morning with a fruit-laden smoothie bowl at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shaka.hq/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Shaka Cafe</strong></a>, where surfers wander in still salty from Cloud 9, then walk down Tourism Road for proper bread at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kawayangourmand/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Kawayan Gourmand French Bakery</strong></a>. Lunch belongs to raw seafood at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cevsiargao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>CEV: Ceviche and Kinilaw Shack</strong></a>, widely considered one of the island’s best kinilaw stops, where tuna brightened with calamansi and mango tastes like the sea itself. In the afternoon, locals queue for ube-cheese scoops at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/halika_siargao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Halika Gelato</strong></a> or a comically oversized turon from Isla Turon, before sunset cocktails at the beachfront <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bravosiargao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Bravo Restaurant</strong></a> or the moody little bar <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lastchancesiargao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Last Chance</strong></a>. Dinner offers several satisfying directions: the pioneering tasting menu at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lastchancesiargao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Roots Siargao</strong></a> remains the island’s most thoughtful chef-driven experience, while <a href="https://www.instagram.com/naga.siargao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>NĀGA Siargao</strong></a> delivers polished international cooking for celebratory evenings. And if you’ve saved room—or curiosity—reserve ahead at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/almaphilippines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Alma Siargao</strong></a>, where Chef Luis Martinez, drawing on Valencian roots, quietly turns out deeply satisfying Spanish dishes like paella Valenciana and seafood fideuà in a leafy garden setting that feels both intimate and celebratory.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773646486225Siargao 3.jpg" style="width:960px;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: NAGA Siargao | Bravo Restaurant</span></span></span></div><h3><strong>La Union</strong></h3><p><strong></strong>La Union has mastered the art of the beach weekend. The surf is good, the sunsets are theatrical, and along the Urbiztondo strip in San Juan you can move easily from coffee to tacos to cocktails without ever losing sight of the sea.<strong></strong></p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773646736466La Union.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Clean Beach | Honu San Juan</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773647013229La Union 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: UNA by Lasa Supperclub | El Union Coffee</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Morning begins at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elunion/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>El Union Coffee</strong></a>, listed in the <em>World&#x27;s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2025</em> and the surf town’s unofficial living room since 2013, where a Dirty Horchata and grilled cheese sandwich make excellent surf fuel. Pick up flaky sourdough pastries from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/masabybarefoot/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Masa Bakehouse</strong></a> before wandering toward the water for lunch at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/honu.sanjuan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Honu San Juan</strong></a> or the sustainability-minded café <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cleanbeachco/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Clean Beach</strong></a>. If you’re hungry for something unexpected, the souvlaki platters at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gefseis_greek_grill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Gefseis Greek Grill</strong></a> arrive fragrant with oregano and lemon. For sunset drinks <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theshrineofsatisfaction/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>The Shrine of Satisfaction</strong></a> is where inventive cocktails and music signal that the evening has begun. Dinner in La Union has quietly grown more interesting: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curolaunion/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Curo</strong></a> remains a favorite for truffle mushroom pasta and ribeye served in a Balinese-inspired villa, while the newer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/restaurant.una/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>UNA by Lasa Supperclub</strong></a> brings Chef Joaquin Cruz’s thoughtful coastal Filipino cooking to an elegant boutique-hotel dining room. If you have another evening to spare, Chef EJ Lagman’s inventive Filipino plates at<a href="https://www.instagram.com/makan.at.eliseos/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> Makan at Eliseos</strong></a> are worth seeking out.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773647432168Panglao.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Tiya&#x27;s House at South Palms Panglao M Gallery</span></span></span></div><h3><strong>Panglao, Bohol</strong></h3><p>Panglao moves at a gentler pace from the start, with its long beaches, dive boats drifting offshore, and restaurants that lean toward seafood and thoughtful Filipino cooking. In recent years the island has also become a small stage for chefs exploring regional ingredients with fresh ambition.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773647696009Panglao 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Salt and Sky Rooftop Lounge | MOSA</span></span></span></div><p>Ease into the day with tropical bowls and coffee at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/overgrown_philippines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Overgrown Café &amp; Bar</strong></a> or <strong>Shaka Panglao</strong>, both ideal stops before island-hopping tours depart. Lunch belongs to the sea at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/JOSÉ-Panglao-100085804593459/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Jose Panglao</strong></a>, a beloved local benchmark where diners select their seafood and have it grilled or simmered into sinigang, while <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chadarestobar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Chada Resto Bar</strong></a> offers a polished but easygoing menu of global comfort dishes—from gambas al ajillo to burgers. Later in the afternoon, cake and coffee at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crazeartisancafebohol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Craze Artisan Café &amp; Bistro </strong></a>provide a gentle pause before sunset drinks at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soleacoastpanglao/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Salt &amp; Sky Rooftop Lounge</strong></a>. Dinner might mean the lush jungle interiors of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mist_bohol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>MIST Restaurant</strong></a>, famous for its tender pyro chicken, or the dramatic cave-like dining room at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mosa_bohol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>MOSA</strong></a>. But the island’s most ambitious table right now is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSL7w2MCTBf/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Tiya’s House</strong></a>, Chef Bettina Arguelles’ intimate degustation experience at South Palms Resort, where a reservation-only tasting menu explores heirloom Filipino ingredients—from mangrove clams to wild boar—in a quietly beautiful beachside house.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773648187896Boracay.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Cafe Maruja | Sunnyside Cafe </span></span></span></div><h3><strong>Boracay</strong></h3><p>Boracay is so famous for its sand that people sometimes forget how well you can eat here. Yet along the long curve of White Beach is a lively corridor of cafés, snack stands, and restaurants that reward anyone willing to spend the day wandering.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773648640499Boracay 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Royal Indian Curry House | Cha Cha&#x27;s Beach Café | Wolfgang&#x27;s Steakhouse Grill</span></span></span></div><p>Breakfast is practically a ritual at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mosa_bohol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>The Sunny Side Café</strong></a>, where the bacon-mango grilled cheese has become a Boracay classic, or at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/boracay.cafemaruja/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Cafe Maruja</strong></a>, known for airy soufflé pancakes and sea views. A stop at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/realcoffeeboracayoriginal/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Real Coffee &amp; Tea Cafe</strong></a> for its legendary calamansi muffins—an island staple since the 1990s—is practically mandatory. Lunch might be humble but satisfying beef pares at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Pares-Hilton-Boracay-61582671219941/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Pares Hilton</strong></a> or oyster sisig by the sea at <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftwoseasonsboracay%2Falbums%2F117502343107%2F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">barLO Resto Lounge</a> </strong>at the Two Seasons, or relaxed beachfront bites at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chachasboracay/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Cha Cha’s Beach Café</strong></a>. By mid-afternoon, nearly everyone lines up at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/halowich2020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Halomango</strong></a> for soft-serve piled with sweet Philippine mangoes or cools down with Korean shaved ice at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iceflakes_boracay/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Ice Flakes Boracay</strong></a>. Sunset cocktails feel particularly good at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/richboracay_ph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Royal Indian Curry House</strong></a>, whose roofdeck frames the horizon, before dinner at the reliably excellent <a href="https://www.instagram.com/giuseppe.boracay/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Giuseppe Pizzeria &amp; Sicilian Roast</strong></a>. For something more indulgent, reserve a table at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wolfgangssteakhousegrillboracay/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Wolfgang&#x27;s Steakhouse Grill</strong></a><strong></strong>, where dry-aged steaks and polished service bring a touch of Manhattan steakhouse glamour to the island, or linger over relaxed beachfront plates at Cha Cha’s Beach Café.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773648852100Workbench Thumbnail.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Hama Coffee | Bella Vita </span></span></span></div><h3><strong>El Nido, Palawan</strong></h3><p>In El Nido, even seasoned travelers pause to stare at the view. Limestone cliffs rise straight from turquoise water, outrigger boats drift lazily in the bay, and the restaurants—often small and beachside—feel happily embedded in the landscape.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773649304347El Nido 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Photos: Punta Playa Lio | Nikibaker | Oppa Kitchen</span></span></span></div><p>Morning belongs to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hamacoffeeelnido/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Hama Coffee El Nido</strong></a>, where a flat white comes with a quiet view of the cliffs, or to a relaxed start at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dayocafe.elnido/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Dayō El Nido</strong></a>. Lunch might be rustic but deeply satisfying grilled fish or kinilaw at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maasgrillandresto/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Maa’s Grill</strong></a>, while <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oppaelnido/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Oppa Kitchen</strong></a> serves surprisingly good tuna tacos and poke bowls in a tiny counter-style space. For something more polished by the water, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/puntaplayalio/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Punta Playa Lio Restaurant</strong></a> offers seafood-forward MediterrAsian plates on a golden-sand terrace. Afternoon pastries from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nikibakerelnido/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Nikibaker</strong></a> provide a sweet pause before sunset drinks at<a href="https://www.instagram.com/apkala_ph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> AP Kala Beach Bar</strong></a>, where ceviche and cocktails arrive just as the sky begins its slow performance. Dinner might mean the breezy beachfront Italian cooking of<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bellavitaelnido/reels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Bella Vita</strong></a>, the deeply aromatic curries at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigbadthairestaurant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Big Bad Thai Restaurant</strong></a>, or a final drink and meal above the town at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pieceofskyelnido/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Piece of Sky El Nido</strong></a>, whose panoramic rooftop views have quickly made it one of the island’s most talked-about sunset spots.</p>

<p>Metro’s guide to the best beach dining in the Philippines maps out the perfect day of eating across five island destinations—Siargao, La Union, Panglao, Boracay, and El Nido. From morning coffee and bakeries to fresh seafood lunches, sunset cocktails, and chef-driven dinners. </p>

Metro’s guide to the best beach dining in the Philippines maps out the perfect day of eating across five island destinations—Siargao, La Union, Panglao, Boracay, and El Nido. From morning coffee and bakeries to fresh seafood lunches, sunset cocktails, and chef-driven dinners.

Metro’s Guide To The Best Beach Dining In The Philippines

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Metro’s Guide To The Best Beach Dining In The Philippines

Troy Barrios

Published Mar 16, 2026 04:28 PM PHT

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