Regina Troy Barrios

Anne Curtis’s Dark Fairytale in “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” Was Filmed in These Real Restaurants

Article (news)

<p>Now streaming on<strong> Netflix</strong>, the Filipino adaptation of <a href="https://www.netflix.com/ph-en/title/81761616" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>It’s Okay To Not Be Okay</strong></em></a> is poised to attract the same devoted following as<a href="https://www.netflix.com/ph-en/title/81243992" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> the original K-drama</a>. With <a href="https://www.instagram.com/annecurtissmith/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Anne Curtis</strong></a> in the lead role, the series doesn’t just aim to match the emotional depth of its predecessor—it hopes to carve its own space with bold storytelling, stylized production, and unmistakable Filipino soul.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17535265270173.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The story lingers in real restaurants that feel almost cinematic. | Photo: Netflix </span></span></span></div><p>The original South Korean series was widely celebrated for its raw emotional narrative, stylized visuals, and complex characters. It earned multiple Baeksang Arts Awards nominations, including Best Drama, and became a global favorite thanks to its unique blend of fantasy and emotional realism.</p><p>As fans binge the Filipino version of the series, many are asking the same question: Where were those scenes filmed? The show’s moody, fairytale tone is heightened by its striking locations. Two, in particular, are surprising—they’re not soundstages or elaborate sets, but real restaurants you can visit: <strong>Jardin</strong><strong> Mediterranean Cuisine</strong> in Iloilo and<strong> Seaside Floating Restaurant</strong> in Silay, Negros Occidental.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17535267695252.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Anne Curtis spins tales of witches, princesses, and the wounds they hide at Jardin | Photo: Netflix</span></span></span></div><h3><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jardin.iloilo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Jardin Mediterranean Cuisine, Iloilo</strong></a></h3><p>In one standout scene, Anne Curtis’s character, a celebrated children’s book author, sits in a quaint café where a young girl and her mother approach her. The moment begins innocently: a fan encounter, a sweet request for a photo. But the conversation quickly takes a darker, more twisted turn, setting the tone for Curtis’s enigmatic character. The restaurant’s light-filled  interiors and Mediterranean charm serve as the perfect backdrop for the layered emotions unfolding onscreen.</p><div> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjardiniloilo%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02ZSRDgm25bT7ZKwV6LZBscV5z55ZVmMkmNhZRzNDJ8b6tCdX5Wf51oDxsNLducjZjl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="465" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>In real life, Jardin is a Mediterranean restaurant born from the owner’s love for European cafe culture. Its menu includes house dips like hummus, baba ganoush, and tzatziki; starters like spanakopita cigars and croquetas de jamón; and hearty mains such as beef kebab, chicken gyros, seafood paella, and Greek grill platters. The setting, with white linen and glass walls opening to gardens, invites diners to linger—transforming an ordinary meal into something cinematic in its calm elegance. </p><p>Don’t expect the whispery tension or filtered lighting of the IOTNBO scene. Instead, expect real food, real families, and a lunchtime crowd that leans more laid-back than literary. That said, it’s easy to see why it was chosen: Jardin has the kind of atmosphere that lingers.</p><p>You’ll find Jardin Mediterranean Cuisine at Riverside Boardwalk, Diversion Road, Mandurriao, Iloilo City; call +63 995 108 4760, email dining@jardin.ph, or follow @jardin.iloilo on Instagram for updates.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753527175123Seaside.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The charged tension between Anne Curtis and Joshua Garcia at Seaside Floating Restaurant in Silay | Photo: Seaside Floating Restaurant </span></span></span></div><h3><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seasidefloatingresto/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Seaside Floating Restaurant, Silay</strong></a></h3><p>Another key location is the visually stunning Seaside Floating Restaurant in Silay. In one scene, Anne Curtis and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/garciajoshuae/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joshua Garcia’s</a> characters sit across from each other at a table framed by water and sky. The tension is palpable, made even more dreamlike by the setting’s slow, drifting movement and the lush natural light.</p><p>In real life, Seaside Floating Restaurant in Silay sits on a stilted platform by the water’s edge, offering open-air dining amid the sea breeze and casual seaside views. It’s known locally for affordable, freshly grilled seafood dishes like grilled boneless bangus, talaba (oysters), calamari, and buttered shrimp. There’s no pretension or theatrical décor—just rustic bamboo seating, sea air, and the steady rhythm of the water below. Yet come weekend, the mood shifts: it’s livelier, family‑friendly, buzzy with conversations—more plates of sinigang and grilled squid than cinematic tension. That casual energy is part of its charm, anchoring the dreamy on‑screen tension with grounded local life.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17535272968217.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Where light lingers and flavor deepens | Photo: Seaside Floating Restaurant </span></span></span></div><p>Seaside Floating Restaurant is located in Barangay Balaring, Silay City, and is open daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM—don’t miss the grilled talaba, shrimp sinigang, and kinilaw na tanigue, and if you time your visit at sunset, the golden light and waterfront views make it feel like the sea is part of your table.</p><div><br/></div><h3><strong>Fantasy meets reality</strong></h3><p>These restaurants don’t just serve as backdrops—they ground the show’s dreamlike tone in something real. On screen, they feel moody and theatrical; in person, they offer warmth, comfort, and quiet charm. That contrast is what makes visiting them so compelling: they remind us that even the most stylized stories begin with something familiar.</p><p>So don’t come expecting brooding silences and fairy lights. Come for the food, the view, and the quiet thrill of standing where the story once unfolded.</p><p>Whether you&#x27;re a fan of the series or simply a curious diner, these places remind us that the most cinematic moments often spring from real places, real people, and real food.</p>

<p>They look like something out of a dream, but these restaurants in Silay and Iloilo are very much real.</p>

They look like something out of a dream, but these restaurants in Silay and Iloilo are very much real.

Anne Curtis’s Dark Fairytale “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” Was Filmed in These Real Restaurants

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Anne Curtis’s Dark Fairytale “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” Was Filmed in These Real Restaurants

Metro.Style Team

Published Jul 26, 2025 06:57 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 31, 2025 11:36 AM PHT

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anne curtis

joshua garcia

it's okay to not be okay philippines

restuarants in Kdrama

tv series restaurant locations

silay city restaurants

iloilo restaurants

netflix filipino series

iotnbo

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