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Veer away from the city’s heat and indulge in these dining places in the summer capital of the Philippines.
Philippine Tatler Dining rounds up the best dining places in Baguio City where one may still relish the cold winds matched with sumptuous dishes from the freshest local produce.
Café by the Ruins
25 Shuntug Street, Baguio City, +6374.422.9804
Start the day with an indulgent breakfast at Café by the Ruins. The restaurant has been around for more than two decades and is known for its sumptuous comfort food and unique rustic charm. Aptly "by the ruins," it stands amidst the walls of a garden theatre that collapsed during a big earthquake. Try the Arroz Caldo with steamed wontons and fried tofu with some mushroom finger rolls for a Filipino traditional start. Other signature dishes include Rizal's Tsokolate-e, Ernie's Kamote Bread with Kesong Puti and Basil, Cheese Omelet, and the Filipino Lon-Si-Log (marinated pork cubes, fried garlic rice, and sunny side up egg).
Mario’s
16 Upper Session Road Extension, Baguio City, +6374.442.5445 / +6374.442.4241
The city’s gourmet beacon since 1971 allows diners to savour Spanish heritage recipes. If luck is on your side, the soup of the day will be chicken and sausage gumbo—a must try as it will pique your memories of comfort. After being warmed up, relish a tableside preparation of the restaurant’s famous Caesar salad with fresh crispy Baguio lettuce tossed with creamy yet delicate egg-and-oil dressing topped with shaved Parmesan cheese, freshly baked croutons and crispy fried bacon. Satiate your gustatory cravings and feast on paella Valenciana, lengua con setas, and cap off the meal with mango or strawberry flambé.
Hamada
Baguio Country Club, Country Club road, Baguio City, +6374.619.2050
If looking for a great choice for Japanese specialities, Hamada is one of the places to be. Begin with the generous special sushi boat with sixteen pieces of fresh assorted sushi. Don’t miss the signature US Black Angus rib-eye cooked teppan style that comes with a grilled mix of Baguio vegetables. The succulent steak is perfectly complemented with an order of chahan moriawasae, which is mixed fried rice flavoured with shrimp, chicken, beef, and egg, all prepared a la table with the chef’s nimble movements and special tricks that keep children well-entertained. Try as well the gindara furai and have a scoop of rich green tea ice cream for dessert.
Forest House Bistro & Café
16 Loakan Road, Baguio City, +6374.447.0459
Nestled in one of the quiet districts of the city, fenced in lush trees and flowering plants, this quaint establishment is a delightful place to relish the fresh pine air while enjoying freshly brewed coffee and other house specialities. Warm up with the creamy, buttery seafood bouillabaisse served in a bread bowl and then have a mouthful of the perfectly cured, crackling bagnet with freshly made salsa. For the main course, savour the velvety and tender lengua con setas with mushroom sauce and olives, or the wine-sauced chicken, which is a generous portion of grilled chicken flavoured with secret marinade and served with creamy white sauce and mushrooms. For dessert, nothing beats having fresh Baguio strawberries in cream with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon as a sweet ending to a hearty meal.
Hill Station
Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City, +6374.424.2734
Amidst the scenic Session Road lies the comfort food haven that will make you forget you are away from home. Begin with the Hill Station Green Garden Salad, which includes fresh greens, tomatoes, blueberries, white cheese, caramelised walnuts, drizzled with sesame-mirin dressing. Enjoy a serving of the fresh Mushroom Cream Soup and dig into the hearty main courses like the tender slow-roasted Moroccan Spiced Baby Back Ribs, the Spicy Ceylon Shrimp Curry made with authentic Sri Lankan curry ingredients, and then clean the palate with the famous Death by Chocolate Cake—a moist and warm chocolate lava cake a la mode.
Le Chef at the Manor
The Manor, Camp John Hay, Loakan Road, Baguio City, +6374.424.0931
From classic to modern, Le Chef at the Manor offers an expansive selection of fine dishes to suit every preference. The warmth of the fireplace adds romance in the air, no wonder it has become a favourite gastronomic refuge for couples, families, and friends alike. At Le Chef, the classic and tangy French Onion Soup will surely whet one’s appetite and prepare the diner to the delectable mains like the Baked Chilean Sea Bass in Filo Pastry stuffed with spinach and mushrooms and drizzled with ginger saffron sauce and has a parsley marble potato on the side. The chef Ricky’s Pesto is a perfect pescetarian choice with its scrumptious angel hair pasta cooked al dente, sautéed with prawns, calamari, anchovies, capers, sundried tomatoes, dried chilli, and Parmesan shavings in olive oil. End the meal with a fusion of hot and cold through a serving of Strawberry and Crepe Flambé a la Mode.
The Tasting Room at Baguio Craft Brewery
Palispis Highway, Baguio City, +6374.422.5043
Besides dining places for gourmet comfort food and grilled specialities, Baguio is also known for an emerging local craft beer brewery. The Tasting Room at Baguio Craft Brewery gives guests a distinct Cordillera vibe with lots of wooden details and decorations like the bulul carvings and the bar tables madeout of old barrels. Dishes include Moroccan Spicy Shrimp, Buffalo Wings, Hungry Bacon, Hungarian Sausage and other finger foods best to match with beer. Baguio Craft Brewery also highlights locally crafted beers by the Xavierbeer group that are inspired by the realms in Ifugao myths. These are Pugaw (Earthworld), an India Pale Ale; Kabunyan (Skyworld), a wheat beer; Dalom (Underworld), a brown ale; Lagud (Easternworld), a strawberry beer; and Daya (Westernworld), a German Lager.
Photos courtesy of respective restaurants
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Franz writes about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Art Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright. But above all this, this Aether main spends more time in Teyvat than anywhere else.
