Cuisine in the Philippines is a tasty blend of Malaysian, Polynesian, Spanish, Chinese, and American influences. The Filipinos love their food and there are lots of restaurants where visitors can try local specialties like adobo, a stew of meat or seafood marinated in oil, vinegar, and garlic, lechón, marinated roast pork, and halo-halo, a dessert made from shaved ice, red beans and condensed milk.
Bars and Pubbing in Philippines
The Philippines is a good place for people who like to dance, sing or drink the night away. Manila is the biggest city and obviously has a huge number of places where visitors can have a good time. Swedish style G Point Bar (501 Padre Faura St, Adriatico Corner, Manila) is popular with tourists and cosmopolitan locals. It is a cozy, red-and-white checkered tablecloth, stone-wall kind of place. For something a little different, visitors can try the Hobbit House (1212 Arquiza Trade Center, M.h. del Pilar St.Corner Arquiza, Ermita, Manila), which is a themed blues bar that is staffed entirely by little people and features live music from known Filipino folk bands several nights a week. While not to everyone’s taste, cockfighting is a popular sport here, particularly with gamblers. Libertad Cockpit (Dolores St, Pasay City) near Manila city is one of the biggest and best known places to watch matches in the Philippines.
The island of Boracay is known the world over as a worthy rival to party capitals like Ibiza (Spain), Pattaya (Thailand) and Surfers Paradise (Australia). Boracay’s White Beach has a number of drinking spots to enjoy an overindulgence of music and refreshments. The rustic Red Pirates Bar (Station 3, White Beach, Boracay) is a popular venue, as is Summer Place (White Beach, Manggayad, Boracay) for cocktails and dancing, with live music and DJs playing late into the night.
Cebu City is another hotspot for bars and clubs. Club Vudu (Crossroads Mall, Banilad, Cebu) is a reputable dance venue, while Jazz’n Bluz (27 F. Cabahug St, Mabolo, Cebu City) offers drinks and snacks to a background of live jazz music. Angeles City is best known for its casinos and naughty nightlife. Fields Avenue here is party central, with clubs, go-go bars, and pubs including Skytraxx (Fields Avenue, Balibago, Angeles City). For gambling, hit adjacent Clark Freeport Zone.
Dining and Cuisine in Philippines
Manila is the largest city in the Philippines so it is naturally home to some of the best dining in the world. La Cocina de Tita Moning (315 San Rafael Street, San Miguel, Manila) is one of the famed eateries, offering high-end Spanish cuisine in an old mansion filled with antiques. Hotel buffets are another Philippine specialty, with Cornice (Manila Diamond Hotel, Corner Roxas Boulvard and J. Quintos Street, Manila) one of the best.
Farther inland Kusina Salud (285 Bgy. Sta. Cruz (Putol), San Pablo City) is a popular choice, a garden style restaurant specializing in Filipino food and breakfast. Antonio’s Garden Restaurant (Purok 138, Barangay Neogan,) receives consistently good reviews and serves sophisticated European style dishes amid the old world elegance of colonial dining rooms.
Cebu city attracts a lot of tourists and subsequently offers a fine range of international dining. Maya Mexican Restaurant (Crossroads Mall, Banilad Road, Cebu City 6000) pays homage to the Philippines’ long history with Mexico in a tasteful, contemporary environment. In contrast, Zebuchon (One Mango Mall, Mango Avenue, Cebu City) is known for local delicacies, lechón pork, which is served in a modern, clean, air-conditioned spot in the mall.
Angeles City is the culinary heart of the country with a wide variety of restaurants. Travelers must try local dish sisig at Aling Lucing’s Eatery (Corner G. Valdez and Agipito del Rosario Streets, Angeles City) where the spicy, fatty meat is said to have been invented. It’s also possible to find international fare such as pizza, steak, and Japanese in the city’s popular Balibago district.