Cebu City is one of the most prosperous cities in the Visayas group of islands found in central Philippines. It is a major economic center in the area, bringing prosperity to the city. Because of this, the city has also evolved into one of the more modern and cosmopolitan cities in this part of the country. As a popular tourist destination, it offers a wide array of food choices as well, from local delicacies to international cuisine. Come and savor the myriad of flavors in Cebu City.
1. American casual dining at Casa Verde
Don’t be misled by the Spanish name - Casa Verde is at the forefront of American casual dining in the city. With three branches in the city and several others in Metro Manila, this chain is definitely growing. Pork ribs is what Casa Verde does best. Its best seller is Brian’s Ribs, which are baked pork ribs with a barbecue sauce that is to die for, at least according to most of its diners. Other dishes to beat are their Golden Chicken Fingers, their Southwest Pasta and a 9-inch burger called Big Bang. Their salads are best shared as they come in big servings, so families and big groups usually have their dinners here.
Casa Verde
Address: 69 Lim Tian Teng St., Cebu City (main branch)
Price: from 10 USD per person
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm. Every day.
Contact: +63 322536472
Website: Casa Verde Cebu
Tip from Trip101 local expert
For a satisfying end to your meal, add a few sweet desserts to your order! Casa Verde's dessert staples are to die for, and such is the case for Death by Chocolate, a striking ice cream cake that looks as if it's sliced out of a dome. Lauren's Lava offers a delightful surprise. I won't spoil it with more details, but I can guarantee you'll savor every bite of it!
Among the desserts I've tried, the Milky Way Shake, I believe, may be the best one yet. It's so big, you might even have to get your buddies to help you out in slurping until the glass is empty!
2. Cafe Laguna - Filipino cuisine at its best
Cafe Laguna started out as a small and humble restaurant in Cebu that served Filipino homecooked meals. When patrons started coming back for more, the restaurant grew into Cafe Laguna. The family that started it all believed that food should not only be good tasting but should also bring back good memories of sharing meals with family. Now, the restaurant has two branches in Cebu City, and several others in the Visayas and Mindanao. Because Cebu has abundant seafood, most of its appetizers and soups are of the seafood kind, while the mains include beef, pork and chicken. Prawn Gambas is a favorite as well as the Salmon and Mango Salad. Different types of sinigang, a sour soup from a tamarind base, are available either with seafood or pork.
Cafe Laguna
Address: Level 1, The Terraces, Ayala Center, Cebu City
Price: from 12 to 14 USD
Opening Hours: 11am - 11pm. Every day.
Contact: +63 322310922
Website: Cafe Laguna
3. Affordable Filipino dishes at Golden Cowrie
Golden Cowrie is one of the more established restaurants in Cebu. Most tourists and visitors find themselves here, and the main reason for this is that they serve up affordable Filipino dishes. They are also known for their delicious and affordable seafood dishes. To date, Golden Cowrie has three branches in the city, catering to groups of any size. Highly recommended as starters would be the Baked Scallops with butter and lots of garlic or the Calamari, which is deep fried squid rings. The best selling main dishes are still the Filipino favorite Crispy Pata and the Lechon Cebu (whole roasted pork). You also cannot go wrong with their unlimited rice deal, which means you can have as much rice as you want.
Golden Cowrie Restaurant
Address: Salinas Drive, Cebu City
Price: from 4 to 5 USD per person
Opening Hours: 11am - 2pm; 5pm - 10pm. Every day.
Access: Most taxi drivers are familiar with this local spot.
Contact: +63 322334243
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4. Ilaputi - Asian soul food
This restaurant prides itself for serving Asian soul food and comfort food. Their menu features what they call Asian fusion dishes, which combine different food influences such Filipino and Japanese, or Filipino and Korean. Their new take on the Adobo for example, incorporates Vietnamese influences, thus resulting in the Saigon Adobo. They also have Beef Stroganoff, which is not served with pasta but with rice. Vegetarians will also love the place because it has vegetarian dishes such as their all veggie version of the Korean Bibimbap. The hip ambiance of the restaurant makes it a favorite hang out for young professionals.
Ilaputi
Address: Cebu IT Park, Lahug and Axis Entertainment Center, Escario Street, Cebu City
Price: from 5 to 8 USD
Opening Hours: 11am - 1am. Every day.
Contact: +63 324158800
Facebook: Ilaputi
Cebu City Tour Guide
Alpha Jr.
I was a former concierge staff of one of the prestigious hotels in Cebu. I had a training in Tour Guiding from the DOT (Department of Tourism). With my experience for over 10 years in hospitality industry and with the training I had from DOT. Hence, gives me the passion to show my city, neighboring islands and the cultures to my visitors. This is to ensure them for a Memorable, Priceless visit and to Love the Philippines.
5. STK Ta Bay - serving truly local food
STK Ta Bay is a local restaurant that showcases fresh seafood that is abundant in Cebu City. STK is an acronym for the types of cooking on offer in STK restaurants; S is for Sugba or grilling, T is of Tula which is a clear soup, and K is for Kilaw, which is cooking or marinating the seafood in vinegar or calamansi, a local lemon. STK can also be called SuTuKil and these types of restaurants allow diners to choose fresh seafood from what’s on hand and choose the way it will be cooked - grilled, in a soup or cooked in vinegar. While seafood is the main fare, pork and chicken are also available. Most of the dishes are good for sharing so this place is best for big groups and families. Crabs are a best seller as well as tuna and shrimp.
STK Ta Bay
Address: 6 A. Climaco Street, Cebu City
Price: from 10 to 12 USD per person for a full meal
Opening Hours: 9am -11pm. Every day.
Contact: +63 322534732
Website: STK Ta Bay
6. Isla Sugbu Seafood City - best STK for first-timers
If it is your first time to try STK, Isla Sugbu Seafood City is the best place to go. The ambiance is a bit more modern than ordinary STK restaurants and choosing your dishes is made much easier here. Their standard STK package which costs 1,600 PHP (32 USD) is already good for four people and includes grilled fish or squid, shrimp soup, and fish kinilaw. Rice has also included as well as one appetizer and a dish of the day. Diners can choose their seafood from the fish on ice or from the fish tanks in the restaurant. What can be fresher than that?
Isla Sugbu Seafood City
Address: Grand Convention Center, Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City
Price: from 8 USD per person
Opening Hours: 11am - 2pm; 6pm - 10pm, Every day.
Contact: +63 22608000
7. Authentic Mexican food at Maya Mexican Restaurant
If you want to try something different, head on to Maya Mexican Restaurant at the Crossroads Mall in Cebu City. You won’t be disappointed as the restaurant serves up authentic Mexican food. This is made possible in the hands of their executive chef who hails from California and has traveled all throughout Mexico. The restaurant offers handmade white corn tortilla shells, which diners can fill with a wide variety of fish, chicken or the house specialty, carnitas or slow-roasted organic pork shoulder. These can be topped with vegetables and their signature tomato-chipotle sauce. Other Mexican favorites such as Tacos and Nachos are also available. What probably sets Maya apart from the rest is its well-stocked bar, with 110 kinds of blue agave tequila.
Maya Mexican Restaurant
Address: Crossroads Mall, Banilad, Cebu City
Price: from 10 USD per person excluding drinks
Opening Hours: 5pm - 11pm, Sundays to Thursdays; 5pm - 1am, Fridays-Saturdays
Contact: +63 322389552
Website: Maya Mexican Restaurant
8. Eat the best lechon in Cebu: Rico's Lechon
Lechon is the quintessential Filipino dish and it is actually a whole roasted pig, preferably a suckling pig. All over the country, there are different types of lechon and Cebu is one of the places in the country with the best lechon. When you ask people in Cebu, the best lechon in town is Rico’s Lechon. Rico’s is a homegrown Cebu company, which started out as a small backyard operation and eventually grew to one that has several branches in Cebu and now ships to Manila. You can choose to enjoy your lechon in their restaurant or in take-away containers. They even go as far as packing lechon for easy hand-carry on planes. Aside from the original favor lechon, Rico’s is also known for its Spicy Lechon, which is a best seller as well. You can also buy a whole lechon, if you want to.
Rico's Lechon
Address: No. 1, Paseo Saturnino along Maria Luisa Road, Cebu City
Price: 1.50 to 2 USD per kilogram (2.2 pound) of lechon; whole lechon range from 70 to 140 USD each
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm. Everyday.
Access: Most taxis are familiar with this local restaurant.
Contact: +63 323440119
Website: Rico’s Lechon
9. Fine Mediterranean dining at Anzani Restaurant
If you want to splurge a bit and have Mediterranean food on your mind, Anzani Restaurant has got you covered. Anzani is owned and operated by Chef Marco and Kate Anzani. Chef Marco reigns over the kitchen, churning out dishes that reflect the flavors of the Mediterranean coast - through the use of tomatoes, olives, herbs, lemon and cheese. When you want to taste Chef Marco’s signature dishes, you can order their “red plate degustation”. Chef Marco has been recognized by the New York Times as a pioneer of New Mediterranean Cuisine. The restaurant also has an extensive wine cellar which can be used for exclusive dining.
Anzani Restaurant
Address: Panorama Heights, Nivel Hills, Lahug, Cebu City
Price: from 30 to 70 USD per person for the “red plate degustation”
Opening Hours: 11:30am - 2:30pm; 5:30pm - 12mn. Every day.
Contact: +63 322327375
Facebook: Anzani Restaurant
10. Dining with a magnificent view - Lantaw Native Restaurant
Lantaw is a local term which means “to look out”. Aptly named because Lantaw Native Restaurant boasts of three branches which all offer unique views for diners. Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant located outside of Cebu City proper, is a floating restaurant near the beach, while Lantaw Native Restaurant SRP is on top of the hills of Cebu. The restaurant serves Filipino food, from delicious seafood dishes to grilled food and with an ocean view or a view of Cebu City at night, what more can diners ask for? The Busay branch now offers shuttle service to and from the city for diners.
Lantaw Native Restaurant
Address: Lantaw Busay, Lantaw SRP, Lantaw Cordova
Price: from 10 to 20 USD per person
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm. Every day.
Contact: +63 325142959
Facebook: Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant
Tip from Trip101 local expert
Thanks to its delectable food and scenic atmosphere, many locals and tourists have made their way to several of Lantaw's branches, with the SRP branch being the most popular. As a result, you may find each table filled to the brim, as well as long queues.
My family and I weren't able to reserve our slots at Lantaw SRP, so we ended up queuing for half an hour until we got our seats! I remember it happened during the weekend, when the restaurant is usually busy and packed. To save yourself some trouble, I suggest you message them through their Facebook page for complete details on reservations. Just type in "Lantaw Seafood and Grill" on the search bar - you'll thank me later.
Cebu City - eclectic flavors at its best
Eclectic is the best word to describe food flavors in Cebu City. It has all kinds of cuisines available, most of which are excellent by local standards. In Cebu, you can never run out of food options. Start with our top 10 list, but you can continue discovering other food spots which are likely to be good as well.
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