Intramuros, the historic walled metropolis of Manila, is without doubt one of the nation’s high locations for worldwide vacationers and locals alike. Whereas most vacationers go to primarily for the church buildings, museums, and historic websites, some eating spots additionally provide distinctive locations to seize a chew or drink in between all that sightseeing.
Together with basic eating places serving Filipino-Spanish delicacies, a number of new cafes have popped up previously few years, giving locals a cause to revisit.
Right here’s an final information to the basic and new eating places in Intramuros presently operational as of April 2024.
A high decide for worldwide vacationers and Pinoy households each time they should entertain balikbayans, Barbara’s Heritage Restaurant is without doubt one of the mainstays within the Plaza San Luis Complicated.
This heritage restaurant with Spanish-era-inspired interiors and old-world particulars serves basic Filipino meals and provides buffet lunch and dinner choices together with cultural performances. Specialties embrace Calamares Fritos, Tiger Prawn Sinigang, Gambas al Ajillo, Pritchon, Blended Seafood Grill and extra.
Apart from the primary heritage restaurant, you can even discover Barbara’s Cafe, an al fresco space with a view of the courtyard if you wish to simply to take a breather with fruit shakes or lighter fare.
An Intramuros icon that’s been round since 1989, Ilustrado provides nice eating Filipino-Spanish dishes like Paella Ilustrado (Meat & Seafood), Adobong Bagnet with Taba ng Talangka, and Baked Eggplant in Filo.
Their signature Sampaguita Ice Cream, impressed by the nationwide flower, is without doubt one of the distinctive specialties value looking down, particularly for first-timers within the space. This ice cream is fragrantly creamy and tastes identical to you’re consuming sampaguita flowers.
The nation’s solely Catholic-themed restaurant lets diners get pleasure from meals surrounded by relics of saints and angels. Owned by the Catholic Bishops Convention of the Philippines (CPCP) and situated simply throughout San Agustin Church, the distinctive non secular cafe is well-liked with bishops, monks, members of the clergy, and churchgoers.
The cafe serves an assortment of rice meals like Salmon in Tamarind Stew, Seafood Pasta, and Carrot Cake. Notably, it offers employment to PWDs as a few of their servers are listening to and speech-impaired.
Batala Bar is a comfy spot that serves craft beer together with appetizers, sandwiches, mild meals and premium ice cream. It’s one of many few cafes within the space that provides plant-based dishes on their menu like plant-based sisig tacos and rice bowls. Different bestsellers embrace the Bomba Longga Panini and Bataladobo Rice Bowl.
The breezy second story incorporates a mini-art gallery and memento store from the Philippine Artisan Commerce Gallery with a stunning view of Casa Manila’s home windows and the courtyard beneath.
Whereas the beer is costly, as a craft beer fanatic, it’s my private decide each time I occur to have meet-ups with pals within the space.
This engaging al fresco cafe which sits proper on the nook of Calle Actual and Basic Luna Road is a favourite backdrop for Instagram snaps.
They serve espresso, frappes, milk tea, muffins, pasta, and some Filipino-Spanish dishes like Beef Salpicao within the homey cafe adorned with picket particulars and Spanish-tiled flooring.
The Plaza San Luis Complicated has a number of different spots the place you’ll be able to seize iced espresso, refreshments, and fast bites. The Royal Cafe provides a cheerful and comfy spot with white partitions and brilliant art work on show to get pleasure from refreshments.
Different choices embrace memento retailer Tesoro’s (halo-halo, mais con hielo & shakes), Chilly Treats (chilly brew espresso & cookies) and Balai Pan de Sal (dimsum & Hong Kong-style fried siopao).
In case you need an air-conditioned choice within the Plaza San Luis Complicated, Coco Bango’s, the in-house restaurant and bar of the medieval-inspired White Knight Lodge is open to walk-in diners.
Simply comply with the trail contained in the complicated previous different retailers to get to the lodge’s facet entrance. Their menu consists of breakfast silog rice meals and rice toppings, together with different family-style dishes.
This cafe quietly tucked in a single nook of the bottom ground of San Agustin Museum serves iced espresso, muffins and savory pastries.
Whereas it’s presently open solely to museum visitors, in line with employees on obligation, they is perhaps relocating their house outdoors San Agustin Church grounds by Could 2024 for the good thing about different churchgoers and vacationers.
A quaint cafe set within the floor belfry beside Manila Cathedral. Belfry Cafe provides a soothing air-conditioned spot to chill down with iced espresso whereas sitting underneath seven gigantic church bells. The bells are actually solely rung for particular events when there are not any prospects inside.
Apart from the indoor house with just some tables, there’s a bigger al fresco space underneath umbrellas and canopies and a small parking house proper beside which might accommodate a number of bikes and bicycles.
La Cathedral Cafe is a rooftop restaurant on a constructing throughout Manila Cathedral providing a romantic view of the church’s historic dome. It’s one of many bigger and extra well-liked restos within the space, drawing crowds primarily for its aesthetic architectural attraction.
Relax with espresso, pastries, and muffins in direction of sundown for the perfect expertise (assuming you may get a desk). The cafe additionally serves rice meals, pasta dishes, appetizers, and extra for many who need to keep longer.
An incredible new addition for espresso lovers and bikers visiting Fort Santiago, Papa Kape is a restaurant set inside Aljibe de la Fuerza, a 400-year-old water cistern, that serves espresso infused with native flavors. Together with normal espresso drinks, they’ve signature brews blended with bibingka, gulaman, taho, and even beer, and a few candy cupcakes and kakanin.
Situated on the tail finish of Fort Santiago subsequent to the dungeon, this cafe is bike-friendly and pet-friendly.
TIP: You possibly can carry your bikes inside Fort Santiago for some nice photograph alternatives whereas visiting the cafe. There are bike racks on the again or you’ll be able to park your rides subsequent tables whereas eating al fresco. choice for weekend espresso rides with pals.
Bayleaf Lodge, situated on the intersection of Muralla Road and Victoria Road, has 4 distinct eating choices to choose from, together with a rooftop restaurant providing nice views of the Manila skyline.
On the lodge’s floor ground, Cioccolata Churros Cafe is a comfy café specializing in Spanish-style fried fritters served along with your selection of cacao, caramel, vanilla and matcha dips. For pizza lovers, the Italian tavern-inspired Raffaele Woodfired Pizza is a 60-seater restaurant with glass ceilings and partitions that focuses on crusty or conventional pizza.
9 Spoons is a eating penthouse with an incredible panoramic view of the Manila skyline and the Intramuros Golf Course. It provides buffet and à la carte choices together with a collection of wines. Bestsellers embrace the Home Kare-Kare, Scorching Bulalo, Adobo sa Puti, and Bagnet dishes.
In the meantime, Sky Deck provides an in depth wine choice, native beers, and cocktails plus native and worldwide fare and bar chow you’ll be able to get pleasure from with a 360-degree view of Manila’s well-known sundown.
Admittedly, eating in Intramuros will be costly as most upscale eating places cater to worldwide vacationers. However college students and employees within the space have a number of budget-friendly choices to choose from together with:
- Patio de Conchita – a country carinderia set in an previous Spanish home
- Balai Maria – homey spot to dine with artwork over sizzlers and rice meals with laing
- Partitions’ Well-known Friedrich Spicy Hen – a humble spot alongside the outer Intramuros partitions that serves fiery rooster wings
- Bloque 7 Cafe – a small spot that serves takoyaki, rice meals, and pasta
- Pepito’s Meals Home – an area favourite for its low cost inihaw (grilled pork) value simply P65 with rice
If you happen to’re fortunate, you’ll be able to catch meals festivals and pop-ups, akin to Mercadillo, which not too long ago set-up varied meals stalls, low cost eats and Filipino avenue meals like barbecue and puto bumbong. There are additionally quick meals joints like Max’s, Bacolod Hen Home, Chow King and extra alongside Soriano Avenue to fall again on.
