Appreciate Iloilo’s Local Vibe with These Places to Eat in the City of Love

Address: Megaworld Business Park, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

When late for breakfast and in a hurry to school or work, DoVa Brunch Cafe is the place to eat in Iloilo that one can go to. The cafe, which emphasizes local cuisine, was established by celebrated Ilonggo Chef Miguel Cordova. DoVa is a haven of culinary creations if you’re looking for a place where to eat in Iloilo that showcases a variety of local cuisine with an international twist. The brunch cafe serves one of the best French toasts in Iloilo. Don’t miss bringing a camera since the interiors, food, and experience are truly fit for posting on Instagram.

The original branch of DoVa is in La Paz Plaza, Iloilo City, and the most recent one can be found at Iloilo Business Park. Prices at DoVa range from PhP235 to PhP750 per person.

Address: Boardwalk Diversion Road, Iloilo City

Another place to eat in Iloilo, where tourists can experience riverside dining, is Punot Restaurant. The restaurant owners, Chefs Tope and Andrea, are from Estancia, Iloilo, where their parents put up the original restaurant. Today, Ilonggos and tourists need not go to the northernmost town of Iloilo to find places to eat in Iloilo and indulge in fresh seafood.

This is your place if you see where to eat in Iloilo, which has a touch of young chefs! Punot offers diners local dishes spiced up with elements from international cuisine. They modernize traditional Ilonggo cuisine to provide something different to their patrons.

Punot Restaurant is open daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Branches: Sto. Nino Sur Arevalo Iloilo City , Iloilo City

There’s a place to eat in Iloilo with many restaurants: the Villa Beach in Arevalo, Iloilo City. However, one place tourists must pay a visit to is Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafoods restaurant. The variety of dishes they serve here will make first-timers forget about calorie counting and dieting. Some of the most-loved dishes the restaurant boasts of are roasted chicken and pork, shrimp, squid, baked oysters and scallops, and grilled fish.

Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafoods was established by Mang Tatoy, from whom the restaurant got its name, and now has two branches in Iloilo. This place to eat in Iloilo is very friendly to budget tourists as everything here is affordable.

Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafoods is open daily from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Address: Sitio Bool, Brgy. Sapao, Dumangas, Iloilo

Tourists or locals of Iloilo traveling to Bacolod City through roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships via Dumangas can drop by Curvus Café for some seafood delight. Of course, this cafe is also one of the places to eat in Iloilo since they offer meals and snacks that appeal to hungry travelers. However, it is a must-visit in Iloilo if the customers tend to pay attention more to its Facebook- and Instagram-worthy interiors that carry a pleasantly local vibe.

Curvus Café is open Monday to Friday from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Saturday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but the place is ideal for a late afternoon coffee and early dinner because of the beautiful sunset view. Be mindful that traffic can sometimes be problematic because the site is near Dumangas Port.

Address: Jalandoni St. Brgy. Bolilao, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Every hungry tourist who comes by Iloilo City must have at least one lunch or dinner at Iloilo’s Nato and Helen Native & Seafoods Restaurant in Bolilao, Mandurriao. The family-style restaurant, which started small with only fish and oysters as the main offerings on the menu, is managed by the couple Renato and Helen Robles. This is a must-visit in Iloilo if you crave shrimps, squid, milkfish, seer fish, blue marlin, oysters, and the like, which they can have cooked according to their preference.

With the business growing, this restaurant is not only the place to eat in Iloilo, but they now also provide catering services and boodle fight preparations for groups and organizations.

Nato & Helen is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. It is a go-to place to eat in Iloilo people from all economic classes dine here because of their mouth-watering food and affordable prices.

March 2023 Update: Nato & Helen is temporarily closed. Follow their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ilovenatoandhelen, to be the first to know when they resume operations!

Address: Atria Ayala, Donato Pison Ave, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Ang Kamalig Restaurant is one of the places to eat in Iloilo for the whole family. If you’re finding a place where to eat in Iloilo that serves homemade Illonggo and other Filipino dishes, that will send family and friends dining together down memory lane.

Kamalig is a Hiligaynon term for a hut or wooden house. And true to its name, the restaurant specializes in Ilonggo classics and promises a homey experience for all patrons; definitely, a must-visit in Iloilo. It is also located at Atria Park District in Mandurriao, Iloilo City; it is great for romantic dinners, family get-togethers, and meetings. They are open daily from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. If you’re in Mandurriao and don’t know where to eat in Iloilo, this is a chance to go here.

March 2023 Update: Ang Kamalig Restaurant is temporarily closed. Follow their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AngKamaligRestaurant/?locale=tl_PH, to be the first to know when they resume operations!

Address: Boardwalk Riverside, Iloilo City

Pizza lovers may find Iloilo City as their happy place as a must-visit in Iloilo, the new restaurant in the city, PizzaPizza, allows its customers to customize their pizza. What does this mean? With just less than PhP300, one can fill a regular-sized pizza with any or all of the ingredients from the pizza bar perfect go-to place to eat in Iloilo for barkada. This place where to eat in Iloilo is excellent for lunch, dinner, and even late-night snacks with your friends. They serve beer, diesel (beer and Coke), Radler (beer and Sprite), and soda, among others.

PizzaPizza is located at the Boardwalk Complex in Mandurriao and is open from 11:00 AM until midnight.

March 2023 Update: PizzaPizza is temporarily closed. Follow their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/italianpizzapizza/?_rdc=1&_rdr, to be the first to know when they resume operations!

Address: Donato M. Pison Ave, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Iloilo

Those fond of drinking can head to Brewery Gastropub in San Rafael, Mandurriao; this place is a must-visit in Iloilo. The area is the first imported beer bar and gastropub in Iloilo. They serve 120 different kinds of beer worldwide, with 14 draft beers from their draft systems.

Brewery Gastropub is also a place to eat in Iloilo; they offer gourmet dishes that go well with the beers they sell. Some food items are available for takeout, too. The pub is five minutes from SM City Iloilo and Plazuela de Iloilo and within walking distance from the Atria Park District. Parking is fine as ample spaces are available nearby.

March 2023 Update: Gastropub is permanently closed. But don’t worry! You may check Bull and Barrel for possible replacement.

Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more restaurants and dining options in Iloilo and Panay Island!