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5 of the Best Ilocos Restaurants for Your Next Food Trip in the North

Ilocos has more to offer than its historical landmarks!

By: Antonette Louise Guiao | February 03, 2022
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Best Restaurants in Ilocos, Ilocos, unique cuisine, Best Restaurants, historical landmarks, Ilocano dishes

Don’t forget to list these dining spots down!

Image: Smoke Bar and Restaurant Facebook page

If there is one more thing that the province of Ilocos is known for besides its historical landmarks, it’s its unique cuisine. Other than its Vigan longganisa (Spanish sausage) and generously-filled empanada (fried turnover with pastry and filling), many Ilocano dishes are absolute must-try, and you can find many of them in only the best restaurants in Ilocos.

If you’re wondering where you can get a taste of these tasty favorites in the province, look no further! Listed below are five lovely dining spots that serve Ilocano cuisine and Western-inspired dishes with a touch of Ilocano flavor. Excited to find out what the best restaurants in Ilocos are? Read on!


1. La Preciosa Restaurant

Location: Brgy 2, F. Julian Street, Arabella Events Place, Laoag City
Operating Hours: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Best Restaurants in Ilocos

La Preciosa’s interiors fall nothing short of vibrant.

Image: La Preciosa Restaurant Facebook page

Here’s a restaurant where the unique cuisine is as precious as its name: La Preciosa Restaurant. The place is home to eccentric Ilocano dishes, including an Ilocano-style kare-kare (peanut stew) called Chicken ala Pepian and a sun-dried wild deer dish called Ugsa Pochero. While you’re here, remember to leave room for dessert and try La Preciousa’s famous carrot cake: a moist cake with cream cheese topped with white icing and sweetened shredded carrots. With a tagline that goes “capture the exquisite taste of Ilocandia”, La Preciosa is sure to give you a superb Ilocano dining experience.


2. Cuisine de Iloco

Location: Hernando Avenue, Laoag City
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Ilocos

Take a look at some of the mouth-watering dishes you can taste at Cuisine de Iloco.

Image: Cuisine de Iloco Facebook Page

Initially, Cuisine de Iloco was supposed to serve international cuisine, but owner Jaymar Aquino thought it would be more fitting to trademark Ilocano dishes. Some of the must-try dishes in the place are the bagnet sisig, a Kapampangan dish that features Ilocano’s popular pork belly bagnet, and igado, a pork liver dish cooked with pork tenderloin and innards. Inside the restaurant, you’ll find walls embellished with lovely paintings that are for sale.



3. Bergblick Restaurant

Location: Barangay Burayoc, Pagudpud
Operating Hours: Daily, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Best Restaurants

Indulge in the most delicate Filipino-German dishes at this homey resto!

Images: @honeyfmia

If you’re up for a little gastronomic adventure, then Bergblick Restaurant is the place to go for a food trip! What makes the area stand out is its Filipino-German cuisine, which you don’t usually find in Ilocos Norte. Its menu has a vast selection of meals: from its German-inspired Bergblick Pan that consists of schnitzel or breaded pork chop and schweinebraten or sausage to spaghetti arrabiata, a pasta dish mixed with Italian sauce, basil, and chili for a bit of kick. You can pair your meals with cool beverages like a refreshing virgin mojito or wrap it up with a sweet dessert like creme brulee.


4. Smoke Bar and Restaurant

Location: 2nd Floor, Paseo de Paoay Building, Brgy. San Pedro, Paoay, Ilocos Norte
Operating Hours: Monday to Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, historical landmarks

Smoke Bar and Restaurant is the first US smoke and casual dining restaurant in Ilocos Norte.

Images: Smoke Bar and Restaurant Facebook page

The overall interior design of Smoke Bar and Restaurant perfectly matches the baroque vibes from the historical landmark, Paoay Church, that you can see from across the place. The resto is not only a feast for the tastebuds but the eyes as well. While it offers Western-inspired dishes, it also lends its local twist to its meals. Craving for a pizza with an Ilocano touch? Go for the Laing Pizza, a thin-crusted pizza topped with laing made of shredded taro leaves cooked in coconut milk. You can also try the smoked pork adobo cooked with balsamic vinegar.



5. Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant and Bar

Location: #10 Giron St., Brgy. 7-B, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Food Trip

The dining hall is furnished with vibrant antique cloth and furniture.

Image: Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant Facebook page

Kicking off this list of best restaurants is Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant, the in-house restaurant of Balay de Blas Pensionne House. The restaurant name “Saramsam” is an Iluko word that means informal or constant dining. The place truly lives up to its reputation as it offers a fun and relaxing ambiance. It is adorned with antique furniture and decoration. The resto exudes vintage vibes. Unique Ilocano dishes such as the best-selling Saramsam Past, a pasta dish cooked with shrimps, cilantro, green and ripe mango slices, and Gcng-Gcng Pallang, a spicy coconut pork stew dish, are only some of the resto’s must-try recipes.


January 2022 Update: Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant and Bar has been permanently closed due to the pandemic.


Ilocos truly has more to offer than its picturesque landmarks and tourist spots. Next time you visit the North, don’t miss the chance to drop by these restaurants!


Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more dining spots in Ilocos and Northern Luzon!


Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions wherever you go. For now, keep safe!


This article was originally published in Yoorekka on October 27, 2020.


Check out this video:



Best Restaurants in Ilocos, Ilocos, unique cuisine, Best Restaurants, historical landmarks, Ilocano dishes

Don’t forget to list these dining spots down!

Image: Smoke Bar and Restaurant Facebook page

If there is one more thing that the province of Ilocos is known for besides its historical landmarks, it’s its unique cuisine. Other than its Vigan longganisa (Spanish sausage) and generously-filled empanada (fried turnover with pastry and filling), many Ilocano dishes are absolute must-try, and you can find many of them in only the best restaurants in Ilocos.

If you’re wondering where you can get a taste of these tasty favorites in the province, look no further! Listed below are five lovely dining spots that serve Ilocano cuisine and Western-inspired dishes with a touch of Ilocano flavor. Excited to find out what the best restaurants in Ilocos are? Read on!


1. La Preciosa Restaurant

Location: Brgy 2, F. Julian Street, Arabella Events Place, Laoag City
Operating Hours: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Best Restaurants in Ilocos

La Preciosa’s interiors fall nothing short of vibrant.

Image: La Preciosa Restaurant Facebook page

Here’s a restaurant where the unique cuisine is as precious as its name: La Preciosa Restaurant. The place is home to eccentric Ilocano dishes, including an Ilocano-style kare-kare (peanut stew) called Chicken ala Pepian and a sun-dried wild deer dish called Ugsa Pochero. While you’re here, remember to leave room for dessert and try La Preciousa’s famous carrot cake: a moist cake with cream cheese topped with white icing and sweetened shredded carrots. With a tagline that goes “capture the exquisite taste of Ilocandia”, La Preciosa is sure to give you a superb Ilocano dining experience.


2. Cuisine de Iloco

Location: Hernando Avenue, Laoag City
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Ilocos

Take a look at some of the mouth-watering dishes you can taste at Cuisine de Iloco.

Image: Cuisine de Iloco Facebook Page

Initially, Cuisine de Iloco was supposed to serve international cuisine, but owner Jaymar Aquino thought it would be more fitting to trademark Ilocano dishes. Some of the must-try dishes in the place are the bagnet sisig, a Kapampangan dish that features Ilocano’s popular pork belly bagnet, and igado, a pork liver dish cooked with pork tenderloin and innards. Inside the restaurant, you’ll find walls embellished with lovely paintings that are for sale.



3. Bergblick Restaurant

Location: Barangay Burayoc, Pagudpud
Operating Hours: Daily, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Best Restaurants

Indulge in the most delicate Filipino-German dishes at this homey resto!

Images: @honeyfmia

If you’re up for a little gastronomic adventure, then Bergblick Restaurant is the place to go for a food trip! What makes the area stand out is its Filipino-German cuisine, which you don’t usually find in Ilocos Norte. Its menu has a vast selection of meals: from its German-inspired Bergblick Pan that consists of schnitzel or breaded pork chop and schweinebraten or sausage to spaghetti arrabiata, a pasta dish mixed with Italian sauce, basil, and chili for a bit of kick. You can pair your meals with cool beverages like a refreshing virgin mojito or wrap it up with a sweet dessert like creme brulee.


4. Smoke Bar and Restaurant

Location: 2nd Floor, Paseo de Paoay Building, Brgy. San Pedro, Paoay, Ilocos Norte
Operating Hours: Monday to Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, historical landmarks

Smoke Bar and Restaurant is the first US smoke and casual dining restaurant in Ilocos Norte.

Images: Smoke Bar and Restaurant Facebook page

The overall interior design of Smoke Bar and Restaurant perfectly matches the baroque vibes from the historical landmark, Paoay Church, that you can see from across the place. The resto is not only a feast for the tastebuds but the eyes as well. While it offers Western-inspired dishes, it also lends its local twist to its meals. Craving for a pizza with an Ilocano touch? Go for the Laing Pizza, a thin-crusted pizza topped with laing made of shredded taro leaves cooked in coconut milk. You can also try the smoked pork adobo cooked with balsamic vinegar.



5. Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant and Bar

Location: #10 Giron St., Brgy. 7-B, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte


Best Restaurants in Ilocos for Your Next Food Trip Up North, Food Trip

The dining hall is furnished with vibrant antique cloth and furniture.

Image: Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant Facebook page

Kicking off this list of best restaurants is Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant, the in-house restaurant of Balay de Blas Pensionne House. The restaurant name “Saramsam” is an Iluko word that means informal or constant dining. The place truly lives up to its reputation as it offers a fun and relaxing ambiance. It is adorned with antique furniture and decoration. The resto exudes vintage vibes. Unique Ilocano dishes such as the best-selling Saramsam Past, a pasta dish cooked with shrimps, cilantro, green and ripe mango slices, and Gcng-Gcng Pallang, a spicy coconut pork stew dish, are only some of the resto’s must-try recipes.


January 2022 Update: Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant and Bar has been permanently closed due to the pandemic.


Ilocos truly has more to offer than its picturesque landmarks and tourist spots. Next time you visit the North, don’t miss the chance to drop by these restaurants!


Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more dining spots in Ilocos and Northern Luzon!


Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions wherever you go. For now, keep safe!


This article was originally published in Yoorekka on October 27, 2020.


Check out this video:



author

Antonette is a writer, a night owl, an extrovert, and a BTS ARMY. Her spare time is consumed by drawing digital vector art, sleeping, binge-watching Netflix series, and learning how to cook. An adventurer by heart, she aspires to travel the world with her family, try extreme outdoor activities, and taste all sorts of food in different countries.

Best Restaurants in Ilocos Ilocos unique cuisine Best Restaurants historical landmarks Ilocano dishes Food Trip where to eat places to eat near Ilocos where to eat near Ilocos Laoag City

Disclaimer: All articles in the Consumers Magazine of Yoorekka are for general information and entertainment purposes only. Although careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not make any warranty about the completeness and accuracy of all information presented in our articles. Our content is not intended to be used in place of legal, medical, or any professional advice.

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