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Best Eats + Restaurants
Best Places to Eat in Iloilo for Your Next Barkada Get-Together
These local restaurants in Iloilo will surely make your next barkada gathering one for the books!
By: Karen Bermejo | June 21, 2019
With more developments coming in, Iloilo is indeed the next big thing.
Image: Randy Javier Fadrigo
As the capital of the region, it is no surprise that Iloilo has everything: big malls, shopping districts, public offices, and of course, numerous universities. Iloilo City is also the region’s economic center. You’ll definitely find young professionals braving the city traffic each day. Despite the busy city life, however, having a mini reunion with your barkada or group of friends is not impossible in the city thanks to the numerous places to eat in Iloilo you can choose from. A simple eat-out session at one of Iloilo’s local restaurants is definitely perfect for your next get-together.
But with so many options to go to, we listed five places to eat in Iloilo you can check out to save you the trouble:
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1. Breakthrough
Address: Villa Beach, Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Monday to Friday & Sunday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Recommended budget for five: PhP1,500
These mouthwatering baked scallops are a must-try at Breakthrough.
Image: Breakthrough Restaurant
Being in the business for more than three decades already, Breakthrough is already a word of mouth restaurant. It is a local favorite offering Filipino cuisine at Villa Beach in the Arevalo District. You and your friends can indulge in fresh seafood and other classic Filipino dishes either for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can surely ensure that your seafood is fresh since their live aquarium is just at the entrance of the restaurant.
Among its best-selling dishes are the baked scallops (PhP240), the imbao sa sabaw (clam soup) (PhP195), and the sizzling crabmeat (PhP195) which are all good for sharing. You can also pair these dishes with their famous aligue (crab fat) rice (PhP90). For those who want a closer location, you can also eat at Ponsyon by Breakthrough at Plazuela de Iloilo along Diversion Road.
How to get there: From City Proper, take a Villa-Arevalo jeepney and get off at Breakthrough.
2. Tatoy's Manokan and Seafood Restaurant
Address: Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM
Saturday, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Recommended budget for five: PhP1,500
Tatoy’s only uses native chicken for their lechon (roast).
Image: Tatoy’s Iloilo
Tatoy's Manokan and Seafood Restaurant is another not-to-be-missed restaurant in the Arevalo district. The restaurant is best known for its native lechon manok (roasted chicken) sold for PhP380. Apart from chicken, you can also try their lechon baboy (roasted pig) for PhP660 per kilo, which is already suitable for a group of four to five. If your group prefers fresh seafood, they also have boneless bangus (milkfish) (PhP240 and up), and steamed oysters which are just PhP100 per plate.
Your barkada can also eat inside a nipa hut (native cottage) or in the restaurant's food halls to have the complete Tatoy’s experience. They likewise have spacious areas to cater to even a whole class or bigger groups. If you want a more fun barkada bonding, Tatoy’s now has an infinity edge swimming pool open for the public.
How to get there: From City Proper, take a Villa-Arevalo jeepney and get off at Tatoy’s.
3. Ang Kamalig Restaurant
Address: Atria Park District, Donato Pison Avenue, Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Recommended budget for five: PhP1,500
This slow-cooked oxtail and tripe in tomato sauce with Spanish chorizo, garbanzos, and pimiento is a favorite at Ang Kamalig.
Image: Ang Kamalig Restaurant
Ang Kamalig Restaurant offers recipes from the heirloom of returning Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas’ family who owns the place. The restaurant was started by the family in the late 1980s but went on hiatus for a few years. Recently, the restaurant was reopened by the family to share their very own take of classic Ilonggo recipes. Their food servings are meant for sharing: that is why most customers of the place are families and barkadas spending worthwhile bonding moments.
Among the favorites in the restaurant are their callos (beef strife stew) (PhP295), chicken inasal na lumpia (grilled chicken spring roll) (PhP115), and their special bulalo (beef soup made of shanks and marrow bone) (PhP495). Their sinigang na baboy sa mangga (pork sour soup with green mango) (PhP400) is also a must-try. Aside from their Atria branch, Ang Kamalig also has a branch at Robinson’s Jaro.
How to get there: From City Proper, take SM City Proper jeepney and get off at San Rafael intersection and walk a few meters to Atria. You can also take a taxi to go directly to Atria.
4. Punot
Address: Riverside Boardwalk, Mandurriao District, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Monday, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM; 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Wednesday, 11:00 AM to 12:00 NN; 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Thursday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Sunday, 10:00 AM to 12:00 NN; 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Recommended budget for five: PhP1,500
The crispy kare-kare (stewed savory oxtail) is another specialty of Punot.
Image: Punot Restaurant
With its name coming from the Ilonggo word for “fish pen”, Punot is a haven for seafood lovers. The restaurant offers flavorful seafood dishes with a twist such as their pomelo balingon (anchovies), a signature salad with lettuce, pomelo, cashew nuts, anchovies, and lemon vinaigrette (PhP205). Another signature dish they have is their Seafood ala Punot, a combination of grilled tangigue, squid, and shrimp with citrus butter (PhP325). If you prefer something light, they also serve another Ilonggo soup dish, pancit molo made with homemade molo (Ilonggo version of dumplings) balls topped with onion leaves (PhP160).
How to get there: From City Proper, take an SM City Proper jeepney and get off near Esplanade Iloilo then walk towards Boardwalk Iloilo to Punot.
For more scrumptious food places, visit Yoorekka!
5. Bavaria German Restaurant
Address: 113 Seminario Street, Jaro, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 MN
Recommended budget for five: PhP2,000
Feast like a German with this platter from Bavaria.
Image: Bavaria Restaurant
If you like beers, then a German restaurant could help quench that thirst. There’s one in Iloilo that has been serving German beers and cuisine since 1997! Bavaria German Restaurant is just a small restaurant located in a less crowded area of Jaro district but the place is still frequented by many. You can try their German beers for PhP140 to PhP160 for a 500-milliliters or one-liter glass.
Aside from beers, they also have a long list of German specialties such as bouletten (ground beef spiced with onions, garlic, and German mustard served with mashed potato). They also serve pasta and pizzas.
How to get there: From City Proper, take a Jaro Liko-NFA jeepney and get off at Bavaria. You can also take a Jaro-CPU jeepney then get off before Jaro Plaza. After that, walk across an alley leading to Bavaria.
Spending some time with your barkada over good food and fun-filled conversations can be a good break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
About Karen Bermejo
Karen writes to earn a living, tell stories and promote her advocacies. She’s a traveler and a volunteer. Her adventurous soul makes her more comfortable to sleep on the couch of a stranger than pay bucks for accommodation. Her ultimate dream is to travel the world, master a foreign language and learn how to swim. To keep her sanity while chasing her dreams, she chases waterfalls on weekends.
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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
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