3 Best Restaurants in Philippines

Set back away from White Beach and its wall-to-wall string of glitzy but not always reliable European-influenced restaurants, the small and friendly Bay Leaf Café offers up a surprisingly rare find on Boracay: authentic Filipino food. With only a handful of tables in the light-colored, brightly lit café, the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Several regional specialties appear on the menu, and the excellent house signature dish, adobo (marinated, then twice-cooked pork or chicken), is a classic.

The café is one of the friendliest and best dining values on the island, earning it a loyal local following. Mediterranean specialties include such dishes as thyme-roasted chicken with potatoes, but lighter fare, including sandwiches, is also available. Those with a sweet tooth should consider the excellent tiramisu or the rich carrot cake. Better still is the homemade lemon tart, which enjoys legendary status on the island.

The Aristocrat's enduring popularity since it first opened in 1936 has only increased—it's now a chain of restaurants with around 10 branches scattered across the city. But this original location in the central district of Malate is the best. Although the menu covers a range of dishes, the perennial favorite for most is the barbecue chicken, sold at almost giveaway prices. The less ravenous may opt for Asian- and European-tinged soups, or for one of the healthy salads. For early risers there is also a choice of American and Filipino breakfasts.