From Kapampangan classics to Spanish asadores, these are the latest flavors infusing Tagaytay’s dining scene
Tagaytay has long been a weekend getaway favorite for food lovers, with the likes of Balay Dako, La Creperie Twin Lakes or Breakfast at Antonio’s providing happy, hearty destination breakfasts.
For fancier evenings, the course dishes at Samira at Anya Resort and the Teahouse at Qiwellness are popular haunts and so is the Japanese restaurant Aozora, which has several branches around the city.
However, we’re noticing a new trend in the area’s culinary scene: a focus on Latin flavors and Filipino cuisine.
From Kapampangan classics to Spanish asadores, here are five exciting new restaurants that make the trip down south even more worth your while.
Binulo
Craving Kapampangan cuisine on your next trip to Tagaytay? Binulo, a new restaurant with origins in Clark, Angeles City, offers just that.
Founded by Augustine Roa and Congresswoman Aniela Tolentino, Binulo’s newest branch serves an array of crowd favorites. Diners can enjoy sisig, chicharon, kare-kare, and pangat na ulang—a river prawn soup cooked in bamboo, true to the “binulo” style. They also offer tibok-tibok, Pampanga’s creamy milk pudding made from carabao milk. For the more adventurous eater, the Tagaytay branch features exotic fare like tasty, crunchy kamaro (crickets) and batute (frogs), which many say tastes like chicken.
Binulo is open Wednesday to Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Station House Tagaytay, Silang Junction South, Tagaytay, Cavite 4120
For reservations, call +63 905 841 8515
180° by Chef Sau
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We’ve got another Kapampangan taking up residency in Tagaytay, with the launch of chef Sau del Rosario’s latest restaurant, 180° by Chef Sau.
Perched on a hill, this cozy home-turned-fine-dining restaurant features a stone terrace overlooking Taal Lake, which makes it a good choice for a romantic dinner or a festive family lunch.
The menu offers elevated classics that blend continental and Filipino cuisine. Guests swear by the starters, which include oysters, frito misto, gambas, and broiled hamachi. Meanwhile, the main courses oscillate between cuisines, showcasing a range of dishes from bulalo to duck confit, lamb shank caldereta to sous vide crispy pork pata. The fish barramundi is another win, leaving no shortage of quality mains to share.
180° is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 3-C-2, LT Labak ng, Sungay Ln, Tagaytay, Cavite 4127
For reservations, call + 63 917 620 0289
El Cortijo
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Led by Madrid-born chef Pablo Lopez Iglesias, El Cortijo brings authentic Spanish cuisine to the south. The name, which means “farmhouse” in Spanish, aptly describes this newly converted restaurant in Lipa, decorated with vibrant contemporary artwork and surrounded by fresh greenery.
The traditional and prettily plated Spanish dishes use high-quality, often local ingredients.
Standout offerings include the popular black seafood paella and rabo del toro (oxtail), a classic slow-cooked recipe. Lechon enthusiasts should try the cochinillo asado served with potatoes.
Look for the giant ham leg, too, with the impressive carving of jamón ibérico. Among the favored pintxos are toast with foie gras and onion confit, and the classic tortilla—beautifully plated with sun-shaped seasoning.
El Cortijo Restaurante is open Sunday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Bagong Pook Ave, Lipa, Batangas 4217
For reservations, call +63 927 582 0046
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Asador Dos Mestizos
Another asador in Cavite? Asador Dos Mestizos joins the trend of oven-based restaurants heating up Tagaytay’s culinary scene.
Well-known by Boracay regulars for its quality Spanish cuisine, this new branch from the same proprietors of the original Boracay restaurant and chef Patron Binggoy Remedios maintains the same high standards set by its original location.
Great for feel-good food, the menu goes beyond just paellas and tapas, welcoming guests with pulpo, gambas, and a variety of salpicao and croquetas. The restaurant also focuses on its asador, with a range of specialty Spanish steaks for grilling.
After your travels to the south, you can expect a full wine list and great range of cocktails for a lively night in the cool air, too.
Asador Dos Mestizos is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Gen. Vito Belarmino Street, Silang, Cavite 4118
For reservations, call +63 962 405 6658
Asador Alfonso
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The restaurant building of Asador Alfonso, designed by architect Carlo Calma, is a striking structure that rises from the trees, akin to a lava rock in nearby Taal Volcano.
Asador Alfonso (a roasting house in Spanish) offers both à la carte and degustation menus but the centerpiece is the asador oven that creates a dramatic smoking effect when in use, taking from its inspirations in Taal Volcano.
With Rodrigo Osorio as the in-house chef, his wife Irene managing the front of house, and culinary director and co-owner Chele Gonzalez at the helm, Asador Alfonso redefines simplicity by blending ancestral techniques with avant-garde presentation.
READ: Ancestral meets avant-garde: Asador Alfonso redefines simplicity
The food goes beyond your typical paellas and tapas and instead focuses on authentic Spanish cuisine using premium ingredients. Some of these include the jámon de wagyu, featuring A5 Japanese wagyu cured in salt. Also look out for the lechazo, a slow-roasted, milk-fed, free-range suckling lamb.
The property also boasts a pool and a private dining area with villas reserved for the Calma family, although the restaurant and a large part of the grounds are open to the visiting public.
Asador Alfonso is open Friday to Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Lot 3308, Barangay Road, Alfonso, Cavite, 4100
For reservations, call +63 917 150 7621
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Bon Appetit
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Bon Appetit, the same trendy restaurant in 1120 House in Makati, has recently opened up a second branch in the picturesque Hotel 8 in Tagaytay.
The restaurant’s menu of gourmet classics continues to impress with offerings including the shrimp ravioli in seafood beurre blanc, garnished with bottarga shavings. Another remarkable dish is the slow-braised Kurobuta Shank, glazed evenly with a mesquite bourbon barbecue sauce and accompanied by a medley of grilled corn, roasted vegetables, and a creamy corn dressing.
For pizza enthusiasts, Bon Appetit’s hand-tossed creation features jamon serrano, peppery arugula, and house-made burrata.
Bon Appetit is open Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Hotel 8, km. 58 Highway, Maharlika East, Tagaytay City.
For reservations, call +63 919 068 3870.
