Are you looking for the best restaurants in Siargao, Philippines? Here they are!
You’ll notice that all of our favourite restaurants are located in General Luna. That’s because our visits to Pacifico, Alegria and San Isidro didn’t result in notable quality of food.
Same for all of the restaurants located in resorts. What we got, in general, was overpriced and generic food. There is one notable exception to this rule – see if you can spot it!
Alright, here we go: the best restaurants in Siargao… according to me.
Emelia’s Restobar & Seafoods Paluto – Best Restaurants in Siargao
When we’re on an island, in a tropical country, what do we want? Repeat after me: LOCAL SEAFOOD! That’s right. We don’t want hamburgers from chain restaurants. We don’t want ingredients imported from the other side of the world. That’s where Emilia’s comes in.
It’s off the main road, it’s 100% local, the service is rustic and convivial, and the seafood is as fresh as it gets. Order a few side dishes and drinks, then go to the counter with the waitress, choose your own seafood – fresh-caught shrimp, crabs, fish from around the island by Siargao fishermen – and choose your preferred cooking method. And enjoy without restraint.
https://goo.gl/maps/r3Ysz9j4Zz8WDj466
The Smoking Joint BBQ Siargao
That place is an outlier if I’ve ever seen one. American BBQ smoked on wild mangosteen and papaya wood!
Everything we had was very good, but the brisket was the star of the show. Fatty and unctuous. And brisket is very difficult to achieve. Kudos to the chef!
If I were to play extra-picky and compare this to some of the best BBQ I’ve had in my life, I’d say that they probably weren’t running the cleanest smoke stack on the night previous. But, hey, who am I to criticize? Who’d expect to find delicious Central-Texas-Style American BBQ on an island on the very edge of the Pacific?
Note that they regularly run out of certain items. Just like the large majority of American BBQ shacks. Stay polite with the staff, it happens.
https://goo.gl/maps/MYhoSBCRyMAEsRv17
CEV: Ceviche & Kinilaw Shack
This place is a survivor from both Super Typhoon Odette (aka Typhoon Rai), which devastated the island in December 2021, as well as the pandemic, which devastated businesses everywhere in the world.
Before all of this, CEV used to be a good brunch spot that turned into a party place at night. Since then, it has moved across the road to more mature digs and turned into a full-blown restaurant.
The food is still as delicious as I remember it on my first visit in 2019. Their kinilaw is made the traditional Filipino way, with coconut vinegar. If you’re like me and dislike coconut vinegar, go for their ceviche, which is sweeter than the Peruvian version, but very, very delicious. In fact, everything on their menu is superb, and CEV is one of the best restaurants in Siargao.
https://goo.gl/maps/SZgfgTYP9wgrq4ZGA
Kermit’s
This restaurant is on every single “best restaurants in Siargao” lists out there. But I gotta be honest, folks: it’s worth it. The supercheap, delicious “happy hour” blender cocktails and the pizzas are very, very good. Everything else is hit-and-miss, so I stick to this combo each time I go… but it’s awesome!
The decor is very tropical – hut-like ceiling, sand instead of a floor – and it’s the spot where the young and the beautiful like to see and be seen.
https://goo.gl/maps/6i58uCTKE7MTUvVv5
Catangnan BBQ – Best Restaurants in Siargao
Filipinos love, LOVE their “barbecue with sweet sauce”. Any self-respecting foodie traveler will try it at least once, and Catangnan BBQ is a perfect spot to do so in Siargao. The smoke and aroma of grilled meats saturates the air in front of the shack every night. Waddle over, take a look at what looks good, order a couple of Pale Pilsens and settle in!
https://goo.gl/maps/wnj3XcivZkfRB1Fk6
Green Waves Café
Wherever Australians go, you’ll find “health cafés”. There are dozens upon dozens of hipster restaurants offering instagrammable breakfast smoothie bowls in and around General Luna, with an extreme concentration near Cloud 9. While Green Waves Café has some of that, it also has great sandwiches and very well made Italian-style coffee. Oh, and if you’re feeling naughty, their espresso martini is awesome.
https://goo.gl/maps/Jcm9kWMgVvR9wbJ3A
Halika_siargao
Handmade, local ice cream. Rotating flavors, depending on ingredient availability. And here’s the kicker: it’s open late!
After a nice dinner and a couple of cocktails, why not finish the night with refreshing gelato? Saunter in, try a couple of flavours, pick your favorite, and slowly walk back to your hotel!
It’s not always available, but my absolute favorite flavour – maybe my favorite of all time? – was the avocado sorbet. Oh, em, gee.
https://goo.gl/maps/SSxX6FTN4v8ZPGeC7
Goodies – Cafe, Restaurant Bar & Eco Shop
Yep. Another health café. With arts and crafts on offer, too! But don’t be too quick to jump on the hippie-hating bandwagon – and God knows I’m guilty of that!
The food is very good. And the mushroom toast – mushrooms sauteed with cream, lemon and dijon mustard, bread, soft-boiled egg and a compound butter – is worth the stop. It’s a great savory breakfast-brunch option.
https://goo.gl/maps/EonpvNVTUX9nVF3u5
Hakata Ramen
Hakata ramen is made with pork bone marrow. Who wants thick, hot, creamy pork soup and chewy noodles on a 33 ºC day? Well… I do. I always do.
https://goo.gl/maps/5DEcgiUGWCiFRNn26
Andok’s
When all you need is a quick fast-food meal, Andok’s, a nationwide chicken chain, is always a good option. Go for the Litson Manok – rotisserie chicken on charcoal. No time for the Colonel on Siargao.
https://goo.gl/maps/y1SSojGzoUfugfuZ8
READ MORE: OUR FAVOURITE BARS IN TOMAS MORATO, QUEZON CITY, MANILA
