Five “Hidden” Restaurants You Should Visit in Baguio City

August 29, 2019903 views0

Hidden, by definition is anything that is kept out of sight. Baguio is a popular tourist destination but if you have been in the City of Pines several times, you would think what else can Baguio offer?

We spent time (and money) to go around Baguio City and we “discover” some restaurants that offers good food but are not really located within the central business district of Baguio.

Baguio City is considered a melting pot of cultures, and this is evident in the different types of cafes and restaurants that offers different types of dishes from different parts of the world. This is why what we discovered were five cafes or restaurants that serve different types of dishes unique to their theme.

Jump to Article Content

Ozark Diner + BnB

OZARK Diner + BnB – watching the Best Ever Food Review Show and their feature of the different Cajun cuisine in Louisiana made us crave for such dishes. Ozark Diner is located in Bear Trails Bareng Drive, Bakakeng Baguio City. It is about 10-15 minutes drive from the central business district depending on the traffic. We ordered their bestseller the St. Augustine Pilau and since I got curious I also ordered their hickory smoked lechon kawali. The pilau is like the south american version of Paella but with different spices and ingredients like the addition of Andouille sausage. The hickory smoked lechon kawali is fried well enough that the skin is so crispy and easy to chew. Is the food worth the trip? Yes it does.

Craft 1945

2. Craft 1945 Casa Marcos – Craft 1945 is a restaurant that combined the best of Baguio Craft Brewery and Casa Marcos ( a popular restaurant in the National Capital Region serving up Spanish Cuisine). Craft 1945 is actually an old house turned into a restaurant. The interior is IG-worthy and the dishes are scrumptious. Of course if you want to wash that down with a high quality craft beer which Baguio Craft Brewery is known for. The restaurant is not easily seen from Outlook Drive you have to be on the look out for their signage and go up the driveway to Craft 1945 “house”. You should try their Lengua Salpicao, Paella and Kalderetang Baka.

Manduto Cafe and Restaurant

3. Manduto Cafe and Restaurant – This restaurant is within the Pinewoods Golf and Country Club along Sta. Lucia road. The general area is quite difficult to describe in detail but this location became popular because this is where our Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao used to run/jog as part of his training in Baguio City. If you cannot find it Google Maps is quite accurate. This restaurant serves up traditional Filipino dishes, their Kare-Kare is a must try as well as their Palabok and traditional Filipino desserts.

Qilla Restaurant

4. Qilla Restaurant – Rimando road was initially an area where student dorms are located because of its proximity to the different universities in Baguio. However, today, the place transformed into a commercial area. And in this location is Qilla Restaurant. They serve what I think the best Pakistan dishes we’ve tasted so far. Everything is made fresh so it will take a while for your order to cook. The different herbs creates an aromatic flavor that is unique to Mediterranean dishes. Qilla Restaurant is currently located at SAJJ Building in Rimando Road Aurora Hill.

The Flower Cafe

5. The Flower Cafe – a cafe with ambiance that looks like it was taken from a fairy tale book. The ceiling is adorned with artificial flowers but there is nothing artificial in their wide selection of flower tea. You can try their tea brew using a siphon vacuum brewer (which looks like a science experiment contraption by the way), and choose three flowers to be brewed. You can also choose which sweetener to use, whether the common sweetener or the organic dried stevia leaves. The Flower Cafe is located at Ambuklao Road Tiptop Baguio City.