Oh, You Love Filipino Dishes? Try These 7 Fine Dining Restaurants in Manila to Satisfy Your Pinoy Taste Buds

Address: 744 Calle Real del Palacio (Gen. Luna), Intramuros, Manila

Operating Hours: Daily, 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM

First on our list of restaurants in Manila is Ilustrado, one of the few fine dining restaurants in Intramuros that serves Spanish and Filipino dishes; it was established in 1989 by Boni and Rose Pimentel. Aside from its historic location, this restaurant in Manila’s interior is also filled with classic Filipino furniture and fixtures that will take you back to the heydays of Manila.

For the food at this fine dining restaurant in Manila, one uniquely Filipino dish worth trying at Ilustrado is their Adobong Bagnet with Taba ng Talangka (PhP580). The scrumptious pork belly is cooked with soy sauce and vinegar, creating the classic adobo (meat cooked in marinade), but made better and richer with the addition of the crab fat.

Address: 114 Scout Rallos corner Jamboree Tomas Morato, Quezon City

Operating Hours: Daily, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Second, in our list of restaurants in Manila, it’s no secret that Filipinos also take pride in our regional dishes. One restaurant Ilocanos can be proud of is Victorino’s Restaurant. This fine dining restaurant in Manila is Located in a secret spot in Quezon City; Victorino’s house-turned-restaurant creates the perfect homey setting to enjoy their delectable Filipino dishes.

If you’re missing the classic Ilocano dishes your mom used to make, try these Filipino dishes in this restaurant in Manila, their Victorino’s Poqui Poqui (PhP250), made with eggplant sautéed in tomatoes and onions. But if you’re itching for a good piece of pork, you can also order their Bagnet Chips (PhP470), a modern take on the crispy pork dish, sliced thinly and a good appetizer.

Another fine dining restaurant in Manila that serves regional dishes is Abe. Although they serve classic Filipino dishes and various international selections, Abe is most known for their authentic Kapampangan dishes elevated to a new level but will still remind you of home.

Some of the best sellers of this restaurant in Manila include Binukadkad na PlaPla (PhP495) and Knockout Knuckle (PhP835). But if you’re an adventurous foodie and your taste buds are finding exotic Filipino dishes, don’t leave Abe without trying their Betute (PhP380). It is made with fried frogs with pork, garlic, and various spices stuffed inside. Or try their seasonal Arobung Kamaru (PhP285), a native Kapampangan delicacy made with sautéed crickets, tomatoes, and onions.

Operating Hours: Daily, 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Some excellent fine dining restaurants in Manila will take you on a journey through their food, and XO 46 Heritage Bistro will do just that. Their dishes are inspired by the country’s colorful past up to our modern times. XO 46 Heritage Bistro’s dishes have bits of regional dishes from all over the country. Even the interiors of this restaurant in Manila are inspired by ancestral homes of days past, with their staff dressed in gorgeous native Filipino garb while serving Filipino dishes and cuisines from other countries.

For a unique but still Filipino dish, try XO’s Kare Kareng Crispy Tadyang (PhP695). You’ll be served with a deconstructed version of the classic dish where instead of the usual oxtail, you’ll get deep-fried, deboned beef ribs with the thick and savory peanut sauce on the side.

Branch: G/F Greenbelt 5 Unit 107-108, Makati City

In our sixth spot on our list of restaurants in Manila is Chef Florabel Co-Yatco’s restaurant. Chef Florabel Co-Yatco is one of the most prominent names in the restaurant industry, and every time she opens a new restaurant, a long line of hungry diners soon follow suit, and Felix is no different. It’s a fine dining restaurant in Manila that serves a mixture of Eastern and Western cuisine, but at heart, all are unique Filipino dishes reinvented to fit those with a more refined taste.

One of the must-try dishes in this restaurant in Manila is the U.S. Angus Beef Steak Tagalog with Fried Eggplant (PhP975). It’s an elevated version of the classic bistek, with Angus beef with strips of fried eggplant on the side. Make sure to also pair it with a piping cup of white rice.

September 2022 Update: Felix Restaurant is temporarily closed due to store renovation.

Branch: Level 2, Greenbelt 5, Legazpi Street, Ayala Center, Makati

Another restaurant in Manila that took advantage of our rich history and turned it into food is Restorante Pia y Damaso. Inspired by the characters of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Pia y Damaso takes pride in serving subversive Filipino dishes and colonial dishes or food influenced by our invaders. Even these fine dining restaurants in Manila are heavily inspired by Filipino and Spanish influences, giving a cozy yet elite vibe.

Curious about what food tasted like during Rizal’s time? Order Pia y Damaso’s Filipino dish Langlang Binondo (PhP400). The noodle dish at this restaurant in Manila is made with pancit molo (Filipino dumpling), sotanghon (glass noodles), and lomi (egg noodles) mixed with shredded chicken, ham, and mushroom. The Filipino dish was mentioned in one of Rizal’s books and has existed since the 1800s.

September 2022 Update: Restorante Pia y Damaso is permanently closed.

Branch: A210 2nd Level, UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave., UP Campus Diliman Quezon City

If you’re a fan of Chef Sandy Daza, you’ll surely enjoy his other venture in the form of Casa Daza. You’ll see various Filipino dishes from this fine dining restaurant in Manila, some familiar, some new, but both inspired by his travels and years of experience in the culinary world. One of Chef Sandy’s goals is to promote the greatness of Filipino dishes.

If you’re craving a new creation but still infused with Filipino flavors, try Chef Sandy’s latest invention: Stuffed Pechay (PhP205). Its rolls of pechay (snow cabbage) stuffed with ground pork and flakes of tinapa (smoked fish) and doused in creamy coconut sauce.

September 2022 Update: Casa Daza by Chef Sandy is permanently closed but continues to sell empanadas and buns on kiosks.

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