Places to Eat in Batangas
Trying to create a shortlist of restaurants in Batangas is something of a tall order. Harbouring coastal villages, mountains, and eco-centred ventures, expect a wide array of gastronomic delights ranging from sumptuous seafood to strictly vegan concoctions. One thing's for sure though, there's more to Batangas than just kapeng barako.
Traditional Food
Like anywhere else in the country, you're likely to find random street food vendors and cheap eateries in and around the public market, schools, and government offices.
For traditional and local cuisine, Rose and Grace Restaurant in Santo Tomas (Maharlika Highway) is always worth a visit. You'll never get their kind of bulalo (beef marrow stew) elsewhere in the country, the soup is delicious and the meat is so tender it literally falls off the bone. The restaurant is set up like a carinderia though so it can get a bit warm and crowded but you don't go here for the ambiance. Go here for their savoury and unpretentious Filipino home cooking. Besides their bulalo, make sure to try other local dishes such as crispy pata (deep fried pig trotters) and caldereta (goat meat stew).
Kainan sa Dalampasigan in Nasugbu is another mouth-watering stopover. Not only do they serve appetizing dishes but the setting is also pleasing to all the senses. The restaurant gives this feeling of dining in an ancestral home amidst a lovely garden, with lots of plants, a waterfall, stained glass, birds, and wide windows letting lots of natural light in. Besides the rustic ambiance, their inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly), pork sisig, leche flan, and the refreshing sago't gulaman are all a must try.
Western and International Food
For something foreign to tease your palate, book a table at El Cocinero by Chef Arnaldo Restaurant (164 J.P. Laurel St. Nasugbu). The chef was supposedly trained in Spain and it is actually obvious. We were not expecting to find a good Spanish restaurant in Nasugbu – and much less to have the best paella we'd ever had in the country for dinner. Seriously, it was a delightful surprise. We started with a Spanish chorizo gambas followed by Paella Valeriana and Paella Negra and everything was just sinfully good. If you ask us, this restaurant alone is worth driving a few hours for.
Craving some Italian? Scoot over to Casa Marikit Restaurant (Banay-Banay Concepcion, Lipa City). A bit on the pricey side relative to other restaurants in the city but the atmosphere and the food more than makes up for it. The interior is rustic and homey with exposed bricks and lots of old furniture, outside is a small garden. We ordered pasta al tartufo, rigatoni, seafood pasta and finished it off with their famous panna cotta. All in all, it was a very satisfying meal.
Cafes and Coffee Houses
You simply cannot leave Batangas without nursing a cup of kapeng barako and the best place to get yours is in Cafe de Lipa Restaurant (SM Lipa, Ayala Highway, Lipa City). It's located inside a mall and is a nice place to just sit back and relax. If you're a digital nomad, their WiFi connection is quite strong and there are lots of charging ports. Depending on our mood, we usually order iced caramel, tea with real tealeaves, mind you, or a hearty cup of barako and the taste is consistently good. More than just a coffee shop, they offer brewing supplies and lessons.
El Union Coffee Restaurant (Across Road, Surf Beach, San Juan) is perfect to crash into after a long day of surfing or beach bumming. They have a nice yoga studio and also a co-working space on the second floor if you want to get some work done, but then again, who are we even kidding. Best place to chill and hang out with like-minded people. Don't miss out on the s'mores and horchata!
