Places to Eat in Tagbilaran

While you might find the attractions within Tagbilaran a tad underwhelming, the culinary scene does not disappoint. Nothing too fancy, just good óle savory food that hits the spot but is not heavy on your pocket.

Here's a rundown of places we have tried and highly recommend. But before that, we would like to share a not-so-secret gem where locals flock to have their fix of grilled meats. Acacia de Bubu is located in the corner of Burgos and Butalid St. and every night the place is swarmed with diners eager to partake of skewered and marinated goodness: pork barbecue, chorizo, pork belly, hotdog, and all parts of chicken imaginable such as the wings, intestines, gizzard, liver, thighs, skin, and necks. Get there early to avoid the crowd and get first dib on affordable and hot off the grill menu.

Traditional Food

Gerarda's Restaurant (30 J.S.Torralba, Tagbilaran City) is a home-grown restaurant converted from a Spanish-colonial house. The ambiance reminded us of summers long gone when we had dinners in our grandparent's ancestral house. They serve a wide selection of local dishes and we personally loved their dinakdakan (grilled parts of a pig's head), their seafood kare-kare and kilawin (raw seafood). Serving is good for sharing so it's quite affordable.

We heard that The Prawn Farm Restaurant ( Raha Sikatuna Ave, Upper Ground Floor, Island City Mall, Tagbilaran City) offered a weekend buffet but we were there on a weekday so we ordered off the menu. What we liked about this mall-based restaurant is that you can choose crabs right from a fish tank so everything is served fresh. Besides seafood, they also offer a good amount of local dishes such as kare-kare and bulalo.

Western and International Food

If you're in the mood for some Italian dishes then head over to Massimo Pizzeria Ristorante Italiano (23 M.Parras Ext corner G. Visarra Street, Tagbilaran City). You know they do pizza right when they have an actual Italian chef and a wood-fired oven. True enough, we had the Truffle, Quattro Formaggi, and Pancetta pizza and all tasted authentic and delicious. What's more, you have the option to select 2 pizza flavours in 1 what we think is really good value for money.

For great tasting Chinese cuisine, make your way to Shiang Ma Nou Restaurant (Gallares Street, Tagbilaran City). This is the locals’ go-to-place if they are hankering for dimsum and yang chow fried rice. We're used to hole-in-wall restaurants in Binondo so we find the price on the expensive side but the place has A/C, WiFi, and the food we ordered – shredded pork with eggplant hotpot and lemon chicken – tasted so good that it was well worth it.

Cafes and Coffee Houses

Trying to keep a healthier lifestyle? The Buzzz Cafe Restaurant (Upper Ground Floor, Island City Mall, Rajah Sikatuna Avenue, Tagbilaran City) by Bohol Bee Farms offer a mostly organic menu for the health-conscious travellers. If you're a vegan, you won't wish to be anywhere else. We loved their herb pasta and organic salad and just because we're on holiday, indulge on some ice cream with unusual flavours. Ever had dragon fruit and jack fruit ice cream? Sounds exotic but insanely delicious.

We appreciate Mosia Cafe Restaurant's (121 VP Inting St | Between NFA and Villa Alzhun, Tagbilaran City) effort to be eco-friendly as evident by them using glass straws instead of plastic ones. They also support locally grown beans and their coffee really hits all the good spots. Plus, their selection of cupcakes and cakes were to die for! For your caffeine fix and decant cakes craving, look no further.