9 Recommended Restaurants in Puerto Princesa
While Palawan is an island, the people don’t limit themselves by only offering seafood dishes. They’ve even found ways to make island food exiting by introducing exotic delicacies such as crocodile meat, peanut worm “wakwak”, and the woodworm “tamilok”!
Philippine Primer rounded up nine recommended restaurants in Puerto Princesa where you can sample some of their gastronomic offerings from the well-known Filipino dishes to the exotic ones!
Kinabuchs Grill and Bar
Start your journey at Kinabuchs Grill and Bar located along the main road of Puerto Princesa proper, mere minutes away from the airport. Granted it is only open in the late afternoon towards the night, the restaurant offers familiar Filipino dishes, select international favorites, and a variety of crocodile meat dishes.
Also read: Visit Kinabuchs Grill and Bar at Puerto Princesa for their Crocodile Meat Dishes
Try the Crocodile Adobado (Php 395) while in Puerto Princesa!
One of which is their bestseller Crocodile Adobado (Php 395), a take on the classic Filipino dish only with smaller chunks of meat and texture not far from that of pork. It is cooked with coconut milk instead of soy sauce making it extra creamy!
Address: 348 Rizal Ave. Puerto Princesa, Palawan
4 p.m. to 12 a.m. (LO 11:30 p.m.)
La Terrasse Restaurant Cafe
Another restaurant just a stone’s throw away from the airport is La Terrasse Restaurant Cafe dedicated to serving organic, wholesome food. The menu is mostly inspired by European and Asian cuisines, most dishes play on original recipes.
Laksa Soup (Php 315)
Their highly recommended dish is the Laksa Soup (Php 315), a flavorful dish that will give your palate a head start. With the variety of food options and the romantic dining setting of La Terrasse, you will be sure to have a soulful dining experience!
Also read: La Terrasse Restaurant Café in Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Romantic Setting for Euro-Asian Fare
Address: Rizal Ave., Puerto Princesa, Palawan
0915-843-7605
facebook.com/laterrassecafepalawan
White Fence Cafe
White Fence Cafe in Puerto Princesa, Palawan is a humble courtyard cafe of the Purple Fountain Inn. Everyone is welcome to come in and enjoy a relaxing breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Big with taste and with serving, the Pasta Bolognese (Php 250) is a great meal to share with a date!
Try their Pasta Bolognese (Php 250) sided with a big slice of french bread! This dish is one of White Fence’s local favorites and tastes meaty and heavy that one could have this on the side while working or chatting through interesting topics.
Also read: Dine at White Fence Cafe in Puerto Princesa for Homemade Favorites
Address: 296 Manalo Extension, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
(048) 716-3868 /0917-632-1593
facebook.com/whitefencecafe
Hibiscus Pizzeria and Bar
Hibiscus Pizzeria & Bar is a destination for those in search of wholesome food options and delicious bar drinks fit for casual hangout sessions. The most popular item of the restaurant is pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven.
The Pizza of the Week at the time of our visit – Tomato, Mozzarella, Parma Ham, and Arugula Pizza
The Pizza of the Week features different pizzas weekly, unique from the regular pizza menu, to offer something fresh to frequent diners. The atmosphere of the bar also becomes turns more romantic at night due to the lighting of the bar.
Also read: Hibiscus Pizzeria and Bar in Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Diet-Friendly Food & Lady-Approved Cocktails
Address: Inside Hibiscus Garden Inn, Manalo Ext., Brgy. Milagrosa, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
KaJoels Restaurant
Take off your footwear and dine at KaJoels Restaurant, a garden restaurant in Puerto Princesa. Here, guests get to feast on Filipino cuisine surrounded by a beautiful garden and the warm climate of Palawan.
The Sizzling Peanut Worm (Php 295) has a texture like that of octopus but lighter in flavor.
Here you can try is the Sizzling Peanut Worm (Php 295) made with what locals call “wakwak” which are actually edible sandworms, cleaned and chopped into this dish.
Also read: Dine at KaJoels Restaurant in Puerto Princesa for Palawan Delicacies
Address: Abanico Road, Purok Centro, Brgy. Tiniguiban, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Badjao Seafront Restaurant
Set on the bayside of Puerto Princesa, the spacious Badjao Seafront Restaurant concretizes the warmth unique to Filipino dining through its interior centered on wooden materials and a food selection that highlights local seafood dishes.
Seafood Platter (Php 895)
To get the best of both worlds—that is, the sea and the restaurant—grace your dining tables with the always fresh Seafood Platter (P895) that is a fanfare of fish, shrimps, crabs, mussels, squid, and fried seafood lumpia.
Also read: Badjao Seafront Restaurant in Puerto Princesa Lets You Sail Through the Flavors of the Open Sea
Address: Abueg Sr. Rd., Brgy. Bagong Sikat, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
If your itinerary includes a trip to the Underground River or Honday Bay, you may ask your tour guide to drop you to these restaurants after your tour. Otherwise, you can take the local commute to these restaurants:
Also read: Explore the Underground River in Puerto Princesa, A Wonder of Nature
Viet Ville
Tucked inside the story-laden Vietnamese Village alongside a church, a Buddhist temple, and several houses is Viet Ville.
Vietnamese cooks molded the place back in 1997 with dishes such as their famed Chao Long (Php 150) that is a pungent mix of meat slices and seafood pieces, creating a rice porridge that holds the power of soothing you either before you begin a day of touring around or after a long haul enjoying the city.
Also read: Viet Ville in Puerto Princesa: Home of Comfortingly Authentic Vietnamese Food
Address: Km 13, Brgy. Sta. Lourdes, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
The Smoky Place
The Smoky Place is a nipa hut pizza place and home to classic wood-fired cob oven pizzas in Sabang. Such a unique place is sure to offer a unique menu so better get their Dessert Pizza (Php 200) with a combination of Chocolate and Banana.
Dessert Pizza (Php 200)
Those who are staying around Sabang beach will also get to enjoy their other servings as The Smoky Place is also open for brunch from 9 a.m to 12 p.m. Meanwhile, pizzas are only available from 2 p.m to 10 p.m.
Also read: The Smoky Place in Puerto Princesa Serves Classic Wood-Fired Pizzas by the Beach
Address: Sabang Beach, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Asiano Gourmet Cuisine
Located along the shore of Sabang beach where boats dock for the Underground River Tour, Asiano Gourmet Cuisine is designed like a humble nipa hut along the beachfront and diners can choose to dine by the shore or inside the hut.
With a long list of dishes on their menu, one can savor Filipino cuisine, Indian vegan dishes, Japanese sushi, and ramen picks, and live seafood all in one sitting!
Also read: Asiano Gourmet Cuisine in Sabang, Puerto Princesa: Your Go-To Place for Fresh Seafood
Address: Beach Front, Cabayugan, Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Also read: Activities in Puerto Princesa, Palawan That You Should Definitely Try on Your Visit
Which of these restaurants are you looking forward to visit? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below!
This first appeared in Philippine Primer’s Japanese and English Magazine February 2020 issue.
