Where to eat in El Nido: restaurants and island dining options

El Nido, Palawan, 2016 – Said to be one of the best beaches in the world, my trip to El Nido has certainly been a dream come true. It was indeed a paradise, and definitely one of the many reasons why it’s more fun in the Philippines. Island and inland hopping surely can take a lot of energy from tourists so it’s best to replenish with the gastronomical delights that El Nido has to offer. So, if you’re curious where to eat in El Nido, read on!




Last August 2016, together with Kenneth of kennethsurat.com and Vien of Advientures.com, we toured around the islands and inland delights of El Nido, Palawan. In between, we stuffed our tummies full in some of the restaurants and food choices there.

Read more about El Nido, Palawan: 5 Days in El Nido: Island Hopping with Sealand Venture

Where to eat in El Nido? Restaurants, bars, cafe, and beach

Happy Hour at SAVA Beach Bar

From 4 PM to 6 PM you can get 2 drinks for the price of one during SAVA’s happy hour. Drinks include cocktails, spirits, and mixers. They also serve shakes, coffee, tea, and bar chow.

Beach-bumming friendly because of their outside seats facing the beach. Add to that their colorful chalk-drawn walls in the bar and the bar lounge with colorful throw pillows.

Handcrafted, freshly-made brick oven pizza at Trattoria Altrove

Promising authentic pizza made in the Italian tradition of Naples, this famous pizza place in the streets of El Nido is hard to miss during peak months. But since we visited during the rainy season, we almost passed by it had we not been seriously looking for it.

Restaurant-goers will have to leave their footwear at the bottom of the stairs while trying to climb the almost-spiral stairs. This stairs also offers a bird’s eye view of how the pizza is crafted.




The shiny wooden floor is filled with wooden tables and chairs, as well as an elevated platform for floor seating with Thai pillows.

We ordered Con Prosciutto Crudo pizza, filled with parma ham, olives, and mozzarella. We had it cut into squares and enjoyed it in a candlelight setting.

Beachfront dining at Jarace Grill

Being a beach town, of course, we wanted to experience dining by the beachside. With the sound of the waves, dim lighting, and freshly grilled seafood.

We chose the first restaurant we walked into after getting to the beachfront. At Jarace Grill, you will select from trays upon trays of raw seafood and tell the cooks how you want it cooked or served.

We ordered grilled squid and fish, as well as garlic-butter shrimps to share with our newfound friends.

Read more about El Nido, Palawan: 5 Days in El Nido: Island Hopping with Sealand Venture (Part 1)

Pizza and pasta overload at Art Cafe

After having a great time swimming, taking pictures and just taking every moment with the surreal islands of El Nido, a great dinner is a big requirement.

So after taking a quick shower, me and my two friends took a walk around and looked for some places to eat. I heard about Art Cafe before ad they said they had awesome food over there. Although we want some seafood that night, we ordered pizza for each of us. I think it’s 14 inches, and yes we ate everything! The pizza was awesome, the place was nice as well the service. It was a great night and will definitely drop by again next time. – Erwin Manalad of @ice2big

Seaside dining at Nacpan beach

Aside from island hopping, we also had the chance to explore the inland attractions of El Nido, including the famous Nacpan Beach. Near the “entrance” of the beach are few makeshift restaurants that will help you satiate your hunger or thirst after walking in the 4 km beach.

We ordered freshly made fruit shakes and meals to share, which took a lot of time to prepare and is priced a little bit more expensive than what you’ll get in normal restaurants.

Island hopping buffet

What better way to replenish your energy in between island hopping around Bacuit Bay? A freshly-cooked buffet of course!

Cooked and grilled by your boatmen while you were swimming, snorkeling and walking around, these foods are spread out on a table worthy of an Instagram flatlay. Not only is it pleasing to the eyes, but definitely pleasing to the tummy as well.

Where else to eat in El, Nido, Palawan?

• Midtown Bakery – Filipino bakery
• La Plage – serves vegan options and dine here for the ambiance
• Mezzanine – serving Asian and Mediterranean dishes
• Taverna Agape – Greek food
• Happiness Beach Bar – sit by the swings at the bar; serves Mediterranean food
• Rooftop – hang out at this rooftop bar
• L’Assiette – homemade gelato
• Coco Lush – instagramable frozen yogurt
• Osaka Castle El Nido – authentic Japanese food
• Ramen Minami – for the ramen of course!
• Squidos – stuffed squid and seafood platter

---

Have you been to El Nido? What are your favorite restaurants/food there?

LIKE IT? PIN IT!