TRAVEL GUIDE: 9 best places to eat in Iloilo

Stella Restaurant

Nestled in the Greenfields on Diversion Road, Iloilo, Stella is a family-friendly haven that dishes up delicious Filipino favorites with a delightful twist of fusion influences.

Their menu features a delicious fusion of traditional Ilonggo favorites and other cuisines, sure to evoke nostalgic memories of grandma's home-cooked meals. Each dish is prepared using fresh ingredients and time-honored recipes passed down through generations.

Stella's spacious interior boasts Instagram-worthy lighting fixtures and a cool mural, creating a cozy and inviting ambiance. It's the ideal spot to relax, share stories, and savor the taste of Iloilo in a stylish setting.

Among their best seller is Pancit Molo, an Ilonggo version of pork dumpling soup that uses wonton wrappers, originated from the Molo district in Iloilo. It consists of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrappers, shredded chicken meat, and also shrimp.

You can also try their kare-kare and the ever-so-budget-friendly barbecue, which is perfect for family reunions.

Breakthrough Restaurant

Want a good place to eat while enjoying the picturesque view of the sea? This restaurant is for you!

Opened in 1986, Breakthrough Restaurant is a popular restaurant along Molo-Arevalo Boulevard Sto. Nino, Villa Arevalo serves the freshest variety of seafood and local delicacies in a refreshing seafront setting.

Some of their best-sellers include the Grilled Sibingan and Grilled Managat, as well as the ultimate Ilonggo dish: Kadyos, Baboy, Langka, or KBL. This boiled/stewed pork dish combines soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan, pigeon pea, and unripe jackfruit.

Pro-tip: After a tasty meal, you can try their Buko Halo for a refreshing treatment.

Tatoy's Manokan and Seafood

Tatoy's serves signature native and authentic Ilonggo dishes that represent the city's local flavors and unique cuisines, including the Binakol and their native chicken.

For starters, Binakol first appeared in the province of Aklan. It was traditionally cooked in divided coconut shells or a fresh node of bamboo, where the dressed native chicken was simmered in coconut water with onions, ginger, and lemongrass after it had been pounded or beaten down to make it soft.

Located along Sto. Nino Sur Arevalo, Iloilo, the restaurant also houses a resort and cottages.

Pro-tip: Try Tatoy's cheesy baked oyster—you won't regret it.

Punot Restaurant

Punot means "fish pen" in Ilonggo. The restaurant's original location was at Estancia, which is 135 kilometers north of Iloilo City in the province's northern region. Since Estancia is a hub for commercial fishing, Punot guarantees fresh seafood.

In addition to serving fresh seafood, Punot's menu features a range of inventively combined Ilonggo cuisine that includes Imbao Soup or shell soup, puso ng saging, enselada, and kansi, an Ilonggo sour soup made with beef shank and bone marrow boiled until gelatinous. It is uniquely slightly soured with fruits like batwan.

Located at Riverside Boardwalk Diversion Road, Punot is a must-place for your guests as it offers a glimpse of the stunning Iloilo River.

DOIS Seafood Bar and Big Plates

Dois is a well-known restaurant for seafood boils and other dishes that can satisfy your taste buds.

Located in front of Angelicum School in Tabuc Suba, Jaro, tourists can "let their good times boil" at this restaurant by trying their mouth-watering seafood bag that is good for 3-8 people, or the Pompano, Oyster Trio, Oyster Sisig and Grilled Pork Belly.

They also have an al fresco with a minibar where you can get your drinks.

Muelle Deli and Restaurant

If you wish to eat while enjoying the fantastic ambiance by the river, especially at night, Muelle Deli is for you!

The restaurant offers various European-styled cuisine. It is a nice restaurant to unwind and dine on a Friday night because of its buffet of ribs, spicy chicken, corn medley, assorted sausages, steamed rice, and vegetable soup for P399 per person. A must-try is their Classic French Onion Soup!

Buto't Balat

As they said, simplicity is beauty; being simple is truly remarkable. This is what Buto't Balat restaurant could offer to its customers. With its cozy ambiance and simply delicious native dishes and seafood, you will feel like it's lutong bahay.

Try their Bulalo. It is priced just right, and the serving size is great for your family.

Roberto's

Those looking for more budget-friendly eateries have a wide array of choices near the city proper, too, and they're just a few minutes' walk away. Roberto's offers hearty street food like meatballs, siopao, and lomi. Their regular siopao is priced at P60, while the jumbo starts at P100.

They also offer "King" and "Queen" Siopao for P150 and P180, respectively. The former is ham-Chinese sausage chicken-pork adobo with egg, while the latter contains bacon-Chinese sausage, chicken-pork adobo, and egg.

Camiña Balay nga Bato

The ancient churches and family residences in the lovely city of Iloilo are rich in history. For instance, the Camiña house, commonly referred to as the Stone House or Balay nga Bato, is one of these ancestral homes in Iloilo City.

Make sure to include this location in your itinerary if you are visiting Iloilo to experience the house's history while sipping hot chocolate and munching on some nibbles.

You can enjoy sumptuous batirol hot chocolate and ugoy-ugoy for only P180.