Intramuros, the historic walled city of Manila, is one of the country’s top destinations for international tourists and locals alike. While most tourists visit mainly for the churches, museums, and historical sites, some dining spots also offer unique destinations to grab a bite or drink in between all that sightseeing.
Along with classic restaurants serving Filipino-Spanish cuisine, a few new cafes have popped up in the past few years, giving locals a reason to revisit.
Here’s an ultimate guide to the classic and new restaurants in Intramuros currently operational as of April 2024.
A top pick for international tourists and Pinoy families whenever they have to entertain balikbayans, Barbara’s Heritage Restaurant is one of the mainstays in the Plaza San Luis Complex.
This heritage restaurant with Spanish-era-inspired interiors and old-world details serves classic Filipino meals and offers buffet lunch and dinner options along with cultural performances. Specialties include Calamares Fritos, Tiger Prawn Sinigang, Gambas al Ajillo, Pritchon, Mixed Seafood Grill and more.
Aside from the main heritage restaurant, you can also find Barbara’s Cafe, an al fresco area with a view of the courtyard if you want to just to take a breather with fruit shakes or lighter fare.
An Intramuros icon that’s been around since 1989, Ilustrado offers fine dining Filipino-Spanish dishes like Paella Ilustrado (Meat & Seafood), Adobong Bagnet with Taba ng Talangka, and Baked Eggplant in Filo.
Their signature Sampaguita Ice Cream, inspired by the national flower, is one of the unique specialties worth hunting down, especially for first-timers in the area. This ice cream is fragrantly creamy and tastes just like you’re eating sampaguita flowers.
The country’s only Catholic-themed restaurant lets diners enjoy meals surrounded by relics of saints and angels. Owned by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CPCP) and located just across San Agustin Church, the unique religious cafe is popular with bishops, priests, members of the clergy, and churchgoers.
The cafe serves an assortment of rice meals like Salmon in Tamarind Stew, Seafood Pasta, and Carrot Cake. Notably, it provides employment to PWDs as some of their servers are hearing and speech-impaired.
Batala Bar is a cozy spot that serves craft beer along with appetizers, sandwiches, light meals and premium ice cream. It’s one of the few cafes in the area that offers plant-based dishes on their menu like plant-based sisig tacos and rice bowls. Other bestsellers include the Bomba Longga Panini and Bataladobo Rice Bowl.
The breezy second story contains a mini-art gallery and souvenir shop from the Philippine Artisan Trade Gallery with a lovely view of Casa Manila’s windows and the courtyard below.
While the beer is pricey, as a craft beer enthusiast, it’s my personal pick whenever I happen to have meet-ups with friends in the area.
This attractive al fresco cafe which sits right on the corner of Calle Real and General Luna Street is a favorite backdrop for Instagram snaps.
They serve coffee, frappes, milk tea, cakes, pasta, and a few Filipino-Spanish dishes like Beef Salpicao in the homey cafe decorated with wooden details and Spanish-tiled floors.
The Plaza San Luis Complex has several other spots where you can grab iced coffee, refreshments, and quick bites. The Royal Cafe offers a cheerful and cozy spot with white walls and bright artwork on display to enjoy refreshments.
Other options include souvenir store Tesoro’s (halo-halo, mais con hielo & shakes), Cold Treats (cold brew coffee & cookies) and Balai Pan de Sal (dimsum & Hong Kong-style fried siopao).
In case you want an air-conditioned option in the Plaza San Luis Complex, Coco Bango’s, the in-house restaurant and bar of the medieval-inspired White Knight Hotel is open to walk-in diners.
Just follow the path inside the complex past other shops to get to the hotel’s side entrance. Their menu includes breakfast silog rice meals and rice toppings, along with other family-style dishes.
This cafe quietly tucked in one corner of the ground floor of San Agustin Museum serves iced coffee, cakes and savory pastries.
While it’s currently open only to museum guests, according to staff on duty, they might be relocating their space outside San Agustin Church grounds by May 2024 for the benefit of other churchgoers and tourists.
A quaint cafe set in the ground belfry beside Manila Cathedral. Belfry Cafe offers a soothing air-conditioned spot to cool down with iced coffee while sitting under seven gigantic church bells. The bells are now only rung for special occasions when there are no customers inside.
Aside from the indoor space with just a few tables, there’s a larger al fresco area under umbrellas and canopies and a small parking space right beside which can accommodate a few motorcycles and bicycles.
La Cathedral Cafe is a rooftop restaurant on a building across Manila Cathedral offering a romantic view of the church’s historic dome. It’s one of the larger and more popular restos in the area, drawing crowds mainly for its aesthetic architectural appeal.
Chill out with coffee, pastries, and cakes towards sunset for the best experience (assuming you can get a table). The cafe also serves rice meals, pasta dishes, appetizers, and more for those who want to stay longer.
A great new addition for coffee lovers and bikers visiting Fort Santiago, Papa Kape is a cafe set within Aljibe de la Fuerza, a 400-year-old water cistern, that serves coffee infused with local flavors. Along with standard coffee drinks, they have signature brews blended with bibingka, gulaman, taho, and even beer, and some sweet cupcakes and kakanin.
Located at the tail end of Fort Santiago next to the dungeon, this cafe is bike-friendly and pet-friendly.
TIP: You can bring your bikes inside Fort Santiago for some great photo opportunities while visiting the cafe. There are bike racks at the back or you can park your rides next tables while dining al fresco. A good option for weekend coffee rides with friends.
Bayleaf Hotel, located at the intersection of Muralla Street and Victoria Street, has four distinct dining options to pick from, including a rooftop restaurant offering great views of the Manila skyline.
On the hotel’s ground floor, Cioccolata Churros Cafe is a cozy café specializing in Spanish-style fried fritters served with your choice of cacao, caramel, vanilla and matcha dips. For pizza lovers, the Italian tavern-inspired Raffaele Woodfired Pizza is a 60-seater restaurant with glass ceilings and walls that specializes in crusty or traditional pizza.
9 Spoons is a dining penthouse with a great panoramic view of the Manila skyline and the Intramuros Golf Course. It offers buffet and à la carte options along with a selection of wines. Bestsellers include the House Kare-Kare, Sizzling Bulalo, Adobo sa Puti, and Bagnet dishes.
Meanwhile, Sky Deck offers an extensive wine selection, local beers, and cocktails plus local and international fare and bar chow you can enjoy with a 360-degree view of Manila’s famous sunset.
Admittedly, dining in Intramuros can be expensive as most upscale restaurants cater to international tourists. But students and workers in the area have a few budget-friendly options to pick from including:
- Patio de Conchita – a rustic carinderia set in an old Spanish house
- Balai Maria – homey spot to dine with art over sizzlers and rice meals with laing
- Walls’ Famous Friedrich Spicy Chicken – a humble spot along the outer Intramuros walls that serves fiery chicken wings
- Bloque 7 Cafe – a small spot that serves takoyaki, rice meals, and pasta
- Pepito’s Food House – a local favorite for its cheap inihaw (grilled pork) worth just P65 with rice
If you’re lucky, you can catch food fairs and pop-ups, such as Mercadillo, which recently set-up various food stalls, cheap eats and Filipino street food like barbecue and puto bumbong. There are also fast food joints like Max’s, Bacolod Chicken House, Chow King and more along Soriano Avenue to fall back on.
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