The Best Restaurants in Antipolo (If You're Skipping Tagaytay During the Break)
We’re going to venture a guess: Rizal won’t be top-of-mind when talk of destination restaurants surface in conversations. For those living in the South, there’s the occasional attempt to head up North for a fix of unique food finds, and vice versa. Then, there’s the charm of Binondo for a dose of Chinese grub that you can enjoy as part of the community’s popular walking tours. If you’re trying to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila, of course, there’s the default Tagaytay option where romantic restaurants abound.
While the East remains an underrated stop for a great dining experience, we were able to round up our top picks of quality restaurants in terms of ambience, service, and dinner spreads. Here’s an unranked list of our favorites restaurants in Antipolo (and a little beyond), perfect for your next sojourn from busy city life, but not too far away to make you travel for hours on end.
1| Vieux Chalet Swiss Restaurant
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It was in the '80s when the Hassig Family transformed their home into a cozy Swiss-Filipino restaurant best known for meticulously prepared home cooking. The doors to Vieux Chalet opened shortly after word on patriarch Tony Hassig’s cooking caught on. Now, his daughter Florence is at the helm of a full-fledged restaurant, which has figured as a top choice in Antipolo for special dinners against a stunning backdrop of the city. A portion of Vieux Chalet also functions as a quaint bed and breakfast, perfect for those who wish to find pockets of peace in the always bustling Manila.
Esquire Recommends:
- Raclette Festival
- Lamb Shoulder
- Osso Buco
456 Taktak Road, Sitio Sampaguita, Santa Cruz, Lower Antipolo, Rizal
2| Eggs for Breakfast
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Just a couple of minutes away from Marcos Highway is Eggs for Breakfast, a widely talked about breakfast nook in Antipolo event space, Velada Estate. In fact, it’s easily one of our favorite places for breakfast. As its namesake suggests, the charming café’s tasty lineup is centered on eggs—cooked in different styles and paired with a number of ingredients to suit every fancy. Find here not just a selection of breakfast staples, but also more filling mains that you can have with freshly made fruit smoothies or a cup of joe.
Esquire Recommends:
- Country French Omelette
- Eggs Benjamin
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Velada Estate, 21 Don Juan Street, Villa Cecilia Subdivision, Lower Antipolo, Rizal
3| Katsu House
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This unassuming restaurant (it’s situated in a portion of a residence) is another choice for reinvented Japanese specialties offered at prices that won’t leave dents on your wallet. While Katsu House is widely popular for its tonkatsu and torikatsu dishes, it also carries vegan- and keto-friendly options for those on a special diet. And, for a limited time only, you can have a taste of their new dishes: the Togarashi Chizu Ramen, a flavorful spice-filled broth that may be customized to your liking, and the Chizu Katsu, its take on breaded chicken served with a special cheese dip.
Esquire Recommends:
- Katsu Wrap
- Teriyaki Burger
- Katsu Curry Don
50 Beverly Hills Drive, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Dolores, Taytay
4| Tamagoya! Noodle House
View this post on InstagramHidden Gem in Marikina! Second stop for #TeamClingyTurns1! ?? #travelbytaste #clingyeats
Fans have been raving about Tamagoya! and it’s clear why: It’s the type of restaurant that offers quality Japanese specialties at affordable price points (nothing on the menu is over P300 here). It brings Japan even closer to home by replicating the traditional izakaya-style dining format and offering a selection of authentic ramen bowls artfully crafted by its Japanese owner and his staff. Tamagoya! is no fuss, much like its counterparts in Makati’s Little Tokyo—it finds that culinary theatrics are unnecessary, and focuses only on honest-to-goodness quality Japanese grub.
Esquire Recommends:
- Gomoku Ramen
- Hiyashi Chuka
- Beef Japanese Curry
Hon. B. Soliven Avenue, Antipolo, Rizal
5| Tahanan Bistro
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This lush hideaway ticks the boxes of a typical fine dining experience usually reserved for special occasions: plated courses, unique takes on classic dishes, intimate setting, and a promise of a great view while you dine (in Tahanan’s case, it’s Laguna de Bay). The quaint 45-seater restaurant is owned by Filipino sculptor Benji Reyes and daughter Keesha, who turned sections of their ancestral home into a restaurant and an exhibit featuring the former’s work. In 2016, Keesha partnered with Chef Kevin Tuason following a stint in Melbourne, Australia, and since then, the two have been working together in designing Tahanan’s compact selection of five-course menus (the lineup changes twice a year). Each degustation menu at Tahanan features reinvented Filipino classics showcased Australian-café style so do expect an intense mix of flavors, colors, and textures when each dish is brought to the table.
Esquire Recommends:
- Mayon Set Menu
- Halcon Set Menu
22 Loresville Drive, Lores Farm Subdivision, San Roque, Upper Antipolo
6| Marison’s
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Antipolo has its own entry for Filipino restaurants offering Filipino classics with a twist: Marison’s. It rivals the likes of Manam and Locavore that specialize in innovative dishes that have touches of both familiarity and newness. Find on its menu very Pinoy items such as kesong puti, balut, kare-kare, and bagnet. Desserts have quite a following as well; if you still have space for afters, the fluffy halo-halo and triple mais con hielo (corn-flavored shavings topped with corn kernels and corn flakes) are bestsellers.
Esquire Recommends:
- Seafood Kare-Kare
- Shrimp and Fresh Mango Pasta
- Organic Balut Tempura
Upper Ground Floor, SM City Masinag, Marcos Highway, Masinag, Lower Antipolo, Rizal; Upper Ground Floor, Robinson's Place Antipolo, Sumulong Highway, Dela Paz, Upper Antipolo, Rizal
7| Chives Bistro & Market
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Chives Bistro & Market has been a perennial favorite of foodies who frequent the Rizal area. It’s your typical neighborhood café, known for irs selection of elevated comfort food and then some. Of its extensive collection of salads, sandwiches, and mains, it’s the Truffle Mac and Cheese that’s been receiving resounding praise from regulars. Chives is also where you can get a slice (maybe two!) of Big Al’s famous chocolate cake—a fudgy, delectable take on the classic dessert that will immediately make you forget about counting calories.
Esquire Recommends:
- Spinach-Banana Blossom
- Truffle Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Salmon Head Teriyaki
APS Crowne Plaza, L. Sumulong Memorial Circle, San Roque, Upper Antipolo, Rizal
Other Great Places in Rizal
Burrow Café
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Find this underground gem at the Antipolo Beehouse, a cool, go-to space for photoshoots and specialty bazaars. It will take you several steps deep into the ground to reach this hideaway, so don’t fret when you’re first ushered into a nearly bare garden space. When you finally make it to Burrow Café, it’s hard not to marvel at the restaurant’s features, which marry rustic and modern elements into an outdoor garden café replicated indoors. Beyond the Instagram-worthy scene, however, are delicious comfort food that guests of all ages can enjoy. Advanced reservations are required at Burrow.
Esquire Recommends:
- BSE (Bacon, Sausage, Egg)
- Tender Beef Tapa
- Lechon and Gising Gising Rice Bowl
Antipolo Beehouse, 113 Beverly Hills Drive, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Dolores, Taytay
Fukurou Nihonryori
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If you’re up for Japanese food fare, Fukurou Nihonryori is a good place to start when in Cainta. The modern Japanese-inspired restaurant offers staples from the cuisine everyone has come to love—from maki, to sashimi, to teppanyaki, to yakiniku. And while there are many dishes to choose from, do make space for their homemade desserts, starting with their take on the traditional, fluffy Japanese Cheesecake and their version of s’mores called S’mochi, a delectable helping of chocolate mochi topped with toasted marshmallow, graham cracker bits, and a rich chocolate syrup.
Esquire Recommends:
- Sukiyaki Steak
- Sashimi Moriawase
- Japanese Cheesecake
The Pinnacle Plaza, Marikina-Infanta Highway, San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal
