Harolds Rooftop Cafe is located, yes you guessed it, on the rooftop of Harolds Mansion in beautiful Dumaguete! What makes this place great for me are the people, the warm reception and the 'all heart' approach which shines through the picking and choosing of mixed Western and Filipino dishes on their menu spread catering to tourists from all over the world.
We met families from France, based in Manila for work, who were staying at the Hostel for a couple of days as they planned their trip around Harold's extensive island trip privileges and all so affordable, like swimming with their giant turtles around Apo island. I will have a different review specifically on that experience.
(Harold, the owner of the hostel and cafe) operates/owns a diving and snorkelling expedition with his shop just by the entrance of the hostel where you can book day trips and rent gear for whatever activity you choose. We had the chance to meet Harold a couple of times as he is also based in L.A but was in town for a vacay.
Harold is a gregarious local who ensures your stay in Dumaguete is gravitated outside the walls of his cafe/hostel which is why his love for the open water seeps through his warm smile as he passionately shares his virtuous take on salt water adventures that will entice visitors within the Philippines and from all over the world.
Diving trips has a more intricate process as there are open water courses and certificates before your first dive with the crew. (Again will go into detail on a different review) I just wanted to give readers an insight of how Harolds Rooftop Cafe is the start and end to a fun filled day.
My favourite picks from the menu are the Adobong Tuna and veggie lumpias. You cannot NOT have adobo when you visit the Philippines. Adobo is the ultimate dish which has all the fixings of garlic, soy sauce and vinegar simmered to perfection with seasonings to heighten the tenderness of any meat of your choosing, in this case the tuna. Sooooooo GOOOD!
The second show stopper for me was the veggie lumpias and this cafe serves them BIG AND BOLD and stuffed to the max, fried to the perfect level of crisp and washing all that down with some ice cold beer while your wifi connection has a speed advantage on that rooftop so FaceTime with the parents was uninterrupted as I showcased my sun set view and authentic, good tasting grub.
I mean everything else on their menu is portioned unsparingly compared to other restaurants in the area and you can't go wrong with quality. Price point on meals is important especially when your travel budget includes island hopping, travelling with family and excursions. Everything adds up quickly when you're on vacay mode so it's best to know places where it won't disappoint pockets and taste buds. read more