In the heart of Manila is an unassuming, family-run bed and breakfast that has stood the test of…read moretime. Midtown Inn and Diner has been around for a good 30-some years, and has managed to stay true to its roots, as a diner, as a representative of Manila, and as a family business. Inspired by the eateries of the 1950s, and established in one if the most culturally-true parts of the city, and serving good ol' comfort food, Midtown Inn and Diner has an overall warm feeling. Known especially for their breakfast, not only can you have them all day, but everyday! Even their coffee preparation methods have been the same since the beginning. The Inn provides low-cost, basic, but perfectly cozy lodging for locals and foreigners alike. Many adventurers have been known to come here. Being a family business, you are guaranteed good ol' Filipino hospitality at its finest!

Inn and diners aren't really that much of a thing in Manila but I do hope that one day, they get…read morethe hype that they need. As a lola of Manila, I'd love the old vintage stuff from way back to resurface in the near future. Who wouldn't love to get a glimpse of the great good old Manila? Midtown Inn & Diner is one of the few diners that was preserved or has survived time. I've also wanted to recreate with a friend that very famous scene from Bande a Parte with Anna Karina wherein they danced in a diner. Yes, Anna Karina is my most favourite French artist and she's the Audrey Hepburn of my life. I'm also fascinated with Jean Luc Godard's French New Wave films. If you know what I'm talking about, you'd get that vibe once you step in this place. It's like the 60's vintage vibe but instead of being in France, you're in Manila.

Opens at 6 AM for breakfast, and has a buffet-style presentation…read more Breakfast is free if you are a guest of the Amelie Hotel, where Braska is contained within, but they also welcome diners in off the street, which is how I got there. If you are not a hotel guest, then the breakfast is 399 PHP, no extra charges above that. That's of as of this date; and also, as of this date and the current exchange rates for USD/PHP, that means the price of the buffet breakfast is under $8 USD. Eggs are cooked to order, but not consistently correctly, but, you know, this happens in the Philippines. Coffee is good - not always a given here, as what you get in many places is basically just a cup of hot brown water when you order coffee. Lot of great Filipino favorites in the buffet, like tocino, garlic rice, hot dogs (yes, for breakfast, big favorite in the Philippines), many different kinds of fruit, vegetables, etc. No cereal offered. The aforementioned coffee, and tea, and fresh-squeezed pineapple juice and orange juice are proffered as drinks. The fresh-squeezed pineapple juice is heavenly and will make you feel better about life in general. My voracity was of huge proportions as I had just come off a 23-hour flight from the States, and man, did I go after it hard here - three eggs, tocino, watermelon, cantaloupe, garlic rice, pineapple juice, several cups of coffee, and a cinnamon pastry. Service is very attentive without being overbearing, and quite prompt. Very nice dining room with views out onto the street, and, somewhat astoundingly, considering what year it is and the location, a steady stream of Miles Davis in my ears offered a great aural background to my leisurely sojourn there. I left feeling fat and happy, with a new attitude, and plenty of fuel for the fire within that day.

This place is awesome - pay for the cultural show its buffet, it's worth it!…read more It's located near Intramuros tourist areas and the ambiance is so pretty! Many tables of tour groups but the service is excellent and I absolutely loved the cultural show taking you through Philippine history. Very well executed!! The buffet is quite diverse and a great way to try Philippine cuisine en masse. Highly recommend!

Barbara's is a solid choice for lunch if you are visiting Manila in the Philippines. We had a…read moreblast! What stood out about this restaurant was the exceptional customer service and the cultural dancing while you eat delicious traditional Filipino food buffet style. I don't know if it's because they cater to tourist that makes this place so special but I left here feeling very full and very happy from the cultural performances. What was also fun was after the performances they invite the visitors from different regions of the world up to the stage and taking a picture with the dance performers. It provided a great keepsake to take back home. They also perform different songs from around the Philippines and the different dialects they speak and where they are from providing an educational opportunity. One of the songs was from the region, where my mother's father is from which is why I took a trip to the Philippines to learn more about my grandfather's culture and homeland. This touched my soul deeply and will never forget my time at Barbara's. The food was outstanding and very tourist friendly. I went up two times to partake in the delicious offerings from the buffet. I think the best thing about this place too is to have experienced all of this in an air-conditioned building. It was a nice reprieve from the 90+ degrees Fahrenheit with humidity weather that I endured in Manila. I also attended another restaurant with the cultural performance, and it was outside, and the experience was not as special due to the weather. So that's why I can't say enough good things about how I was treated and the yummy food that I ate and the beautiful cultural performances I admired at Barbara's. Highly recommend Barbara's while visiting the Philippines .

One of the first restaurants we visit upon coming home is Mary Grace and we always rated our dining…read moreexperience 4 or 5 stars. This time, we were so disappointed about the disarray in service, the inventory control and even the food presentation. Mary Grace expanded its floor area at Rob's but it seemed to cause more confusion and longer wait times. Disappointing that teas we used to order were no longer available. Earl Grey, my favourite is not in the menu anymore and was replaced with INFERIOR local teas. My husband likes the iced peach tea, but alas! "The peach inventory has not arrived yet" according to our server. Our orders did not arrive together. My soup was almost gone when my husband's sandwich order arrived. The inasal sandwich used be served - thoughtfully cut in half. This time, my husband had to ask for a sharp knife to cut the baguette and was given a butter knife instead. I had to ask twice for a teaspoon for my mint tea, which wasn't as minty as the imported teas available in the past. Our server apologized for the spotty service because the other servers were all trainees and there were only two of them to manage the floor. I ordered a cheese and caper spread, but the tomatoes that came with it were "sad looking" and not ripe at all - pale, greenish slices that I returned. Lo and behold, the kitchen did have red, ripe tomatoes, so why serve inferior ones? To be fair, the QUALITY of the squash bisque and the inasal sandwich were still good, but THE SPOTTY, INFERIOR SERVICE AND LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAILS DIMINISHED OUR ENJOYMENT OF OUR DINING EXPERIENCE. Mary Grace at Rob's is in our hood, and we hope other branches still have attentive service and attention to plating that diners have always appreciated! Maria Duncan Pinay resident 6 months every year Adriatico St, Malate, Manila

Checking out the place here at Robinson's mall. I reviewed the yelp for this restaurant, and was…read moreamazed with their serving menu. Unfortunately the one in the Mall, they only serve pastas and sandwiches. Good service, very polite server and the place is clean. Still, i want to visit the main one for menu's.

Every St. Scho or Benilde student would at least be familiar with Regina's Pink Canteen, or as my…read morefriends would say "that tacky pink carinderia near the backgate." They serve great lutong bahay and turo turo food at low prices, which makes it popular to students. While there is a profusion of similar carinderias and cheap dining places around, I think what keeps us coming is the wonderful service. The manangs would always address us with our names, and they would remember our favorites. Mine was the lechon kawali meal, which they serve with a good portion of rice and lots of Mang Tomas sauce. I think a plate of crispy lechon kawali and rice, plus soup would only cost you P60 or something. Then they would also oblige if you ask for a bit of the sarsa from other "ulams", like the would put a bit of the caldereta on your rice if you ask nicely. The place is also always fool, and it is perfumed with the smell of cooking that tells you that everything is made fresh day in and day out. All the tables and counters are cleaned and wiped immediately to avoid flies and insects from flying around. They would also give you candies and sweets after your meal, which is just a small extra that they give with their meals, but adds a more personal and warm touch to the service.

Back in my college days, I would spend my lunch break & after school hours along the Katipunan Food…read moreStrip. The food options back then were slim & boring. But, now, new restaurants are popping up! Not only is the food affordable, the choices are bigger & better! One of the restaurants I love is Zark's! Their motto is "IT'S FRESH. IT'S HUGE. IT'S GREAT." Believe me. Their servings are HUGE and each burger is made to order. When I first ate here, they could only seat 20-25 customers. Now, they have another floor plus have 6 new branches! Zark's is also known for their food challenges such as the Tombstone Challenge: 2 Pound Cheeseburger, 500 grams of Fries + 16oz Drink have to be eaten in less than 10 minutes! (*Note: someone recently beat the challenge in 5 mins, 14secs!) Zark's offers 2 types of burgers: Minor League and Major League. Minor Leagues are cheese burgers that can be topped with different toppings & sauces. Major Leagues are bigger, more creative in the way they are cooked & have more meat + bacon! I always go for the Major Leagues. My most favorite burger is the Luther Burger. :) It's a Double Bacon Cheeseburger with 2 honey glazed Krispy Kreme donuts for the bun. Yes, the combination sounds strange. But, it's sinfully good! I can't eat it every week. Which is why I only eat this burger on very special occasions. Plus, it's only Php230 (5 USD)! Their other bestsellers are the Ultimate Burger, Jawbreaker & Three Pointer. If you're in the Katipunan area & need to satisfy your burger cravings, you must definitely go to Zark's! :D

Proximity - Well something along the driving area of Katipunan. So better be careful if you are…read morewith your family as kids would love it but how about the adults? Service - The service is excellent, all of them were just happy to serve. Ordered - So I have tried the Deep Fried Bacon-Wrapped Burger. I was not impressed as that of my first look from the menu. I think there are other burger store who can serve a better-tasting-bites. Almost certain that for all other burgers they serve you will not be impressed too. I cannot taste the smoked bacon, cannot even taste the beefiness of the bacon. I thought that the taste was just all over the place. It is quite different when your are food tasting versus being hungry and just wanting to get the value of your "burp." Price - My order was priced at P239, that's fine, I got filled but was not satisfied. Of course the other burgers would follow the price pattern. My Final Personal Thoughts - Well the presentation were all great but I think they ow should focus on the taste of the burger. All other competing burger stations have already focused on the taste and you will always get comparisons between companies. #ToEachHisOwn

I ordered sinigang na bangus belly, $250p ish, sour fish soup basically. It's very good, fresh and…read moreflavorful, probably good for 4 servings. My husband got the crispy pata $450p, pork shank, quite large plate, it's also very good, crispy skin and soft meat. We had six beers, $350ish, in a bucket. It's a fun night eating with the locals. You'll get street vendors and beggers selling or begging for money, we bought a flower for $50p, $50p for quail eggs from young kid-vendors, and gave a few dollars to two beggers including a pregnant woman. We couldn't finish all the food too. *Total was $940p for the dinner - 1 fish soup 1 pork shank 6 beers

I'd think Silya is one of the more resilient bars in the Malate area, what with the rest of the…read morearea having slunk out of being the happening place it used to be, back when it was *the* "gay district" of Manila. I remember it back in the late '00s and was surprised to see it still existing when most other establishments at that time were now non-existent. We were lucky enough to be just one of two tables there at the time, with the other diners having a meal outside, so we basically had the slightly balmy indoor area to ourselves. The food we had was simple and good, though I was taken more by cheap beer. If you're a competitive social drinker like me, a cheap bucket of beer is always something to celebrate--and celebrate you will with Silya's karaoke! It's P20 for 3 songs, which is fair, since everything else was so affordable.

In the war of the wings around La Salle, there's four names that come to mind. There's Barn's…read moreextremely sulit, spicy wings, there's Flaming Wings' signature, well, flaming wings, there's Exile on Main Street's affordable, multi-flavored wings, and then there's Wingstop. The first thing to take note of is that Wingstop is probably the most expensive. It's quite a bit more expensive than its competitors, however, I think that it makes up for it in the sheer variety of flavors that they have. The second thing is that you HAVE to eat with your hands, lest you suffer through the pain of fiddly utensils. That's why I wholeheartedly recommend that you opt to just dig into it. They offer gloves, but I say just eat it straight on. It makes the eating experience so much better. One thing that surprises me is how much I turned out to like the Parmasean flavor. I like my wings with either salt and pepper or with a hefty drizzling of barbecue sauce. That's why when we had a platter of different flavored wings, I sort of avoided the parmasean in favor of the barbcue flavored and the spicy buffalo flavored wings. However, the parmasean had this really nice texture that makes the wings really crispy, and the sharp taste of the cheese compliments the mild spiciness of the wings really well. Wingstop gets a thumbs up for me. It's not exactly the most worth it, but the taste factor more than makes up for it.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love chicken wings! So when I found out about Wingstop, I…read moreimmediately decided to try it. I went there with my not-so-little sister and some friends. I think the place looks good--very clean, and has these really quirky wall decors. I love how there are varieties when it comes to their seating arrangements--there are booths, bars and the regular ones. Don't judge me; I have always loved how restaurants can play up their interiors through simple means. One thing to note when it comes to their food is that it is quite expensive. 235php for a 5-piece meal is a pretty steep price in Taft Avenue already. I'm just glad that the wings did not disappoint! It's cooked just right, not too crispy and not too soggy. I'm not too happy with the coleslaw though, I would choose KFC's coleslaw anytime over theirs. But still, good job on the chicken!

Comforting Pinoy food, open 24/7. Honestly underrated…read more I swear, this place has been open for over a decade... and somehow I've been roaming Makati like a clueless NPC not knowing it existed. The betrayal. My own stomach deserved better. Solid late-night spot. Generous portions, comforting flavors, and a vibe that feels like a warm hug after a long day (or a long night out, depende sa choices mo). Alfresco dining is super chill, but be warned: it starts getting packed around 1-2AM with people who look like they've survived a full pub crawl. What we ordered: * Pork Bagnetsilog - Crispy, well-seasoned, and surprisingly generous. * Talong Chips + Tokwa - My ultimate fave. I kept "trying one more" until suddenly... nothing was left. Zero self-control, and honestly? Worth it. * Chicharon Bulaklak + Tokwa - Dangerously crunchy. Perfect with rice or on its own. * Coffee Nagaraya Sorbetes - Fun idea, but the coffee flavor needs a little more oomph. Still worth a try. * Leche Flan Sorbetes - A sinful dulce de leche situation -- sweet tooth approved. Only downside: Parking took 30 mins to 1 hour. Will we be back? Absolutely. Probably sooner than parking trauma can heal. Another late night go-to unlocked.

This place is open 24/7. I always order their Bagnet Lugaw. It is expensive for other lugaw but…read moretheir price is justified. The lugaw is so good with good consistency. Not watery, just right. And the toppings and sauces to adjust your taste. I recommend this spot