Dumaguete: Where to Eat and What Pasalubong to Buy

To read ALL post about Dumaguete, click here.

When we were in Dumaguete for the 2013 Palarong Pambansa, where J represented the NCR for the swimming event, here are some of the restaurants we ate at: 


1. SansRival Bakeshop and Bistro have been a fixture in Dumaguete for over a quarter of a century.  Even before we left for Dumaguete, friends were already saying that the Sans Rival and Silvanas were one of the best; and have won in the 24 Best Desserts of the Philippines by the Phil Daily Inquirer - Lifestyle section, Dec. 2009.

 

They are so popular that they were sold out on the day that most of the Palarong Pambansa delegates were scheduled to fly out of Dumaguete.  It was a good thing that my mom-friends and I had anticipated that, and ordered ours several days in advance.  We ordered about several dozens of silvanas among the three of us; and we should all give ourselves a pat on the back as we efficiently, and with foresight, borrowed 2 ice chest to put all our silvanas in.  They said that the silvanas can last the travel from Dumaguete to Manila (about 5 hours, give or take), but our plane got delayed by 2 hours, and the ice chest did a good job.  I placed it in the freezer as soon as I got home, and when I took them out, they were as if they had never left Dumaguete. :)


And I learned after coming home lugging around all those boxes of silvanas, that they are the same Silvanas recipe from the House of Silvanas that we frequent at the Shangri-la Mall.

There are two locations in the city, but the one fronting the Boulevard is nicer.  It was decorated with white and blue, and made cozy with several birdcages hung from the ceiling.  There is an air-conditioned area which is perfect for families with kids, and an al-fresco area for when you are with your friends or just want to enjoy the sea breeze. 
Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries 
#3 San Jose Street (near Rizal Boulevard), Dumaguete
+63 35 225 4440

2. Hayahay Tree House Bar is a seafood restaurant that sits on what would be the biggest tree house I've ever seen.  It shares the same kitchen as one of Dumaguete's most well known resto, Lab-as Restaurant.  We chose a table on the upper deck to enjoy the view.

While the food is cheap and relatively good, I'd say that nothing compares to Iloilo when seafood is involved.

Hayahay Treehouse Bar and Viewdeck‎ 
Flores Ave Piapi, Escano Beach, Dumaguete
+63 35 225 3536

3.  Cafe Laguna is a nice and clean restaurant serving homestyle Filipino food. 

Cafe Laguna
Ground floor, Nicanor Hotel
San Jose st., Dumaguete
(+63 32) 421.0808

4.  Jo's Chicken Inato is the place to go to when you want a simple meal that is cheap and delicious.  The restaurant is small, table seating is cramped, and the a/c is not enough for the entire place; but don't let that stop you from enjoying one of the best chicken inato.  Diners are encouraged to with their bare hands as utensils are not readily placed on the dining table.  But if, like me, you are more comfortable using utensils, then just go ahead and ask. 

Jo's Chicken Inato 
Silliman Avenue, Dumaguete
+63 35 225 4412

5.  Moon Cafe is Dumaguete's take on Tex-Mex cuisine.  They have the usual Mexican fare.  The servings were quite big, and the quality of the food and service was good also.

Moon Cafe
#7 Silliman Ave., Near Rizal Blvd., Dumaguete

6.  Don Atilano is a steak house located along the Boulevard.  Almost everyone ordered steak, and the waiter did a good job on remembering to give us the steak cooked to our preference.  Expect to pay Manila prices for this restaurant.

Don Atilano Restaurant - Main 
 Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines 
+63 35 225 4724

7.  BreadWorth located inside the Lee Plaza Mall.  This grocery is just walking distance from where we stayed, the Hotel Essencia.  This is the place I go to for my daily bread fix.   Everything is baked on site daily, and they even offer sugar-free bread which I didn't think I would find in a small province like Dumaguete.  I love their take on the pandesal, which they call crack-de-sal.  The crack-de-sal looks like a pandesal but it has a harder crust but the inside is just as soft and chewy.

PASALUBONG
And since no travel is ever really complete without a pit-stop for pasalubong buying, we bought boxes of silvanas to give-away to friends and families.  As I've mentioned earlier, it is best to reserve and pay for your orders a few days before you leave especially if it is during the peak travel season.

And since, J also wanted to give pasalubongs to her swimming team meates and her school friends, we also bought shirts, and other souvenir items from stalls that lined the sports complex.

To read ALL post about Dumaguete, click here.

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