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Food Trip: Sagada

Kara Santos

In recent years, Sagada has gotten a reputation for having lots of great eating places. If you’ve been there, you can probably agree that the cool crisp mountain air and all that walking around surely works up an appetite. Thankfully, there are lots of great restaurants to try out. For those who like to plan where to eat in advance, here’s a list of some of the restaurants we sampled during our five-day trip there, with accessibility ratings and distance on foot from the town center (with the hospital as the starting point).

MISTY LODGE & CAFÉ

Misty Lodge is now one of my favorite restaurants in Sagada. Though I wanted to try as many restaurants as possible during our trip, we ended up eating here three times because the food was really great. They serve pizzas, burgers, platter meals, breakfast meals and the best yoghurt shakes. Everything we ordered was excellent. After our epic motorcycle ride to Banaue Rice Terraces, we tried their All-Meat Pizza and I had the really refreshing Blueberry Yoghurt Shake. I stopped by again after doing a photowalk around town and tried their mango crepe drizzled with chocolate, which was really delicious.

The night after the Panag-apoy sa Sagada, we tried their Margherita and 3-cheese pizzas and pork steak, which was really savory and tender. I also had the Mango Yoghurt Shake. My photos don’t do all the dishes justice, so be sure to check out this review by Happy Foodies, who we ran into in Sagada. You’ll definitely work up an appetite going to Misty Lodge & Café because their location is further from the town center, but the food there is really worth the hike. For those who don’t want to walk, Misty Lodge also conveniently offers delivery service to St. Josephs Inn. [MENU]

SALT & PEPPER DINER

This cozy restaurant is a bit easy to miss since it’s located on the second story above a set of shops. One of the best meals I had during the whole trip was the Dinakiw (grilled pork belly). The meat was seasoned just right and grilled to perfection, and the combination with fresh crisp veggies and spices was just amazing. The pepper steak Art ordered was also really good.

For lunch on our fourth day I restrained myself from ordering Dinakiw again and tried the Rosemary Inutom (baked chicken) served with potatoes while Art tried the Mushroom Inutom. I heard their garlic chips pasta are also pretty good, though I didn’t get to try that. Because of their generous portions, this is a great place to eat after doing one of the extreme activities, like caving, hiking to the falls or outdoor rock climbing. Extra rice is on the house! [MENU]

ROCK INN & CAFE (CAFE BODEGA)

We had breakfast at Rock Inn & Cafe the morning I rented a mountain bike, so it was easier to get to since the place is relatively far from the town center. To get here, you have to hike downhill through a dirt path and rocky trail at a junction on the main road. Hands-down, Bodega Cafe has the best ambiance of all the restaurants we went to. The main restaurant is shrouded in blooming vines, leading to a beautifully landscaped garden on the right side with a gazebo with a fire pit and lots of cute dogs lounging about.

I ordered a Ham, Cheese and Herbs Omelet and fresh mango shake, while Art got the Corned Beef Meal and coffee. The servings were a bit smaller than we expected and the dishes pricier compared to the other restaurants. I wish we could have sampled their main dishes, but these weren’t available yet since we passed by pretty early. [Breakfast MENU, Lunch & Dinner MENU]

THE VILLAGER RESTOBAR (CAFE ST. JO)

This restaurant is situated next to St. Joseph’s Resthouse where we were checked in, so we made it a point to have breakfast here at least once. It’s one of the larger restaurants in Sagada and the second story (Cafe St. Jo) can be used for functions. The servings here were very filling and reasonably priced. [MENU]

MASFERRE COUNTRY INN & RESTAURANT

Unfortunately, a lot of dishes were not available during the time of our visit, but I heard they restocked later on and when I passed by again, they even had buffet breakfast to accommodate the influx of tourists. The fried chicken with veggies and fries (the only other option available was chicken adobo) was delicious and we finished every last bite. It seemed just a bit pricey for P200/dish. [MENU]

YOGHURT HOUSE

Yoghurt House’s colorful sign caught my eye as we walked around town during our first day, so we headed there for dinner. I had also read reviews and had gotten recommendations from friends to eat there. Though the pasta with bechamel and ham and open faced tuna sandwich were a bit bland & lacking in flavor, the Yoghurt w/ granola and strawberries was pretty good. [MENU]

LEMON PIE HOUSE

Though they also serve some other snack items and sandwiches, most people head here for their bestseller, the Lemon Pie. A slice costs only P25 and the combination of sweet and zesty flavors is really great for dessert or a light snack.

STRAWBERRY CAFE

I only got to try out the strawberry shake here (P60/order), but have heard that they serve pretty good meals as well. They have options like crepes, pancakes and omelets for breakfast (P100) and a decent selection of fish, chicken and pork dishes with rice and vegetables for lunch/dinner (P120-P150). Strawberry Cafe is just a little off the main road, so it doesn’t get as crowded as some of the other restaurants. [MENU]

SAGADA PINE CAFÉ

This backpacker bar is mainly a watering hole that serves San Mig Light, San Mig Pale and Red Horse. Unfortunately, that’s all it is and they don’t serve any type of food or pulutan. The vibe here is really cool though, with recycled materials used as artwork, and walls decorated with cigarette packs and old bottles. The same establishment rents out mountain bikes during the day. I suggest you bring your own bag of chips if you plan to drink here. You can also head right next door to Kimchi (which also has a similar Bohemian vibe) for meals and more drinks.

DINING TIPS:

WHERE TO EAT IN SAGADA:

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