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Hidden Garden Restaurants in Manila

Kara Santos

Sometimes we all just need a quick getaway somewhere refreshing, but accessible. In the busy urban sprawl of Metro Manila, not everyone is lucky enough to have green spaces and gardens in their homes. Dining in garden restaurants can give you that quick fix of the great outdoors. Here are just a few garden restaurants in and near the metro worth hunting down for your next date, or food-trip session with friends.

Gubat

Gubat is a cozy garden restaurant right along C.P. Garcia Avenue in Quezon City. It’s easy to miss, as you can barely see the door from the street. Located next to shops selling bonsai plants and garden supplies, this laidback restaurant with just a handful of tables and a tiny open kitchen feels like a private sanctuary in the middle of the busy city.

Gubat is known for serving zero waste kamayan-style meals of Filipino favorites including Baler longaniza, fried chicken, fried fish, liempo or tuyo, served on a banana leaf with salted egg and pako salad for less than P200 each. Fresh juice and local beers are available. It’s a unique dining destination for dates and meet-ups with friends. TIP: Bring your own utensils if you don’t want to eat with your bare hands. Parking is very limited here.

Talisay The Garden Café

Talisay The Garden Cafe is the newest restaurant of Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou, featuring elevated classic Filipino food and family recipes inspired by his hometown of Cebu. The renovated ’60s split-level type house along Maginhawa Street offers an airy space with wide glass windows giving a refreshing view of the garden and a few benches, which offer a natural backdrop for taking photos with the whole family.

The modern Filipino restaurant offers unpretentious and hearty dishes like Goat’s Cheese Salad (P480), Jamon de Talisay (P640), Chicken Pianggang, Paella Mixta (P790), and Cassava Cheesecake (P220/slice). Good place to take the whole family. It’s located on a quieter side of Maginhawa Street, where there’s more space for parking right in front of the restaurant and along the street.

Hillside Café & Juice Bar

Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar is a cozy cafe located right next to Cedar Hills Garden, a store that sells potted plants and gardening supplies. Known as a healthy food hub, this cafe specializes in salads, smoothies, and detox juices with a nice view of the greens outside. If you’re going plant-shopping, you might as well stop by for a snack or drink here afterwards.

They serve some appetizers too like Pitas & Dip (P154), as well as sandwiches, pasta meals, and main courses like Salmon Sandwich (P265), Tofu Teriyaki (P285), Seafood Kabab (P395) and Organic Roasted Chicken (P395).

Rustic Mornings

Rustic Mornings is a long-time Marikina favorite that offers delicious all-day breakfast, brunch, lunch meals, pastries and coffee. Tucked just a few steps down the road from the Marikina Shoe Museum, this secret garden has an indoor country style cottage dining area and al fresco seats.

Meals here are prepared fresh, including the pancake syrup and buttercream which tops their crispy waffles and buttermilk pancakes. Other bestsellers include the all-veggie omelet (tomato, zucchini, onion, garlic, green bell, mushroom), pancakes with bacon & hashbrown, and cheesy chicken fricassee. They also serve some Filipino meals, pizza and sandwiches, fresh fruit shakes, coffee and dessert.

Greg & Sally Tree Garden Cafe

A relaxing garden cafe in Marikina Heights that serves homemade family recipes using fresh herbs from the garden. They also sell some potted herbs here like Gotukola, Serpentina and Taheebo.

This restaurant serves breakfast & brunch meals, salads, refreshing herb-based drinks (Pandan Lemongrass, Dalandan Tarragon and Calamansi Mint Coolers).

Patio Vera

Patio Vera is a house-turned-restaurant in Marikina that serves heirloom recipes in an eclectic modern setting. They make use of relaxed patio furniture and antique touches in the outdoor garden area covered by a large canopy.

The restaurant serves Filipino, Seafood, Spanish/Basque cuisine, steaks and ribs. Bestsellers include Paella con Carne, Salpicao Sandwich, Chicharon Sisig con lechon, Puso ng Saging sa Gata, Pork Binagoongan, Longganisa Carbonara, Spicy Chicken Wings, Chorizo and Sausage Aglio Olio, Sardines Aglio Olio and Crispy Churros con Tsokolate.

Eggs for Breakfast Cafe

Eggs for Breakfast is a cozy cafe located inside the Velada Estate and Events Place in Villa Cecilia Subdivision in the lower Antipolo / Marikina boundary. The restaurant serves breakfast and brunch meals, coffee and smoothies throughout the day.

All-day breakfast options include the One Pan Breakfast (good for 2), Breakfast Burger, French Toast, and more.

Burrow Café at Antipolo Beehouse

Burrow Café at Antipolo Beehouse (a venue/residence and creative space) is literally located underground, with the cafe carved beneath sloping terrain. Once you go down the stairs which looks like it leads to a bunker, you enter a lovely, well-lit restaurant with large airy windows giving diners a view of the lush surrounding forest.

This artistic cafe serves a very focused menu of refined dishes including all-day breakfast like Granola, Yogurt & Fresh Fruit (P360); lunch sets like Mushroom Cauliflower Rice (P380) and Salmon & Sweet Potato Mash (P560); appetizers including Flatbread with assorted dips (P270) and desserts Key Lime Pie (P190). It’s a very secluded and romantic cafe, making it ideal for intimate family gatherings, dates, pictorials and pre-nup shoots.

Got other suggestions of nice, hidden garden restaurants in the city worth checking out? Please let me know in the comments section.

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