The artsy interiors of KaLui. Photo by author
1. KaLui Restaurant
One of the most popular restaurants in Puerto Princesa, KaLui is a native restaurant that showcases beautiful Palawan artwork and serves meals based on the fresh catch of the day. The artistic restaurant highlights Palawan’s seafood specialties like blue marlin, tuna, sashimi, crabs, lobster and shrimps as well as fresh fruit shakes infused with local ingredients.
KaLui Restaurant is located at 369 Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Open daily except for Sundays. Lunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Dinner 6-10:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.
You can try the Palawan delicacy tamilok at Kinabuch's. Photo by author
2. Kinabuch's Grill & Bar
Kinabuch’s Grill & Bar is a popular evening hangout for foreigners and tourists. This laid-back sports bar has open-air dining, pool tables and live music, which attracts the crowds. Kinabuch’s serves Filipino favorites like crispy pata, grilled pusit and gising-gising.
Kinabuch’s is one of the places where you can order tamilok, an exotic Palawan delicacy. Also known as woodworm or shipworm, tamilok is not a worm but rather a mollusk that lives in mangrove areas. It's served either classic-style like kinilaw, just soaked in vinegar or deep-fried and breaded. The classic tamilok tastes like creamy oysters, with a slimier texture and saltier flavor. This is best washed down with a cold beer.
Kinabuch's Grill & Bar is located on Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. Open daily 5 p.m. – 1 a.m.
The seafood platter at Badjao. Photo by author
3. Badjao Seafront Restaurant
Badjao Seafront Restaurant is built on stilts over a mangrove area that offers a stunning view of Puerto Princesa's seascape especially during sunset. Like other top restos in the city, Badjao Seafront Restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and grilled specialties.
Badjao Seafront Restaurant us located on Abueg Road, Puerto Princesa. Open daily, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
The chicken inato at Ka Inato. Photo by author
4. Ka Inato Restaurant
Ka Inato is a native restaurant decorated with colorful wooden sculptures and carvings that Palawan is known for. The restaurant specializes in chicken inato (a version of inasal) and other Filipino dishes like sinigang, inihaw, grilled squid and crocodile sisig.
Aside from the festive atmosphere and delicious food, another reason to patronize the restaurant is the fact that Ka Inato employs deaf and mute waiters. Customers are encouraged to use sign language when ordering. Good vibes all around in terms of food and ambiance, though service can be slow during lunch time because of the volume of diners.
Ka Inato Restaurant is located at C4 Compound, San Manuel, Puerto Princesa City. Open daily from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Chao long and French bread at Viet Ville. Photo by author
5. Viet Ville
Palawan used to have a large Vietnamese community and chao long, a local version of the Vietnamese beef stew noodles or pho, is considered one of the “must-eats” here. Viet Ville, located just 5 kilometers away from the city center, offers a taste of authentic chao long served with a plate of basil leaves, bean sprouts and chili paste and garlic French bread. This is a classic heartwarming Palaweno meal everyone should try at least once.
Viet Ville is located in Barangay Sta. Lourdes, Puerto Princesa. Open daily from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Vegetarian chao long from Namaskar. Photo by author
6. Namaskar Vegetarian Cafe
In many provinces, options for vegetarians and vegans are still very limited when it comes to dining out. Namaskar Vegetarian Cafe is a welcome alternative to those who prefer healthy dining. This hole-in-the-wall cafe in Puerto Princesa serves tasty and very affordable vegetarian food including veggie chao long, spring rolls, veggie kebabs, raw salad, vegetarian salmon and refreshing fruit shakes.
Namaskar Vegetarian Cafe is located at 75-P Burgos St, Puerto Princesa. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Beach food at Señordamla. Photo by author
7. Señordamla Restaurant at Microtel Puerto Princesa
Microtel Puerto Princesa is the only beachfront hotel in Puerto Princesa City, giving guests picturesque views of white sand shores and mangrove forests. Even guests who aren’t checked-in at the hotel can enjoy meals at their in-house restuarant Señordamla located right next to the pool, which serves specialties like lechon kawali, chicken adobo, gising-gising and seafood dishes. By special request, hotel staff can set-up dining tables right by the beach under the trees for romantic dinners.
Señordamla Restaurant at Microtel Puerto Princesa is located on Emerald Beach, San Jose, Puerto Princesa. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Slipper lobster at Veranda Restaurant. Photo by author
8. Veranda Restaurant by Skylight Hotel
If you’re in a large group, one of the best places you dine in Puerto Princesa City is Skylight Hotel’s Veranda restaurant, which serves oriental and international cuisine. The restaurant’s bestseller is the Pork and Chicken Barbecue, which comes at a very affordable price of P130 with unlimited rice and drinks.
But the newly launched menu featuring live seafood is simply mouthwatering. Be sure to try the Aligue Rice (with aligue paste and lato or seaweed in rice), tropical salad (mixed fruits with lato in coconut shell), Mixed Seafoods Sinigang (featuring seafood of Palawan - crab, fish and squid), Slipper Lobster, Butter Garlic Crabs, Pineapple Shrimp (pineapple fruit with shrimp) and Garlic Squid Adobo.
Veranda Restaurant by Skylight Hotel is located at 210 A. Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Palawan Honey Kolsch Beer at Palaweno Brewery. Photo by author
9. Palaweño Brewery
If you’re a beer-lover, you’ll want to pass by Palaweño Brewery, the first and currently the only craft beer brewery in Palawan. They serve a line-up of craft beers named Ayahay, a local slang term for chill or relax.
Palaweño Brewery produces five core brews and a few seasonal brews that make use of locally sourced ingredients and flavors unique to the island, including Palawan honey, chili, mangoes, coconuts and more. This includes Ambog Ale, Palawan Wit, Honey Kolsch, Ayahay IPA and Honey Nut Brown Ale.
Tap Room, next to the brewery, is an intimate spot to enjoy a few bottles of their craft beers or a beer flight sampler of their beers on tap. Read more here.
Palaweño Brewery is located at 82 Manalo Street, Puerto Princesa City. Open Monday to Saturday from 1 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Pizza from McCoy's Pizza House. Photo by author
10. McCoy’s Pizza House
For those craving good comfort food, McCoy’s Pizza House is considered the best pizzeria in Puerto Princesa City. This fastfood joint that’s popular with locals, serves brick-oven pizza, pasta, oven-roasted chicken, mojos and steak and more. Because of the resto’s location near the airport, McCoy’s Pizza House is a good stop for a heavy snack or light dinner before your flight back home.
McCoys Pizza House is located at 20 National Highway San Miguel Puerto Princesa City. Open from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
AirAsia has daily flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.
