Looking to tap into collective FT wisdom here as there is scant information online in regards to good restaurants in Cebu.

We have a group of about 10, for one of the nights, we've arranged dinner/drinks at Anzani (sp?) but for the other we are looking to do a nice seafood dinner.

The Oyster Bay was recommended to us by the hotel, but are there any other seafood restaurants you would recommend. We would rather stay in the city than head out towards the beach resorts.

Thank you.

I live in Cebu, but sad to say I don't eat much seafood. There used to be a terrific place on Mango ave called City Grill where you could pick a fresh fish and have it grilled up right there. Alas it's closed now.

If you want to do something fancy, you might consider the high-end hotel restaurants such as Cowrie Cove at Shangri-La or The Seas at Movenpick. Those are both on the high end. They are next door to each other in the Punta Engano neighborhood on Mactan island. Maybe $3 to get there by taxi from downtown, very easy and cheap.

If you are feeling a little adventurous (and/or looking for something less expensive) you might consider visiting the Lapu Lapu Shrine, also in the same neighborhood. When you get to the shrine don't go inside, veer off to the left and there are lots of small restaurants with fresh fish you can select for grilling. The hawkers can get a little aggressive there, if you don't want to eat at their restaurant, say "Manah ko kah own" which means "I already ate" and they'll leave you alone. Again, $3 by taxi from the city. Filipinos from Cebu all eat here, bring visitors, etc., and rave about it, but be aware that the experience will be somewhat on the native side.

That's sort of the high and low ends. In the middle, I would take the group to Ayala mall in Cebu, where they have recently opened The Ayala Terraces, which is home to dozens of restaurants. They are all pretty decent and you are bound to find one that you can all agree on. I don't know if there are any seafood-specific restaurants there, but Filipinos eat a lot of seafood so most restaurants have at least some seafood dishes.

Hope that helps....

BTW, I've never heard of The Oyster Bay, but they sure have a nice website. Judging from the photos of the restaurant, the menu and the prices, I would say it seems to be a very good value compared to the average here. Nice atmosphere, reasonable prices, etc.

I might try it myself next time I'm in the city. When is your trip? I'll try to get a report back to you before then.

Jim - thanks for your response. We are here in cebu now and in fact ate at the oyster bay last night. It was great - food and atmosphere was fantastic. Highly recommend if in a large group.

Heya slickalick,

Gosh sorry I missed you. Thanks for the review though, I will definitely give it a try next time I am in the city.

Also, you should consider doing a trip report, we don't get much action here in CEB.

-RJ

A couple of other excellent eating places in Cebu:

Maya Maya Taqueria and Tequila Lounge - Crossroads, Banilad Cebu www.mayacebu.com
Excellent Mexican Food

Michelangelos Italian - Banilad, Cebu
Fantastic italian food, and stone oven pizzas.

Marco Polo Hotel - Cebu City
Fantastic Buffet, with a high quality mix of food

It's about time this fantastic city had some coverage on this forum.
The task set is not easy as you have to have a good nose hunting out high end cuisine Cebu.

For one of my votes, Neo Neo's Grill House
53 Juan Luna Ave - nothing fancy but plenty of bang for your buck here I have never been disappointed. It is worth noting that the restaurant does not stay open so late, need to get there before 9.30 pm

High End
Buffet evening meal at Radisson Blu, if they still have it, get there for the half price buffet, eat like a King for something like US $15. Plus you get to see the 30 feet high marble clad atrium.

Just for the experience
Cook house bakeries found on every corner, sweet pastries absent of strong flavour, it is just hard to believe they have a thriving business selling stuff for less than 1 cent per piece.

< If you take the ferry out to Bohol > try the quay side fayre before you journey home, hot dogs and sweet meats galore washed down with soda, unlikely to set you back much more than $1, Glorious glorious food.

I am a great fan of Cebu.

Yep, I love Cebu but I'm not here for the food. You hit the nail on the head though, you have to work at it to find the good places. You have to judge everything on the Asian scale instead of the European scale (price, service, quality). A few places I like:

In the city: Kaishu Japanese Restaurant. Good sushi and Japanese, kinda out of the way.

In the city: Kiwi Lodge. Nice place to stay and eat both. Cheap rooms compared to the name brand hotels. Run by an Australian.

In the north: Skips Beach Resort. Same deal, stay for a few days and enjoy the beach. Nice kitchen there. This is right near Malapascua but cheaper than the Malapascua resorts. Stay here and make day trips to Malapascua.

In Malapascua: Exotic Dive Resort. Good resort, food and diving operation.

In the south: Marine Village Dive House, Santander (sorry, no URL). They have a great restaurant and scuba diving. They used to be Japanese-owned (I think they still are) so the restaurant is run well. If you are staying the night, do NOT get a "Semi-deluxe" room (across the street in another building), you will be sorry. Spend the extra couple bucks and get the deluxe room.

In the west: Savedra Dive Resort, Moalboal. I honestly don't remember if they have a restaurant, but there are many good ones within walking distance. There's a great pizza place just a few doors down (the one with its own pool).

In Bohol: This one is for divers only. Try to get to Balicasag Island Dive Resort for at least a couple of days. AFAICT, this place is run by the government and the only way to book a package is to call the Dept of Tourism directly. It's weird, but the diving out there is incredible. If you book a package they will pick you up at the ferry terminal (from Cebu) and magically get you to the island. And back again at the end.

Also happy to see coverage on these boards! If anyone wants more detailed info, please do e-mail me.

Agree with the suggestions above especially for the hotel buffets of MArco Polo and the Radisson if you want a big meal.

Also Cafe Georg for healthy comfort food with great flavor and yummy desserts.

Japanese for me would have to be at IT Park , Tajimaya at Crossroads for yakiniku, and Ginza at Old Banilad Road for an infusion of local flavor.

Lots of great Chinese food here too, especial value for a Peking Duck buffet at Grand Majestic, Grand Convention Center and Tin Gow at The Waterfront Hotel if you want more high-end cooking.

And of course no visit to Cebu would be complete without some dried mangoes and a taste of Cebu's lechon- which Anthony Bourdain proclaimed 'best pig in the world.'

Also happy to see coverage on these boards! If anyone wants more detailed info, please do e-mail me.

Agree with the suggestions above especially for the hotel buffets of MArco Polo and the Radisson if you want a big meal.

Also Cafe Georg for healthy comfort food with great flavor and yummy desserts.

Japanese for me would have to be at Chibori in IT Park , Tajimaya at Crossroads for yakiniku, and Ginza at Old Banilad Road for an infusion of local flavor.

Lots of great Chinese food here too, especial value for a Peking Duck buffet at Grand Majestic, Grand Convention Center and Tin Gow at The Waterfront Hotel if you want more high-end cooking.

And of course no visit to Cebu would be complete without some dried mangoes and a taste of Cebu's lechon- which Anthony Bourdain proclaimed 'best pig in the world.'

I really enjoyed Manny O's Wine & Tapas at the Movenpick (ex Hilton). Excellent wine selection, great Wagyu steaks and a burger what they advertised as the "Most expensive burger in the Philippines". The burger was great (about 1000 pesos) and the setting on the end of a small pier in the ocean was fantastic.

Also pay great attention in Cebu, this is only one of hundreds of experiences suffered by travellers in Cebu, http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...ty-TG-C-1.html

I would disagree with the assessment of the quality of the Marco Polo Buffet unless it has changed significantly from August 2011. I ate there with my gf who happens to have a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management and works at the Grand Hyatt Singapore we both agreed that the buffet was at best satisfactory and barely meeting what one should expect given the price charged. Having said that I do admit that it is probably the best "international" buffet that I have eaten in Cebu.

Cebu is like any other major city with or without tourist. There are dangers and one needs to be aware of their surroundings. Just take a look at the crime reports out of NYC, LV, LA, SFO, Paris, London, Munich, Rome, etc.