Best Restaurants in Manila, Asia’s Up-and-Coming Foodie Destination

Asian capitals like Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul have been drawing foodie travelers for years, but mark my words, Manila is the sleeper culinary surprise of the region. A band of Filipino chefs who have trained around the world and returned to Manila are cooking up fusion cuisine in sophisticated settings that rival the best restaurants in London and New York. As one prominent Manila insider recently remarked after an extraordinary meal at the new Helm restaurant in Makati, “It seems that Manila has produced yet another restaurant that can stand on the world stage. So much so that one can pay it the ultimate Pinoy compliment…it’s like you’re not in the Philippines!”

Located in the building that was once Manila’s first International Airport, Blackbird is a favorite of many Manila residents and is one of the hot spots from Scottish-born chef Colin Mackay. He settled here more than 20 years ago and is credited with igniting the city’s fine dining scene with his mini gourmet empire. The terminal from the 1930s, Nielson Tower, sits in the heart of bustling Makati on an oasis of greenery in a sea of skyscrapers. The building’s Art Deco origins have inspired the restaurant’s design, and what was once the arrivals hall is now a bar, while tables fill the former departure lounge and spill outside to what was the airport tarmac. The best seats are upstairs in the former control tower.

The contemporary Asian menu features delicious riffs on Southeast Asian classics, like salt and pepper squid and shrimp with sweet soy and ginger; prawn scotch eggs on betel leaves with coconut chili sambal; and southern Thai seafood curry with coconut, lime and jasmine rice. Save room for desserts like the mango and passionfruit baked Alaska and sticky date pudding, served with a caramel sauce and vanilla seed ice cream.6752 1229 Makati Ave

From Indagare Insider architect Ricardo Cuerva: “Chef Josh Boutwood recently moved his flagship restaurant to a slick new space at Ayala Triangle Gardens, in the heart of Makati. The food, like the interior design has been significantly upgraded since our last visit. The meal starts with a few delectable snacks. Then there are a few standout seafood dishes with clean flavors and various textures. At the midpoint of the meal, he serves his signature bread and butter, which is a mind-blowingly good slice of sourdough with various flavored butters. It’s so good, that I asked for an extra slice to have for breakfast the next day. The meal peaks with a main course of Australian Wagyu and mole which was excellent. The plating is certainly gorgeous. The service is good. The lighting is just right. The vibe is both intentional and a bit fun. Perhaps, where they may have room for improvement is in the optional wine pairing. They served five wines, which I thought were not on the same level as the food. I would choose to serve fewer wines but of higher quality. It seems that Manila has produced yet another restaurant that can stand on the world stage. So much so, that one can pay it the ultimate Pinoy compliment…it’s like you’re not in the Philippines!”3rd Floor, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Ave

From Insider architect Ricardo Cuerva “There's a new restaurant in town called Inatô. It serves Filipino cuisine using both local and global ingredients. The space is lovely, the vibe is convivial and the food is nuanced and superb. It may be my favorite new restaurant. It has only eight counter seats and a small private dining room. Book a seat soon before it becomes impossible to dine there.” 1231 Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati City

Philippine chef Aaron Isip spent many years in Paris, working first for Michelin-starred chef Alain Senderens at L’Apicius, then opening his own restaurants in the City of Light. Almost ten years ago, he was recognized by food arbiters Gault et Millau as an up-and-coming chef, and he lived up to his promise with his first Manila restaurant, Balai Palma, where he melded his French training and techniques with his love for his classic native cuisine. In an atmosphere that felt more like the bohemian residence of a global nomad, he served up ten-course meals of small plates marrying items like scallops and meunière cheese with Spanish ham. In 2024, he decided to expand his Manila footprint with Kasa Palma, a new concept that will be larger than Balai and offer two restaurant concepts in one. The first “kitchen” will continue to offer his ten-course tastings with his beloved mixes like a Pacific sea bream served in hollowed out dragonfruit with crunchy tapioca chips or his dishes served to sip from a seashell. One of his most iconic dishes is his take on the traditional Filipino breakfast staple Tosilog, an egg and bacon sandwich, which he serves spoon-size with foie gras instead of pork. So the city’s foodies and fashionable who embraced his first restaurant in Poblacion with fervor can expect their favorite dishes but his second “kitchen” welcomes more casual diners who can sit at the counter or tables and order a la carte appetizers and mains for a lighter meal. 6042 R Palma, Makati

Named to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant list, Metiz may be one of the toughest reservations to get in Manila, and it has raised plant-based eating to a new level, though it also serves fish and meat dishes. The name derives from the term mestizo, which the Spanish used to designate those of mixed-race European and indigenous heritage. Chef Stephane Duhesme, who is half-French and half-Filipino, trained at restaurants in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong before opening his first restaurant in Bogota. During his time in South America, he became obsessed with fermentation techniques, and the mission for Metiz is “to serve traditional Filipino flavors in non-traditional forms.”

Stepping into the low-ceilinged dining room of Metiz, which opened in 2019, feels like joining a vibrant culinary innovation lab, where a team of dynamic young chefs is experimenting nightly with fermentation, foam and plant-based Philippine ingredients to create eight-course evening menus. The dining area, which is lined with shelves crammed with jars of pickling ingredients, opens right into the kitchen and a constant view of the courses in preparation. As the focus is on seasonal products and Filipino techniques, illustrative dishes are the catfish hito or poached chicken breast in coconut milk and clam sauce. Karrivin Plaza, Ground Floor, Building A, 2316 Chino Roces Ave.

Now a Makati gourmet go-to, Metronome was opened by one of the Philippine’s most celebrated female chefs, Miko Calo, just before the country’s long Covid lockdown. Calo studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before spending many years working at Atelier Joel Robuchon, including opening the famous French chef’s outpost in Singapore. Her first Philippine gourmet foray is a sleek contemporary brasserie, where she serves her modern take on French cuisine. Located in Legazpi Village, the intimate space was designed by Noel Bernardo with teal blue banquettes and an Art Deco-style marble bar. Not only does Calo work with local ingredients but she also highlights artisans like local bakeries (the Daily Knead and Manila Bake) who make mini-baguettes and multigrain sourdough for her bread baskets and the last fine bone china maker in the Philippines who crafted the exquisite sea urchin-shaped bowls to serve her remarkable fresh uni with orzo, uni sabayon and bonito foam as well as the elongated tub that cradles her divine dark chocolate mousse with crème Chantilly. Filipino French fusion at its finest.160 Bolanos, Legazpi Village, Makati