Where to Eat in Baler Aurora: 12 Best Restaurants, Seafood, Bars, Beachfront

12. Yellow Fin Bar and Grill

Photo by Yellow Fin Bar and Grill

Yellow Fin is a popular late-night bar and grill located in Buton Street, Baler, just 12m away from Sabang Beach. The open-air restaurant stands in a two-story building and serves local Filipino dishes, bar chow, and grilled food. They specialize in fresh seafood grilled over hot charcoals, with the grilled 'bangkulis' (yellow finfish) and squid as crowd favorites served with a side of rice and soy dipping sauce.

Photo by Yellow Fin Bar and Grill

Other house specialties include grilled pork chops and Hungarian sausage. The 'pako' (fiddlehead fern) salad has tomatoes, onions, and salted eggs with bagoong (fermented fish sauce). They have an extensive list of alcoholic beverages such as local beer, whisky, and tequila. 

11. Charlie Does

Photo by Charlie Does

Charlie Does is a charming cafe and surf shop that serves delicious vegetarian meals. It is a popular place to soak in the local vibe among a community of like-minded individuals interested in surfing, yoga, and a plant-based diet. A house favorite is the Mushroom Tapa, a plant-based version of the popular Filipino breakfast staple usually marinated with beef strips.

Photo by Charlie Does

Their Charlie Does Anytime Breakfast is a filling meal consisting of vegan eggs, vegan sausage, toasted bread, and tomatoes with mushrooms and cabbage on the side. Other popular options include locally sourced coffee, artisanal craft beer, and desserts such as homemade ice cream and coconut scones with seasonal homemade jam. 

10. Dogtown Collective

Photo by Gagay's in Dogtown Collective

This al fresco food court is a dog-friendly food park located on Alley Two, Buton Street, a stone’s throw away from the beach. It houses several food stalls and hosts regular pop-ups with local artists and foodies selling various handmade crafts, surfboards, and local goods.

Photo by Dogtown Collective

Visitors looking for delicious baked treats and comfort food go to Gagay’s for their buttery cinnamon rolls, rich chocolate fudge brownies, ice coffee, and Thai chicken wings. Those on a plant-based diet go to Halle’s Kitchen for their vegan burger, pasta meals, and craft beer, while Kai Smoothies is known for its delicious smoothie bowls. 

9. The Rotunda Cafe & Artspace

Photo by The Rotunda Cafe & Artspace

The Rotunda Cafe is an alfresco art space and Filipino restaurant located along Alley Two in Barangay Sabang. At night, it transforms into a dynamic place that occasionally holds an open mike stage for all types of musicians. They are known for serving handcrafted cocktails with fun tropical names like Baler Baby, the Mermaid, and the Sabang Sunrise.

Photo by The Rotunda Cafe & Artspace

Local beers and spirits are best enjoyed with local street food favorites such as fishballs, 'kikiam' (sausage-shaped mini meat rolls), and squid ball platters During the day, it is a great place to enjoy pour-over coffee and rice meals like adobo (soy-marinated pork), tapa (marinated beef strips, and the crowd favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala.  

8. Port Tavern

Photo by Port Tavern

Located next to a fish port along the Pacific Ocean, Port Tavern faces the western coast, making it one of the few bars in Baler with a sunset view. It offers a great vantage point to marvel at the sky’s changing colors while sipping cocktails for a nightcap by the shore.

Photo by Port Tavern

This sunset bar and restaurant is inside the Seasta Beach Resort in Sitio Cemento, Barangay Zabali, and serves delicious seafood, grilled meats, Filipino rice pairings, pasta, burgers, and beer matches like sizzling sisig (pork mince on a sizzling platter) and calamares (deep-fried squid rings). It has a pool table and dartboard for visitors looking to unwind while nursing a cold bottle of beer or cocktail from the bar. 

7. Timog Coffee Baler 

Photo by Timog Coffee Baler

Another sought-after cafe along the Buton Street district is Timog Coffee in Surf House Baler. Located on Alley Two near Sabang Beach, this alfresco cafe is known for its laid-back beach vibe and tropical charm. With its wooden facade and surfboards are strewn around the property, visitors are free to kick back and chill out while enjoying coffee. Their house specialties include the Paco Taco, Timog Beef rice bowl, and Signature Paco salad.

Photo by Timog Coffee Baler

A crowd favorite is the Buhos, their version of the Boodle Fight. It is a rice meal consisting of an array of Filipino viands such as barbecue pork belly, fish kebab, chicken wings, vegetables, and fruits served on top of a banana leaf. It is meant to be shared with a large group and preferably eaten by hand or kamayan-style. 

6. The Good Food 

Photo by The Good Food

Budget-conscious travelers looking for great-tasting meals will find it at Good Food, another must-try casual diner along the popular Buton Street area. Their menu consists of Filipino rice pairings, pasta, grilled meats, burgers, and Mexican favorites with the local twist, all of which are served fresh without artificial additives, extenders, or MSG.

The open-air restaurant is known for quick bites like the Beef Taco, Chicken Quesadilla, Tofu Burritos, and homemade Potato chips. Other local favorites include seared blue marlin or mahi-mahi grilled over coals, ‘sinuglaw’ (grilled pork belly with fish ceviche), and burgers made out of pure beef patty made in-house. 

5. Madison’s Cafe

Photo by Madison's Cafe

Located along Quezon Highway in Suklayin, Madison’s Cafe is less than 2KM away from Sabang Beach and offers a selection of pasta, paninis, sandwiches, salads, beverages, and cakes. The Filipino-Italian fusion cafe serves some of the best frappes and iced coffee on the island, perfect for perking up while cooling down from the tropical heat.

Photo by Madison's Cafe

It offers a cozy atmosphere inside the air-conditioned cafe, with mouthwatering sweet treats like cheesecakes displayed in a temperature-controlled cake display counter. Baked sourdough and focaccia bread sell out by the end of the day, so snap them up as soon as they’re available before they run out. 

4. Bayler View Hotel

Photo by Bayler View Hotel

The in-house restaurant in Bayler Hotel offers delicious local favorites, prompting guests staying in other accommodations to visit the hotel just to satisfy their food cravings. Found along Buton Street, the restaurant is located in the main lobby and offers fresh seafood and Asian dishes. Meat-eating first-time visitors should try their boneless crispy 'pata', a decadent deep-fried pork dish that has a satisfying crunch with every bite.

Photo by Bayler View Hotel

It is best paired with rice and a side dish of Pako Salad, fresh wild ferns with salted eggs, onions, tomatoes, and special dressing. Chase it down with some fresh coconut juice served in a shell, and then try the house specialty dessert, Chocnut Turon ala mode (deep-fried banana wrapped in a thin pastry layer) to cap off a satisfying meal. 

3. Sonia’s at Surfer's Garden

Photo by Sonia's at Surfer's Garden

Sonia’s at Surfer’s Garden is a quaint little alfresco restaurant and bar at the center of a coconut forest. Found in Purok 1 on Barangay Buhangin, some navigational skills are needed to spot the place, but the effort is well worth the trip. The ‘nipa’ kitchen serves local breakfast and dinner staples as well as delicious cocktails.

Photo by Sonia's at Surfer's Garden

Try their ‘laing’, a Filipino dish of shredded taro leaves with meat cooked in a coconut cream mixed with lemongrass, garlic, and chili. It comes in pizza form, in a rice bowl, or with bits of 'lechon' (roasted pig) and is their bestselling dish. Other must-try dishes include the Black Rice Champorado (sweet chocolate rice porridge), pancakes, hot 'Tablea' Cocoa (ground roasted cocoa beans), and Sagada Medium roast coffee.  

2. The Beach House at Costa Pacifica

Photo by Costa Pacifica

With its luxurious tropical interiors, outstanding service, and prime seaside location, The Beach House offers one of the best dining experiences in Baler. Located in Buton Street in front of Sabang Beach, it is the in-house restaurant of Costa Pacifica, a premier resort with some of the best accommodations in the area. Try the Breakfast Buffet and dine at the outdoor seating area to enjoy a view of the resort’s swimming pools framed against the scenic Sabang Beachfront and Sierra Madre mountain.

Photo by Costa Pacifica

The menu is an extensive array of international dishes, local favorites, and signature beverages prepared by well-trained staff. They have one of the best wood-fired pizzas in Baler, with the Longganisa (Filipino pork sausage) and Paco (seaweed fern) flavor as the crowd favorite. 

1. Kusina Luntian

Photo by @mhybear

Kusina Luntian is a popular local eatery whose modest hut and simple rustic interiors belies the raving restaurant reviews it gets from visitors. They offer Filipino food with an authentic local experience where dishes are served on top of banana leaves or coconut bowls and food is eaten with your clean, bare hands, without utensils.

A crowd favorite (and Baler must-try) is the Paco (fiddlehead fern) Salad, the perfect side dish to another highly recommended dish: Wapang-wapang na Liempo. It is a pork belly barbecue served with rice and vinegar with chili oil as a dipping sauce. For a sweet ending, try the Nalecheng Biko (sweet sticky rice with caramel custard), while the Calamansi Juice (local lime) on ice is a refreshing thirst quencher in the summer heat. 

Hangout at the Best Baler Aurora Restaurants

Photo by Charlie Does

Baler is known for its beautiful scenery, famous surf spots, and charming beaches near Manila, making it one of the best places to visit in the Philippines. The wide variety of dining options and its laidback coastal charm make it a coveted honeymoon destination. Many vacation packages for couples and Philippine honeymoon packages are available for newlyweds visiting Baler. As long as they meet Philippine travel requirements to tour the Philippines, visitors looking for a beach resort near Manila will find many options that fit their budget. On your next food trip, visit Baler and dine at the best restaurants this surfing town has to offer.