—
Last updated on March 04, 2023
Although the island of Palawan is not as famous as Boracay for its nightlife, El Nido still has a great choice of restaurants and bars to keep yourself entertained during the warm evenings of your holiday. Loved by tourists, the city is today the liveliest of the island, and prices there are consequently higher than in the rest of the island, though remaining quite affordable for Europeans. Read below to discover the best places of El Nido to have dinner and go out!
RESTAURANTS
The restaurants of El Nido are not very representative of the Philippine cuisine, but they are very varied and allow you to eat well without spending much. From Mexican to Italian restaurants, as well as grilled fish places and vegetarian shops, you will not have trouble finding your ideal restaurant in El Nido. If you are looking for the cheapest restaurants in the city, stay away from the beach and follow locals.
To be sure to eat well, try one of our recommended restaurants:
- The Cadlao Resort and Restaurant: probably the best restaurant in El Nido.
- The V&V Bagels: perfect for breakfast or a quick snack.
- The Lonesome Carabao: a great Mexican restaurant.
- The Marber’s: a beautiful setting, and one of the oldest places in El Nido.
- Atmosphere: a good mix of Asian cuisine.
- Doy’s Grill: delicious fresh grilled fish.
- Altrove: a very good Italian restaurant.
- La Salangane: very nice French food.
- Blue Azul: THE veggie place.
You will notice that some of these restaurants also offer rooms and serve as hotels, but be sure that this does not detract from the quality of their food. If you are looking for more authentic experiences, do not hesitate to try the local specialties sold by street vendors, like the small meat skewers sold for 2 pesos each. The most audacious travellers will enjoy trying the famous grilled chicken feet, a true delight to the Filipinos!
BARS
Most beach bars in El Nido turn into musical bars after dark, providing the perfect setting for a drink to the reggae sound of local bands. Happy hour usually begins around 4pm and ends around 7pm, allowing you to enjoy San Miguel, the most consumed beer in El Nido, for about 30 pesos (about 0.6 usd). El Nido’s laidback evenings are ideal for socializing and chatting with other travellers, or simply relaxing after a busy day.
Here are our favorite bars in El Nido:
- Pukka Bar: a great beach bar for enjoying reggae music.
- Art Café: ideal for live music lovers, and to watch sport events.
- Coco Bar: good music, good atmosphere, and right on the beach.
- Sava Beach Bar: opened in 2016, this bar makes the best cocktails in El Nido!
- Republica Sunset Bar: the best place in Corong Corong to watch the sunset.
- Blue Karrot: a laidback place to enjoy good (and cheap) local food and listen to reggae music every night of the week.
- Balay Tubay: one of El Nido expats favorite!
PARTYING AND CLUBBING
Are you more of a trendy nightclubs lover? Be aware that this is not really the style of El Nido, and that you will have to settle for the hippie bars of the seaside!
