Where to eat in Legazpi City and Province of Albay that offers the best authentic local cuisine

You don’t spend many hours on a shaky flight or a whole daytime inside a butt – wreaking bus ride only to eat in Mc Donalds when you travel right?  Of course you find the place where locals go. There’s a universal law about that – wherever that gathers the most crowd, it means it has the best taste in town. With this in mind, we prepared a list of the most recommended restaurants where you can eat the best dishes in Albay and be able to have a grasp what is Bicol food culture about.

BEST RESTAURANTS OFFERING AUTHENTIC CUISINE IN LEGAZPI CITY 

First Colonial Grill 

Aside from their signature best seller Tinapa fried rice, there are two must try Bicolano dishes you should order when you get here – the Tinutungang Manok, a chicken dish with coconut milk  and the sili ice cream, a different kind of ice cream with a certain kick of chilli . If you want to try other flavors they have pili, malunggay and kalamansi.

Address:  Albay 1/F Pacific Mall, F. Imperial St. Cor. Circumferential Rd. Legazpi City, Philippines

Camalig Pinangat

Dad’s and Let’s in the town of Camalig are the two most famous restaurants serving the best pinangat which is made of shredded young gabi or taro leaves, shrimps, pork and ginger, wrapped in whole taro leaf and cooked in coconut milk until done.

Another one is tinilmok, the filling is sliced lukadon (young coconut meat) and small shrimps and Bicol express, a fiery dish made of sili (chili) with pork and cooked in gata. You can buy it in bottle frozen or fresh from kitchen.       

Albay Pilinut

Albay and nearby province such is Sorsogon are known for its homegrown premium pilinut.  If you want to know where to buy the best pili nuts, along Rizal St, there are two pasalubong stores that sell the best pili confections:  the Albay Pilinut (Regidor) and Locsin Pilinut near Albay Cathedral church. Among the favorites are the crispy candied pili nuts with honey, roasted and salted pili, mazapan de pili bar (personally recommended to those who love sweets to the max) and butternuts. Other variations are caramelitos, pastillas, pili coated sesame seeds and pili almond crunch.   The price range is between Php80 –Php160 only.

Ravago’s Guinobatan Longganisa

They say for every province you visit in the Philippines, there’s a version of longganisa (sausage) you need to try. In Albay, the best longganisa is in Guinobatan with a distinctive taste - a little sour and salty. This is best paired with a plate of fried rice in the morning for breakfast, though you can eat this during lunch or dinner too. For best taste, you have to dip this in vinegar or any of your condiment choice. You can go to the Guinobatan public market or at Legazpi malls to buy one.         

Small Talk Cafe

Small Talk Café is one of the oldest surviving restaurants in Legazpi that serves authentic Bicol food such as pinangat / laing pasta and pizza, Bicol express pasta made more appetizing with pork, chilli, garlic and alamang.  We heard the one ordered frequently is the fiery Mayon stuffed pizza which is made of laing, Bicol express and Guinobatan longganisa – the ultimate blending of all – Albay delicacies and concoction.

Address: Doña Aurora St, Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines

Balay Cena Una

Balay Cena Una is a restored Spanish ancestral house converted to a restaurant. Their best selling dishes are refreshing Wild fern salad and Prawns in tilmok sauce served over the pinangat inspired pasta cena una.   For hot drinks, it is the tinutungang kape (rice coffee) and for dessert is creme caramel (leche flan).

Other bestsellers are Bruschetta samplers, Tom yum goong, Beef pepper steak or pork medallion in three pepper sauce and English vanilla cheesecake.

Polangui Muscovado / Calamay

Polangui is the sugarcane producing town in Albay known for its Muscovado (locally known as kalamay, sangkaka or panutsa in Tagalog). Muscovado is a type of unrefined brown sugar with a strong honey like flavour and used on a wide scale in baking goods and preparing desserts. The most important thing to know about muscovado sugar is that it is a much healthier option than the refined sugar because of the higher mineral content.


Our personally recommended restaurants where we dined are the Small talk café legazpi city albay and 1st colonial grill legaspi menu

Photo and information credited to:

Department of Tourism
Address: Regional office V
DOT Bldg, Regional Offices Site
Rawis, Legazpi City
Contact num: 4820715 and 4815593

Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office
Address: Albay Tourism Bldg, Albay Astrodome Complex
Capt. F. Aquende Drive, Legazpi City, 4500 Albay, Philippines   
Contact num: 4810250 and 7420241
Email: albaytourism@gmail.com