Antipolo Food Crawl:
8 Delicious Restaurants
to Build a Roadtrip Around

By Shen Mascarinas

Tagaytay, BF Paranaque and Kapitolyo are the usual destinations of road trips with a food adventure agenda. Sure, these areas are all distinct culinary gems with tons of restaurants for various kinds of cravings. But, what’s a true adventure without exploring new grounds?

Take your hunger for delicious food and thirst for new environments to Antipolo. Here are 8 restaurants that will make a road trip absolutely worth it.

8. Balaw Balaw Specialty Restaurant

#16 Dona Justa Subdivision, Manila East Highway Angono, Rizal
(02) 651 0110, 0923 714 4209 | Facebook Page
Open everyday from 10am to 10pm
Budget for two – P400

This restaurant not only doubles as a quirky art gallery (aka Instagram spots galore), it’s also a destination for conquering your fears. Aside from serving great Filipino classics amidst lovely interiors, Balaw Balaw is also popular for their exotic dishes. Are you willing to try horse, ants, crickets, beetles and many other unexpected proteins?  It’s definitely not a meal for the weak, but Balaw Balaw is known to transform these peculiar ingredients into winner and memorable dishes.

7. Crescent Moon Café & Studio Pottery

Sapang Buho Road, Barangay Dalig, Antipolo City 1870
(02) 658 3866, 0917 523 2356 | Facebook Page | Website
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 12nn to 2pm for lunch and 2pm to 4pm for merienda
Budget for two – P900

Go on a food adventure and let the creative hands behind this café slash pottery studio take the wheel. Crescent Moon Café’s menu varies according to the freshest ingredients available. Their healthy and refreshing set meals come with their popular alagaw appetizer, soup, main dish, vegetables and their signature suman-mango dessert. Don’t let your food coma keep you from exploring the café’s lovely garden and pottery studio.

6. Yellow Lantern Café

Ground Floor Comodaville Building, 267-269 Sumulong Highway, Mambugan, Antipolo City
(02) 631 5648, (02) 477 4168 | Facebook Page
Open everyday from 10am to 12mn
Budget for two – P900

You went all the way to Antipolo already, so why not treat yourself to a place with a welcoming ambiance, an incredible view and various kinds of comfort food, all washed down with great booze? The answer to that is Yellow Lantern. First-timers should try their ultra-tender Kalderetang Kambing, Sweet and Spicy Spareribs and Churros con Tsokolate.

5. Pinto Art Gallery Café

1 Sierra Madre St., Grand Heights, Antipolo City, Rizal
(02) 697 1015 | Facebook Page
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm
Budget for two – P1200

After you indulge your eyes at the gallery’s gorgeous grounds, satisfy your palate next. The café at Pinto has a short menu, but the selections are well-curated and at least this way, ordering doesn’t have to be a confusing 30-minute process. They have three pasta dishes, three entrees and three desserts. Each order of entrée comes with soup of the day, rice or couscous and dessert. The food is catered by Bizu, so you can expect the same finesse that their fancy patisseries are known for.

Just some examples to get excited about are Shrimp Gnocchi, Herb Crusted Sole and three in one dessert consisting of homemade vanilla ice cream, cheesecake and banana brulee.

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