A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Looking for the best coffee shops and bar crawl spots in Poblacion, Makati?
Whether you want to start your day with a perfectly brewed cup of coffee or are planning a night out filled with beer, wine or craft cocktails, Poblacion has become one of Metro Manila’s top destinations for café hopping and nightlife.
When I’m not traveling, I like eating out and trying different restaurants in the city. One of my self-imposed personal side quests is to visit and dine in the oldest restaurants in Metro Manila that are still operating today. It just felt like a fun thing to do since a lot of older establishments are overlooked compared to the trendy new spots.
Below are just some of the oldest food establishments established in Metro Manila, including the oldest restaurants and oldest bakeries (some of which have cafes) where you can dine or buy food in Metro Manila. For the purposes of this list, I limited it to establishments that are more than 50 years old and the ones where I have personally eaten or visited.
Continue reading “Oldest restaurants and bakeries in Metro Manila”Intramuros, the historic walled city of Manila, is one of the country’s top destinations for international tourists and locals alike. While most tourists visit mainly for the churches, museums, and historical sites, some dining spots also offer unique destinations to grab a bite or drink in between all that sightseeing.
Along with classic restaurants serving Filipino-Spanish cuisine, a few new cafes have popped up in the past few years, giving locals a reason to revisit.
Here’s an ultimate guide to the classic and new restaurants in Intramuros currently operational as of May 2025.
Continue reading “Where to eat in Intramuros: Classic and new cafes to visit in Manila”La Rosa Vino, a premium wine shop in Quezon City, recently held the third run of their annual Wine and Food Hop, a unique food crawl with curated wines and delicious bites in several establishments along Maginhawa Street, QC’s famous food and arts district.
Where’s the best place to get halo-halo in Manila? When summer temperatures sizzle, thoughts often turn to cool drinks and refreshments like halo-halo. This famous Filipino dessert is a delightful mix of crushed ice, sweetened fruits, ube, leche flan, and a drizzle of evaporated milk, leading to a burst of flavors and textures in every bite.
Maginhawa Street in Quezon City has a LOT of restaurants to pick from. You could spend a day food-tripping here with different themes. You can find everything from budget-friendly eats catering to students, garden restos ideal for dates, vegan fare, Southeast Asian street food, classic Filipino restaurants, and more.
The Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) is currently the only water-based transportation in Metro Manila that plies the length of the Pasig River and parts of the Marikina River. As of January 2025, the alternative transport option remains FREE to ride for all passengers. The ferry, similar to a water bus, cruises along Pasig River from Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City to Escolta in Manila City.
If you’re looking for a different mode of transport for urban exploration, this commuter ferry has stations in Pasig, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Manila. While work needs to be done along the riverbanks in many areas, the ferry offers a glimpse of local life and offers a view of notable landmarks from a tourist’s perspective.
Continue reading “GUIDE: 2025 Pasig River Ferry Service route map, schedules, timetable & landmarks”What’s new in Maginhawa? This foodie street in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City is well-known as an Arts and Food Hub, with small start-ups, family-run establishments, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and unique concepts that have evolved over the years. Some favorite establishments closed amid the pandemic, while loads of new cafes and restos have popped up.
If you use public transportation in Metro Manila, you probably already own a beep card. These stored value cards can be used to pay fare in Metro Manila’s 3 elevated railways – the LRT, LRT-2, MRT-3, point-to-point (P2P) buses, modern PUVs and Cebu ferries.
Going cashless saves you the hassle of lining up every time to get a ticket and saves you a bit on fare compared to using single-journey tickets. These cards can also be used to pay for transactions in some convenience stores and LRT-1 stalls.
Continue reading “Where to buy limited edition Beep cards with Philippine designs”If you’re looking for something new to do in Metro Manila aside from visiting malls, why not explore museums? Whether you’re on a museum date with friends or exploring solo, there are many notable museums around Metro Manila worth your time. Some of these are completely free to visit.
Here’s a reference list of museums in Metro Manila for those who want to learn more about history, culture, or appreciate art. I’ve included their location, business hours and entrance fees if any.
Continue reading “Metro Manila Museum Guide | Locations, hours, fees & discounted ticket booking”
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