One of the most Easterly of the Philippine islands, Siargao is a little-known haven where surfers head for dreamy longboard waves, travellers go to relax and find the tranquility which can be harder to find in this archipelago of 7,000 islands.

With Fab having visited the Philippines earlier this year, he suggested we head straight to this idyllic slice of heaven to kick back, spend some - read, lots - of time surfing, eating delicious food and meeting new people. Keen as ever to get stuck in, we’ve been here for 3 weeks and never want to leave!

We’ve explored the whole island, had countless dinners with locals, cooked some of our own cuisine for them, made surf buddies and tried all the new foods we can. So, I thought I’d put together a little list of some of our favourite spots to eat here in Siargao - not only for you, but so that I can also relive these meals again and again.

General Luna

The sweet, small main town of this island, and the main place that people head when they step off the boat or plane. Called ‘GL’ by locals, this consists of one main road and a myriad of small lanes, containing smaller eateries, homes and hostels. We have been based here for the majority of our stay, and have checked out many a menu, preferring to eat more Filipino food and avoid the western influences.

Places to Eat

BBQ that our friend Rafa showed us - with no idea of the name, here you can choose your raw meat, slap it onto a BBQ right there in the street and a lady will baste it with spicy, tomato vinegar - which you can’t knock until you try. With a selection of pork, half a chicken, intestines, butt and many others, you head upstairs and ask for their beautiful sticky rice, more amazing vinegar chilli sauce and shovel with your hands. Trust me, even as a non-meat lover, this is amazing.

Yeah Yeah Taco - we’d already eaten burritos at Miguelito’s taqueria earlier in our stay, but we took ourselves on a little date night later on, stopping at lots of different places for drinks and snacks and DMCs… Just what I love! We stopped for tacos because our other suggestion was actually closed, and have zero regrets! We ordered two veggie and two fish soft tacos to share, with lots of additional hot sauce (which is actually super spicy) and they were so delicious. With a whole heap of toppings and tacos made fresh, right in front of your eyes, they are amazing value - plus I’m salivating just writing this.

Azuete - for a more western take on the traditional Filipino BBQ (sauce on the tables, cutlery on offer, vegetables and fish available) Azuete was perfect. We shared chicken, mahimahi, eggplant salad, veggie skewers and had a feast. The beer is cheap, the portions are huge and it’s all fresh - what more could you ask for?

Greenhouse - on our first morning, walking back from Cloud 9 after our first surf at Jacking Horse, we stopped here for brekkie and coffee on the recommendation of our AirBnb host. Although it was a little more expensive, we both ordered local coffee, Fab ordered the special which was mango chutney, eggs, fresh coconut and curried pineapple on homemade flatbread, and I ordered the coconut, cinnamon and mango rice pudding porridge mix which was incredible. Would 100% recommend for your more western fix, with local twist - it’s also attached to the Kudo Surf shop, so you can stock up on your wax etc. while you’re there.

Shaka - famous in GL for a reason, these smoothie bowls are huge, delicious and so so nutritious. Even the local surfers love it here, as you can get a bowl and coffee for 300 pesos - and considering the amount of fruit and granola they use, this is totally worth it. We also tried their banana bread pre-afternoon surf, and this was so delicious, made with dates, walnuts and dark rye flour. Laiden with fresh banana and chia seeds, it was perfect for that hit of energy before a two-hour paddle at Jacking Horse! We had some great bowls at Offshore Cafe at Cloud 9, but the view is so much nicer at Shaka, not to mention set away from the main road.

Taste of Home - wandering around the town, we stumbled upon this little local woven hut and ordered fluffy caramelised banana pancakes, as well as delicious fried eggs which were served with rice and spicy chilli sauce - classic Filipino style.

Little Local Places like Tuna on D’Road - at lots of the small fruit market stalls, they cover a table in endless different silver dishes, and although it’s not always super clear what is actually in each pot, you can point and choose the foods that you’d like to add to your place. We were skeptical at first, but these local offerings can be so delicious! At lunch and dinner time, they also tend to offer a BBQ option for that sweet protein hit and portion of char.

Loose Keys - if you know, you know. I feel like ceviche isn’t celebrated enough in the UK - it’s such a flavour hit, so tasty and so simple! So, head to Loose Keys for the best ceviche and Filipino version called ‘kinilaw’ we came across in our whole time there. I’d recommend ordering the General Luna bowl, which includes fresh catch of the day, aubergine salad, sweet potato sticks, yummy rice and is so filling. The waiters are cool, offer great service and chat, speedy wifi as well as a great cocktail selection and happy hour 6-7.

Kook Cafe - another one recommended by our Aussie AirBnb host, this is pricey but delicious. We ordered the soft scrambled egg with mozzarella on homemade bread, as well as a mango smoothie bowl with lots of granola. Perfect to share, getting a savoury and a sweet, and big portions. The only flaw was both their wifi and bathroom were out of use - which I guess can’t be helped on an island this small!

Gelato Siargao - on the way towards the town, we walked to this gelateria late one night when we first craved a little something sweet. Taking our time to decide which flavours would work best together (true queens of ice cream,) Fab opted for the salted caramel oreo and tiramisu, while I chose the mango float flavour. If you don’t know, mango float is a big thing here in the Philippines, and is basically graham crackers, condensed milk and mango layered over and over again into a big tiramisu-style dessert. It’s incredibly sweet and so delicious!

Crepe - We only came here in search of another pre-surf energy boost, but decided on the banana bread and a carrot, orange and pineapple juice. Pretty average but also pretty tasty.

Bravo - The host of probably my favourite party in Siargao, Bravo has an effortless pool-party vibe. We only had drinks (we were recommended by some friends to order the 70 peso ‘Bravo special Pomada’ and just trust that it would be delicious… And it was. Maybe 5 later, I was a little bit smashed. We also came here for dessert and chose the banoffee cheesecake which was lush.

Kermit - We decided to go upscale and treat ourselves on our final date night, starting with happy hour (two for one frozen margaritas? YES please) and moving on to a pizza with fresh truffle, artichoke and garlic oil to dip. When we first visited for happy hour with more of a rum and coke vibe, I wasn’t sure about Kermit, but it’s actually a lovely place to have drinks with friends - you’re very likely to bump into people here - and have a lovely candlelit dinner.

Emilia’s seafood - Told by our local friend that this is delicious, authentic and truly fresh seafood, we met here for our final group meal. I ordered the fish in sate sauce, and Fab went for the oyster sauce. We were a little taken aback to find that the fish was fried, but that didn’t take away from the freshness and deliciousness of the ingredients. We headed to the little dessert hut after for our fix of mango float - order one small tupperware, three spoons and this is the perfect way to end a little friend date night.

Party Party!

What’s a trip to GL without a party, hey!? Not that we intended to get too drunk whilst we stayed here, it was almost impossible to avoid an invitation to a party, happy hour or dinner that escalated into drunken chats and dancing. Here’s a short little round-up of where we discovered…

La Santa - Tuesday & Thursday nights, hot, busy, aussie, sweaty. Invited by our friend who is sponsored by them, the free Sangria was definitely a perk of the evening.

Rumbar - Monday night, super cheap but cringey DJ!

La Marie - Sunday night, DJ set. Invited by our friend who worked there, they have a pool

Nomad - every night, shisha & drinks, good for meeting other travellers

Kermit - seemingly the place to be, set back a little from the main road. They offer happy hour 6-7 and all night Friday on their frozen cocktails. I can 100% recommend the maragarita, and their pizzas also looked insane!

Bravo - as I mentioned, perhaps my favourite party in my whole time in Siargao. We bumped into plenty of our friends, the music wasn’t too loud to talk, hosted relaxed beats, flaming coconuts, ya know. The drinks were cheap and delicious, and a good time was had by all… As in, Fab had to drag me home.

Loose Keys - Cool to eat and chill, but also offering DJ sessions - check their instagram for what’s happening.