5 Best Restaurants in Boracay, Philippines

Serving arguably the best Italian food on Boracay, Aria also enjoys one of the best locations, at the beach end of D'Mall. There are several tables inside the small but modern, elegant dining room, but an altogether better experience is to be had at one of the al fresco tables on the sand, beneath the palm trees—especially at sunset, which puts on a show most nights. The food is as authentic as if you were halfway around the world in Naples or Milan: the cotoletta alla Milanese and gamberoni al forno are excellent, as are the fresh pasta dishes. But the stars are the filling and flavorsome pizzas, cooked in a wood-fired oven. The homemade focaccia bread from the same oven is another standout.

Along the beach road, you can watch the famous Boracay sunset at any number of establishments, but this place adds a touch of sophistication that many neighbors lack. Chef Joshua Sacapaño Boutwood learned his craft working in many of Europe's top restaurants, and now he brings his talents home to Boracay, blending modern European and Asian styles to create a delicate and mouthwatering array of flavors. The minimalist all-white interior allows your mind to focus on the food, where the accent is placed on producing the finest cuisine using local and sustainable ingredients wherever possible. If you can't make your mind up, opt for the eight-course tasting menu.

Set back away from White Beach and its wall-to-wall string of glitzy but not always reliable European-influenced restaurants, the small and friendly Bay Leaf Café offers up a surprisingly rare find on Boracay: authentic Filipino food. With only a handful of tables in the light-colored, brightly lit café, the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Several regional specialties appear on the menu, and the excellent house signature dish, adobo (marinated, then twice-cooked pork or chicken), is a classic.

D'Talipapa is not so much a restaurant as a seafood market surrounded by restaurants. Buy your own dinner here from one of the market stalls—anything the tropical seas have to offer is usually available, from clams, crab, and grouper to lobster, tuna, and many other brightly colored fish you may never have even heard of, let alone sampled. Then take your catch of the day to any of the surrounding restaurants, and for a small fee they will cook it up for you and serve it in any style you and the chef agree is best. The atmosphere is lively and convivial, and patrons often hang out at long tables swapping stories and cooking tips.

The café is one of the friendliest and best dining values on the island, earning it a loyal local following. Mediterranean specialties include such dishes as thyme-roasted chicken with potatoes, but lighter fare, including sandwiches, is also available. Those with a sweet tooth should consider the excellent tiramisu or the rich carrot cake. Better still is the homemade lemon tart, which enjoys legendary status on the island.