Boracay’s 15 Best Must-Eat Budget Restaurants
Boracay’s restaurant scene is wide ranging. From local Filipino dishes, to European & Mexican food, and lots in between. You’re bound to find places that fit your taste and mood. It’s also a good place to experience a unique seafood shopping + dining experience, which I elaborate on further down below.
That said, on this page I share 15 cheap restaurants that provide great value for money. Once read you should have a good idea about where to go to to get the most bang for your buck.
About Food in Boracay
The food variety on the island is very diverse. You name it, you can probably find it. There is of course local food, but also a lot of international cuisine like Italian, Spanish, Chinese etc.
Apart from that, Boracay is also rich in fresh seafood, which I’ll show you later in this guide.
Prawns with mango sauce on the left and grilled on the right
When you’re on a budget though, the variety of food you can choose from is smaller. But even so, if you know where to eat there are still plenty of tasty food choices left…
That’s why below I’ll show you exactly where to find the 15 best budget restaurants in Boracay – so that you can have a full and satisfied belly, without an empty wallet.
So let’s get started…
Regular Budget Restaurants
Below I list the regular cheap restaurants in Boracay. Their food is tasty and priced affordably.
Viveri’s Cafe
Viveri’s is my number 1 favorite restaurant in Boracay. It’s like eating 4 stars but paying only 2 stars. So especially when you’re on a budget, you’ll love this little resto. It’s truly a hidden gem.
All of their food is excellent so it’s hard to recommend one specific thing. But if I had to, the first thing that comes to mind is “try their fried dumplings”. They’re delicious.
| Cooking Styles: | Filipino, Asian, Italian and pancakes |
| Price Range: | P150 – P200 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | Temporarily Closed |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Viveris-Cafe |
Happy Home
Happy Home is another favorite. It’s located on Bulabog Beach, which is the kite and windsurfing beach. Their meal portions are big, so if you have a strong appetite this is a good place to go. My favorite meal is their chicken or seafood pasta.
| Cooking Styles: | Filipino, various international cuisine and pancakes |
| Price Range: | P100 – P175 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 07:00 am – 07:00 pm, closed during low season |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/happyhome.boracay |
| Phone: | +63 918 227 8076 |
Smoke Resto
Smoke has a few dishes that I really love. These are Beef Mushroom and Kao Pad. They have other good dishes as well, but those two really stand out.
I also like Smoke because of the music they play. It’s pretty good most of the time, and at a good volume. Not too loud and not too soft. Good to get in a party mood.
| Cooking Style: | Filipino |
| Price Range: | P150 – P200 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 24/7 |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Smoke-Resto |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 6014 |
Plato D’Boracay
Plato is the restaurant I go to when I want some peace, as it’s usually pretty quiet inside. I like to go there in the morning when I’m still waking up and don’t want too much fuss around me.
As for food, I love their chicken tinola and grilled chicken. Their chicken tinola is the best I’ve tasted. The onions they put in the soup add a delicious sweetness to the taste.
| Cooking Style: | Filipino |
| Price Range: | P100 – P200 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 24/7 |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Plato-D-Boracay |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 1475 |
El Centro Bistro
El Centro is one of the few budget restaurants right in front of White Beach. It has a good view, and it’s located in a relatively relaxing and peaceful area of Station 2.
I like to go there to eat either french fries, pancit canton (a Filipino dish), or crepes. The crepes are their specialty and a treat. They’re a bit more expensive, but delicious.
| Cooking Styles: | Filipino, french fries and crepes |
| Price Range: | P75 – P200 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 07:00 am – 09:00 pm |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/elcentroresort/ |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 6352 / +63 917 624 6271 |
Munchies
Munchies is a good low to medium budget restaurant. When I go there, I almost always order their Fajitas. Just can’t get enough of them. It’s a big portion, so when you order some extra wraps with the Fajitas it’s an eat for two meal.
| Cooking Styles: | Spanish, Mexican and pizza |
| Price Range: | P150 – P300 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 11:00 am – 2:00 am |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Munchies-Boracay |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 2195 |
Pinoy Delight
The hosts of Pinoy Delight, Dolly and Ben are very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I like to go to this restaurant for the good vibe, and when I want some good quality Filipino food.
| Cooking Styles: | Mostly Filipino, some European and pancakes |
| Price Range: | P100 – P200 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 07:00 am – 22:00 pm |
| Phone: | +63 939 868 1117 |
Seafood at D’Talipapa
If you enjoy eating seafood, then D’Talipapa is not a place you want to miss. Its main attraction is the wet market where you can shop for seafood. After purchasing seafood you can bring it to one of the nearby restaurants, which will then prepare it for you for a reasonable price.
D’Talipapa has about 23 different seafoods to choose from. From lobsters, to different kinds of fish, to oysters. You name it, they have it. I personally love the prawns. And as most of the seafood, prawns are available in several sizes, dead or alive.
Blue Jade Cafe
Blue Jade is my restaurant of choice when it comes to getting seafood down my belly in D’Talipapa. I like that it’s a smaller and more quiet restaurant, and that it has wooden furniture instead of the many plastics that you see everywhere in D’Talipapa.
| Cooking Styles: | Seafood |
| Price Range: | P115 – P280 to get 1 kilo of seafood prepared |
| Opening Hours: | 08:30 am – 09:30 pm |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 5148 |
Snacks & Fast food
I’m not big on fast food, but do like the occasional snack or a good pizza. Below I list the good value for money restaurants that I frequent for that sort of food.
Super Submarine Sandwich Shop
When I’m looking for an easy takeout meal I usually slip by Super Submarine Sandwich Shop. Quick, easy and tasty.
| Price Range: | P80 – P295 per sandwich |
| Opening Hours: | 9:00 am – 11:00 pm |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Submarine-Sandwich-Shop |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 2236 |
Lola’s Pizzeria
Lola offers good quality pizza at a very affordable price. It isn’t the best pizza I’ve ever tasted, but it’s pretty good and for the price it can’t be beat. My favorite is their garlic chicken pizza.
| Price Range: | P100 – P200 per pizza |
| Opening Hours: | 11:00 am – 11:00 pm |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Lolas-Pizza |
| Phone: | +63 917 634 1097 |
Mang Inasal
When you’re out and hungry for some grilled chicken, Inasal is a good choice.
| Cooking Style: | Grilled chicken |
| Price Range: | P60 – P120 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | Mon – Thu: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, Fri – Sun until 11:00 pm |
| Website: | http://www.manginasal.com/menu |
| Phone: | +63 2 854 5692 |
Local Food
The tastiness of Filipino food depends a lot on how well it’s made. A good cook can make Filipino food absolutely mouthwatering, but the opposite is also true and unfortunately not uncommon at carinderias. Carinderias are eateries where traditional local Filipino food is sold.
So to be honest, the cooking quality standard at carinderias generally isn’t that high. That’s why I feel that the food there isn’t as good as it could be – in most cases. But choose the right carinderia, and it can be pretty good.
So to help you on your way I’ve listed some of my favorite local Filipino eating places below…
Jasper’s Eatery
For true local style Filipino food Jasper’s carinderia is my favorite. It’s also a favorite of many locals.
| Cooking Styles: | Filipino |
| Price Range: | P60 – P120 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 6:00 am – 8:00 pm |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Jaspers-Restaurant |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 3435 |
Grilled Chicken Stall
When I’m looking to take out a whole grilled chicken I always go here. I love the taste and crispiness of their chickens.
| Price: | P190 for a whole grilled chicken |
| Opening Hours: | 09:00 am – 22:00 pm |
Pricier but Good
Always eating on a budget is no fun, so I like to splurge on food occasionally. When I do, the restaurants listed below are some of my favorites.
Be aware though: there are still many more restos that fall into this price range. So when you’re not on a low budget, you have a lot of choice for food in Boracay.
Lemoni Café and Restaurant
The main reason why I like to visit Lemoni is because of their cakes. They are delicious and of premium quality. The place also has a nice look to it, as you can see in the above picture.
| Cooking Style: | Cakes and European |
| Price Range: | Starting at P70 for cakes, P150 for breakfast, and P300 for main course |
| Opening Hours: | 07:00 am – 11:00 pm |
| Website: | http://www.lemonicafeboracay.com |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 6781 |
Cyma Greek Taverna
Cyma is a favorite of mine when I have an appetite for steak or lamb. I also enjoy their moussaka.
A fun experience they have is when someone orders flaming cheese. The waiters will then entertain people with huge flames that light up from their frying pan. It startled me when I first experienced it, because the waiter did it right next to me. Any closer and the dish would have to be renamed flaming hair.
| Cooking Style: | Greek |
| Price Range: | Starting at P270 per meal |
| Opening Hours: | 10:00 am – 11:00 pm |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/Cyma-Greek-Taverna |
| Phone: | +63 36 288 4283 |
Restaurants Map
In the map menu (top left icon) you can find a list of all the restaurants on the map. Clicking one will show its picture, description and location.
For more maps visit my dedicated Boracay maps page which includes this map and many more on other subjects.
Conclusion
As you can see Boracay has many different affordable restaurants to choose from – and this guide should have made it a whole lot easier for you to find the best of them.
Bon appétit! 🙂
I have been to the island and have tried several resto that are really good including Kasbah, Dos Mestizos, Tito’s and Fridays! I look forward to be back in that beautiful place this coming month. 🙂
Hi Kristel. Yes they are good also, but they’re not budget restaurants. I will probably publish another guide for the more pricey restaurants like those at another time.
Thanks for this. Me and my boyfriend will go there this september and will be our first time. We hope for a good weather thou. Thanks for the tip! ^_^
You’re welcome Aya, and thanks for your comment
A really helpful blog for a thrifty traveller like me. Any budget place you can recommend as well?
Hi Pam, glad it’s helpful to you. Cocoloco is a very good budget beachfront hotel that I can recommend.
If you like things a little more upscale then Hey Jude South Beach is a good option as well. Both are located in south of Station 3 which is the most beautiful part.
patricks home boracay and alice in wonderland.. very cheap hostel
Thanks heaps for the write up. Hubby & I are visiting in May & from what we’ve been told, the food is something to look forward to. We’re into the budget eats as well, so thanks again for helpful info. D’Talipapa is #1 on our list!!
Thanks Maria, you’re welcome, always good to hear when one of my guides helps someone out.
Thanks on your blog. Me and my Boyfriend are visiting on April in Station 2. This help me a lot.
Glad to hear that Claire, and you’re welcome.
Thanks for the very informative write ups. We are planning to go to Boracay this month. It will really help. 🙂
Great! 🙂
Hi, Paul! I’m a Filipina but it’s my 1st time to visit Boracay on Friday, I’d been looking for a blog like this since I’m looking for a cheaper place to eat. They said everything in Boracay is expensive because of many tourist there. Thank you very much for the information you shared here. I’m glad you love living in that place.
Hi Ann, you’re welcome. That’s exactly why I created this guide, to help people on a smaller budget find their way around Boracay’s restaurants. Good to hear it’s what you were looking for 🙂
About “They said everything in Boracay is expensive”:
Yeah a lot of people like to say that (I see it regularly online), but I feel it’s mostly said by people who have never been here. They seem to be making assumptions based on popular belief. Boracay is not expensive at all in my experience. You can spend a lot if you want of course, but Boracay also accommodates the budget traveler.
This is great! We are going to boracay next week for a vacation. The last time we went at boracay, it takes a lot of time finding where we want to eat.. This is very useful specially when you don’t know where and what to eat due to numerous restos. 🙂
Great, glad it’s useful to you ekai
Thanks for sharing this. I am going to Boracay with my husband and son this coming August. Can’t wait to try the seafood there!
You’re welcome Maya, and thanks for your comment. The seafood market in Boracay is a pretty unique experience, have fun 🙂
This blog will really help us a lot! My boyfriend an I will be there tomorrow, it’s our first time. Hehe thank you so much for this!
You’re welcome Kristine 🙂
Thanks for the list, we’ll be visiting them this coming September. Any recommendations for a romantic, fine dining but not so expensive restaurant near the beach? lol Thanks!
Hi Regina, for affordable romantic dining I recommend Aplaya. It’s an Italian restaurant in Station 2. Their food is good and the place has a good atmosphere.
The resto at Discovery Shores in Station 1 is one of the best fine dining options when cost isn’t a factor.
Hi, how about any Turkish resto?
Try Turkish Kebab BBQ House. It’s in the same road as Viveri’s Cafe in Station 3, so you can use the directions above that go with that resto to find its location.
I bookmarked this blog so I can peep on it when I go to Boracay in two days. This helps a lot.
Wow ^o^ I’ve found some very relevant blog/ideas about different restaurant in Boracay.
Thank you Paul! I’m pretty sure that we will enjoy our staying in Boracay this coming October 28-30.
Hoping that we meet there and say Hi and goodbye also haha 😀 just kidding Thanks Paul 😉 🙂
Greetings! This blog really helps me a lot for my upcoming vacation next month. i keep reading all your blogs about Boracay and it makes me more excited to go. do you have any recommendation for buffet offers in the Island? More powers to you and God bless 🙂
Hi Dianna. great to hear my blog has helped you so much.
About recommended buffets:
I don’t eat a lot at buffets myself so I can’t recommend the best ones to you from experience… But what I do recommend is that you dig to the bottom when taking food from a buffet and that you arrive early. Because the tropical climate here causes food to deteriorate quickly.
Hi Paul
First of all, thanks, for your fantastic e book on Borocay….we have been deciding between Palawan and here, and as we haven’t been to the Philippines before, this info is priceless. I can’t thank you enough!!!! So Borocay it is!!! I wondered if I could pick your brains……we fly into Ninoy, but depart from Clark…any advise on travelling from Ninoy to Clark?
Many thanks….. Justin ????
Hi, Justin, you’re welcome, glad it’s so useful to you.
About travelling from Ninoy to Clark. I once accidentally flew into Clark Airport (bought the wrong ticket) and so I had to travel back from Clark to Manila.
It was challenging to find transport because it was late in the evening, but eventually we found a bus that was scheduled for departure to Manila. The bus ride usually takes about 2 hours, but for us it took a bit less then 1.5 hours because traffic is low in the late evenings.
That’s what I can tell you. I unfortunately don’t have more detailed knowledge about travel to or from Clark.
Thanks Paul this is very helpful for me, since i will, go to Boracay 2 weeks from now .
Thank you so much for this free guide book. Very helpful indeed. Kind regards. Cheers!
You’re welcome Michz. Good to hear it’s helpful to you. Cheers
Hello, I would like to thank all the tips and comments on the cheap restaurants in Boracay. As you all know, not every tourist is willing to spend a lot on time to stay or eat., In the meantime I would like to ask about the security issue on the island, I have seen some disturbing news about robberies of wallets, money and personal belongings during the boat crossing among other inconveniences reported by tourists. What tips would you give to anyone who has never been to the island, there are many beggars on the streets, poverty, things like that.
thanks for your time!
Hi Daniel, you’re welcome.
Regarding the security on the island. Personally I feel very safe in Boracay, more so than in my home country. I’m not sure what you read online, but Boracay is generally a safe place to be. Some crime happens, I hear about it sometimes. But not a lot. I’ve personally never had anything bad happen to me in my years living here.
What I like about Boracay in relation to the above is that people are very friendly here, I hardly see any aggression. Not to say it never happens, but generally it’s a very positive place.
This is great information. My wife and I are going to Boracay next week and this information will be a great help. Thanks again
You’re welcome Ricky. Glad it’s helpful to you 🙂
Hi Paul,
We are here now and glad i stumbled upon your blog. Saved your ebook guide and thank u for that. Reading your posts and think it will be helpful for me.
Thanks a lot. Appreciate it
We will be there in August ,glad to read all this information ,carnt wait to get there ,going from 5/10c to 20/30s will be great
You’re welcome Jeffy and Mike 🙂 Have a good trip