Visiting Cebu

Staying at a Resort on Mactan Island

The resorts tend to be self contained and most include entertainment during evening dining, but both the menu and the entertainment are generally only good for a few nites before most of us will want some variety. The restaurant choice on Mactan Island is somewhat limited and traveling to mainland Cebu each nite for a new dining experience and entrainment can become too much of an effort. Few people think of visiting the other resorts on the island that offer alternative first class cuisine. Here is a selection of what is avaialbe:

Plantation Bay Resort – Seafood – The Fiji Restaurant is a small restaurant built out over a small cliff overlooking the sea, has a very rustic and Mediterranean feel to it. They serve a mixture of seafood, and also some Japanese choices such as sashimi and sushi.

Maribago Bluwater – Seafood – Considered by many as the best Seafood restaurant on Mactan. As with all the other seafood restaurants this one is also built out into the sea. The menu is relatively limited, with few appetizer options but the seafood is top notch and well prepared.

Shangri-La – Seafood – Known as The Cowries is a beautiful restaurant is a must when in Cebu no matter where you are staying. Built out on a cliff overlooking the sea below Cowries offers you a perfect venue for a romantic fresh seafood dinner. The set menu is 1,500 Pesos which includes a variety of choices. The restaurant is open from 6pm – 10pm and the bar which is adjacent opens from around 10pm – 1am. Reservations are highly recommended.

Shangri-La – Chinese – One of only a few Chinese restaurants on Mactan. Open lunch and dinner from 12am-2:30 pm and 6-10:30 pm respectively. Only a la carte is served.

White Sands – General – The lunch buffet for 299 Pesos is very good value and highly recommended. The buffet comprises of some Japanese sashimi, sushi and also some local dishes. The reason we recommend this restaurant is it is right on the beach and hence one of the few beach side restaurants we could find. Travelling so far and not eating in a beach side restaurant would be a terrible shame. Presently only open for lunch but they may even for dinner which would be great, but more as we hear of it.

Plantation Bay Resort – General – Kilmanjaro is built out into the middle of the lagoon which gives it an unusual look and feel. The food served is Asian and International. They even have netting all around the restaurant so as to keep any unwanted insects out. This is open 24 hours a day.

Shangri-La – Italian – A large Italian restaurant with an open air design and “fun” Italian style to it is definitely worth a visit. They have an open fire wood oven, and the chef is Italian. The restaurant is normally only open in the evenings from 6 to around 10:30 pm. Prices are not too bad with an appetizer ranging from 350/400 Pesos and a Calzone Pizza 440 Pesos.

Plantation Bay Resort – Italian – Considered by many as the best Italian on Mactan, this indoor Italian restaurant has an intimate fine dining feel to it. The prices are good with appetizers around 220/300 Pesos, a Pasta dish 340 Pesos and a and a bottle of the house wine 690 Pesos. The restaurant is only open in the evening and from 7 – 11 pm and reservations are recommended.