El Nido guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in El Nido, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Food in El Nido is built around fresh fish and seafood, grilled meat, rice and Filipino dishes, with pizza, pasta and cafe food aimed at visitors. Wikivoyage lists places such as Art Cafe on Sirena Street, a few Italian and European-style kitchens and simple Filipino eateries on the main street, but it does not describe vegetarian or Jain menus, and our check found no restaurant we could confirm as fully vegetarian or Jain, though Aubrie's, Taste El Nido and Ver De are listed as fully vegan and Ashoka and New Deli by Kashmir serve Indian food with vegan options.
Wikivoyage mentions an English-style curry house on the highway between Taytay and El Nido that serves chicken, beef and vegan curries. We could not confirm whether it is still open or what its menu now looks like, so do not rely on it without checking. No restaurant here is tagged as pure vegetarian or Jain on this site.
If you are vegetarian or Jain, plan to manage the diet yourself. Ask for steamed rice, vegetable stir-fries, fried or steamed eggs if you eat them, tofu, fruit and salads, and ask whether the sauces and stocks use fish sauce or shrimp paste, which are common in Filipino cooking. Bring dry snacks and ready-to-eat items from home, and tell your hotel or boat operator your needs well before the trip, because the island-hopping lunch is usually grilled fish and meat. Island resorts can sometimes arrange special meals if you ask in writing in advance.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
1 Rizal Street, Buena Suerte (Barangay 2), El Nido town
A casual falafel shop at 1 Rizal Street in El Nido town, known for falafel wraps with tahini and chilli sauce. It is a quick, inexpensive stop with mostly outdoor seating.
Serena Street, towards the pier, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido town
A long-listed cafe on Serena Street serving seafood, salads, steaks, pizza, spaghetti, homemade bread, cakes and fruit shakes. HappyCow notes it can adapt vegan dishes.
Turn at Midtown Bakery, San Joaquin Street, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido town
An Indian restaurant off San Joaquin Street with a separate vegetarian menu, much of which can be made vegan on request. It is the most consistently recommended Indian kitchen in El Nido town.
2 Town Square Boulevard, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido town
A fully vegan restaurant on Town Square Boulevard with sea views, serving wraps, bowls, noodles, pizza and a bourbon burger. Spinach states that everything on the menu is vegan.
Calle Hama, Barangay Masagana, El Nido town
A two-floor Thai restaurant on Calle Hama in El Nido town, named by Girl on a Zebra and Getting Stamped for pad thai, curries and satay, with views over the beach.
G. Del Pilar Street, corner of Calle Hama, El Nido town
A casual Indian restaurant in El Nido town, at the corner of G. Del Pilar Street and Calle Hama, with dal, chana masala and vegetable biryani on the list. Portions are described as generous.
Pops District, Barangay Corong Corong, El Nido
A cosy cafe in Corong Corong, near the beach, open from early morning. Tofu scramble, smoothie bowls and vegan pancakes are the dishes reviewers mention.
Amboy Street, near Amakan hostel, El Nido town
A cafe and bakery on Amboy Street that Wikivoyage lists for coffee, breakfasts and an in-house bakery of cakes, pastries, cookies and bread. Its entry dates from 2019.
Sitio Caalan, Barangay Masagana, just outside El Nido town
The beachfront restaurant at Cadlao Resort, a short way outside El Nido town, listed by El Nido Tourism as probably the best in town and by Getting Stamped for international dishes.
Serena Street, Buena Suerte (Barangay 2), El Nido town
A Greek restaurant on Serena Street with outdoor seating near the beach, open from breakfast until late. Hummus, salads and pasta give vegetarians a few options.
Serena Street, on the seafront, El Nido town
A seafront Mediterranean beach bar on Serena Street with clearly labelled vegan dishes such as hummus, falafel and salads, alongside fish and cocktails. It hosts games and themed nights.
Unit 64, Vanilla Beach, Sitio Maremegmeg, Corong-Corong, El Nido
A cafe at Vanilla Beach in Corong-Corong serving a hummus platter, a banana blossom sandwich, beetroot dip, wraps and bowls with edamame, plus vegan smoothie bowls.
Buena Suerte (Barangay 2), near Calle Hama, El Nido town
A small local grill in El Nido town that Girl on a Zebra and Getting Stamped both name for Filipino home-style seafood and pork dishes, with a strong review score on Wanderlog.
Sitio Uno, Lio Estate, north of El Nido town, Palawan
A casual Indian curry restaurant at Lio Estate, north of El Nido town, with outdoor seating and a short list of clearly marked vegan dishes. Prices are listed as reasonable.
Inside Lio Beach Estate, Lio Beach, north of El Nido town
A plant-based restaurant inside Lio Beach Estate serving Filipino-style dishes such as mushroom sisig and kare-kare, plus noodles, salads, rice bowls and coffee.
Nacpan Beach pier, about 17 km north of El Nido town
A Western-style beach bar and restaurant on the Nacpan Beach pier, open from breakfast to late evening, with a separate short vegan menu. It suits a day at Nacpan more than a town dinner.
Serena Street, Buena Suerte (Barangay 2), El Nido town
A small cafe on Serena Street in El Nido town known for build-your-own bowls, falafel and tofu, with vegan dishes marked on the menu. Spinach lists it at a mid-range price.
1028 Rizal Street, El Nido town
A small plant-based cafe on Rizal Street serving wraps, smoothie bowls and iced coffee with oat or soya milk. One travel writer describes it as fully vegan.
Calle Hama, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido town
An Italian restaurant on Calle Hama in El Nido town, named for its brick-oven pizza by Wikivoyage and several guides, with pasta and steaks on the menu as well.
Rizal Street, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido town
A plant-based restaurant on Rizal Street with a long menu of burgers, pasta, bowls, seitan steak and a bang bang tofu starter. Spinach says everything on the menu is vegan.
