Where to eat: the 10 best restaurants in Samal Island (2024)

The experience i had with this restaurant is one of the best. The food is amazing, the chef/owner is entertaining and knows his job really well and the over-all vibe of the restaurant is perfect for every traveller. You shouldn’t miss this out when you visit Samal.

Experienced a great Mediterranean cuisine.The Chef which is also the owner was very accommodating.Had a great lunch time!I remember him sharing about his first love which was also named 'Rhea,' just like my partner.Caught him crying as he reminisce their past.A must try in Samal!

The owner was accommoding for the customer but somehow there is customer which need some SPACE sometimes, like an introvert one. Well most of their menu is base on Europian dishes and the that's a good thing but somehow, I get disappointed by the owner when I try to order a welldone beef steak but he refuse to, (I try to explain that I don't or we(me and my husband) don't like a not well done beef steak but he don't wanna listen. Well, my husband like the broccoli soup atleast.

We had a rather unpleasant experience in Davao. The owner gave us the impression that he was not welcoming towards our presence. He mentioned that the establishment was primarily focused on fine dining and suggested that there were plenty of other family restaurants available in the area. Furthermore, he indirectly indicated that the prices of their food were on the higher side, giving the impression that it might be beyond our budget. To top it off, he even asked us to halt our tuk-tuks and leave. It would have been preferable if he had approached the situation in a more amicable manner.

Okay, let's face it, Samal island is a beautiful place but it's not a place for foodies. For nice wine and good food it's usually necessary to take the ferry over to Davao.Fortunately, there is Alphonse and Jaqueline's Bahay Kubo, a hidden gem, that is a must for everyone visiting Samal island.This is not your average restaurant, though. It's only open Fri Sat Sun, and it's a labour of love rather than a business.There's no menu, Alphonse will offer you whatever is available, usually some nice choices of different meat and fish dishes, soup and dessert.Whatever will be served to you is not fancy food, this is a simple place on a simple island, but the quality, the prepation and the freshness is simply outstanding.The tuna steak was perfectly cooked and truly divine, the roastbeef melted in your mouth and the beef meatballs with fried potatoes were some of the best i had in Asia,They also boast a nice variety of good value quality wines, mainly from Chile, perfectly chilled, a true godsent in this part of the world.The only downside to Bahay Kubo is the fact that they're only open on the weekends, so we only managed to eat there twice.If you're in Samal on a weekend, no matter where you stay, get yourself to Fernandez Beach (Google maps) and follow the signs, you will not regret it.

One of the best lunch of my life. You have to book as there are limited table. The owner is a very funny guy with a lot of experience as chief. All the products are fresh. Thetefore the menu always changes.

A pleasant surprise in Samal ❤️ Must try! Alfonso the owner is also the menu, he will recommend food depending on whats available in the market ❤️

“Fine dining” in Samal IslandWe were looking for places to eat in Samal and saw this place on google maps.They don’t have a MENU (tried searching online) but starters are P200+ and main courses are P500+.We were put on the spot when we went there because we didn’t know it was fine dining. We paid P1,300 (for 2 people - 2 starters and 2 main courses)The owner said there was no menu but read the available dishes to us. Not a good experience for me because I wanted to decide what I was getting without being pressured and deciding on the spot because he was waiting. There were no prices when he read the food items. We had to ask him and he was rude when he answered.We tried talking to the owner but he was being very sarcastic.Their decor can be updated so it compliments the food prices. We didn’t know that it was fine dining because the place looked old.

Pretty sure they have closed down. I went there last night the restaurant sign has been replaced with private property. Can the owner please update Google to reflect the changes. Thank you.

Fine dining owned and operated by a Swiss chef 👨‍🍳 named Alphonse. Great food with nice ambiance. High-end food.

3PG3+X4V, Samal, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, Philippines•+63 999 663 4703•Bahay Cubo Restaurant and Bar reservations