Places to Eat in Davao

Go Fruity in Davao

People travel to Davao specifically to eat fruit, so the famed tropical fruit that grows so well there is certainly something that you should try. Most famous for its durian, the spiky, smelly fruit that is either loved or hated, Davao is also known for mangosteen (the queen of fruits, with a purple outside and a snow white inside that splits into pieces that look like cloves of garlic), rambutan (also somewhat spiky, but softer than the durian, and tastes like a lychee) and mangos (everyone knows what a mango is!).

Because of how widespread fruit is in Davao, you don’t have to seek it out to eat it, you just have to walk a little bit and while wandering you will almost certainly stumble upon fruit stall after fruit stall where you will be able to buy the famous produce for a very reasonable price. Fruit season is in the summer, from May to September; this is when the variety will be greatest and when the cost will be lowest.

Filipino Food

After you’ve had your fill of fruit and are needing something a bit more substantial to fill you up you can head to one of Davao’s many good local restaurants. At 1020 Jacinto Extension Road is one of the most popular restaurants in the city where you can get tasty Filipino food. It’s called Rekado Filipino Comfort Cuisine Restaurant and the food you get there like chicken and pork adobo is just like what you would eat if you went to dinner at a Filipino family’s house. You should expect to pay around PHP600 for a dinner for two people. The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Another popular Filipino restaurant in Davao is called Nanay Bebeng Restaurant located in Dona Vicenta Village, but it’s important that you come to this restaurant hungry because it’s a buffet. After paying PHP375 per person, you can eat tasty Filipino food to your heart’s content here, and the variety is wide as well. It’s clean, the service is good and this is one of the best options for local food in town.

Western and International Food

If you’re tired of eating local food and are craving something that you would eat at a dinner in your home country, give Bondi&Bourke Davao a try. Located on 115 Pelayo Street, Bondi&Bourke is a steakhouse and is a good deal more expensive than other restaurants in the city but it’s also the best steak you will have in Davao if not all of the Philippines. There are plenty of things on the menu if you’re not looking for steak as well, including some options for the vegetarian crowd. Expect to pay in the neighbourhood of PHP2500 for two people here, but it’s money well spent.

If you’re interested in trying some of the best Chinese food in Davao, check out Caitlyn’s Dumpling Bar, located at 86 Circumferential Road in the Maori Heights neighbourhood of Davao. Many people say that the dumplings are even better than new you can get in China and they are available for takeaway as well. If you really fall in love with the dumplings, you can take them home frozen as well! If you’re not a dumpling fan, fear not, because there are other typical dim sum items available; think Beef Wonton Noodle Soup and Shrimp Siumai. Xiao Long Bao, or soup dumplings are one of the most popular menu items. Lunch or dinner can be had for PHP300 for two people. The restaurant is open seven days a week and the hours are from 10am to 9pm.