Dining by the ruins

Fillet Mignon. (Reuel John F. Lumawag)
Fillet Mignon. (Reuel John F. Lumawag)

I HAVE always wanted to visit Cafe by the Ruins in Baguio City because I have heard a lot of good things about it.

In a recent trip to Baguio City, I did not hesitate to recommend that we dine here for lunch.

The restaurant has two branches, one along Shuntug road and the other is along the Upper Session road. The branch we visited was the one along Shuntug road which is also their original branch.

The place

Cafe by the Ruins is a beautiful cafe that blends rustic and modern design.

I love its garden at the front. I find it to be really welcoming and sets the mood for your dining experience here.

The restaurant has two floors. The second floor is an open air deck.

The restaurant catered most of its guest in the first floor. It was quite packed when we visited the place.

With Baguio having a cool climate, it is given that it was very cool at the restaurant. Better eat your food fast before it cools down.

Food and beverage

The restaurant serves Western, Filipino, and local dishes. They serve good coffee too. The price of their food, while it can be expensive to some, is worth it because the servings are quite generous.

For our lunch here we ordered the Fillet Mignon (P360), Mama Jean's Bamboo Bowl (P340), Pinikpikan (P340), Baguio Bagnet (P340), and Beef Sinigang (P360). We also tried some of their pastries, the Basil Bread and Camote Bread. I also tried their Ruins Coffee (P80).

The Beef Sinigang and Pinikpikan were really hearty soups. The Pinikpikan is a traditional Cordillera chicken soup with smoked salted pork. While the soup was really good, I find the chicken meat was quite tough.

The Baguio Bagnet is a typical Ilocano meal where the pork belly is double fried. This was one of the most beautifully presented bagnet I have ever seen. Also, it tasted really good.

The Fillet Mignon is a thick slice of tender beef loin wrapped with the cafe's bacon. It also served with sauteed spinach and pan roasted marbled potatoes. The beef we had was tender and I find it to be flavorful.

The best part of the meal was Mama Jean's Bamboo Bowl. It is bamboo shoots topped with steamed chicken, bacon, and shitake mushrooms. The dish was very herbaceous and I enjoyed every spoonful of it.

Their Basil Bread and Camote Bread were also a hit among my companions. Both were really good. My favorite was the Camote Bread.

I also loved the Ruins Coffee, which is arabica coffee steeped with cardamom and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. I just love that spiciness coming from the cardamom.

Service

The service at the Cafe by the Ruins was pretty good. The food was served within 15 minutes as they had promised. I also find the staff to be accommodating. I asked a few questions about the food and they were very much happy to share about it to me.

Bottom line

Overall, it was a pleasant visit at the Cafe by the Ruins. The food and service was good too. I also love the vibe of the place, rustic but modern.

Whenever you visit Baguio City, do drop by at the restaurant and enjoy a serving of one of their delicious dishes.

***

For more articles on my food adventures, visit kapediaries.wordpress.com and follow me on Instagram @kapediaries

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