Cafe By the Ruins: One of the Best Places to Eat in Baguio

When in Baguio I always try to eat at Cafe By the Ruins. Normally, I go to the original one in front of City Hall but then on my recent visit I found that they opened another one at the Upper Session Road which is more spacious.

My friend and sis wanted to try something good and local and so I took them here.

entrance

We had no reservation but we were there a bit early - around 6pm - on a Thursday so it wasn't a problem getting a table. 

ground floor

second floor 

top view from the second floor

I like the overall ambiance of the place. Polished concrete floors, wooden table and chairs with steel legs. There is an open kitchen where you can see your order being cooked and on one side of the dining room was a table where they make their talked about ensaymada.

local dishes with a twist

Shrimp Sotanghon P140

The Sotanghon Soup was good for 1 or 2 (if you're not that hungry).  Good flavor but I think they used too much luya (ginger). 

Kamote Bread P85 (with free herbed cheese) and liver pate P50

I've always loved their Kamote bread. It's soft, sweet but has substance. It's good for 2-3 people. The herbed cheese spread was very good and the liver pate was perfect as well; not too greasy nor does it have a strong aftertaste. Loved this so much that I bought some bread and liver pate for my mom's pasalubong.

Ruin's Bagnet Sinigang P340

The Sinigang was advertised as good for 2 but really it could be shared by 3-4. There were plenty of vegetables which Ana loved. The soup itself was tasty, not too salty and just sour enough. The Bagnet was soft and tender. But really, I couldn't see the point of using Bagnet instead of ordinary pork belly since Bagnet is famous for it being crispy :)

asked for patis and calamansi and got lemons - shala

My absolute favorite dish though is the Spicy Island Shrimp. Just wow.

Spicy Island Shrimp P380

Prawns  was cooked in coconut and spices and served with chili mango chutney and crispy bread (couldn't remember what its called). There were about 5-6 average shrimps. A lit bit expensive but really worth it. The sauce on the shrimps were not that spicy and was creamy. But add that with the chili mango chutney and whew! Loved the combination but it was almost too hot for me - this coming from a person who loves chili sauce. Though the bread was super crispy, you will have to try this with plain rice. Lots of it. Just love this dish.

Ruins Herb Tea P125

First, that kettle is HEAVY. Like a kettle ball :) I like the fact that they didn't use any ordinary kettle. We ordered the Ruins Herb Tea which had infusion of lemon grass and mint leaves served with honey and lemon wedge. The tea was the perfect ending to such a heavy dinner.  The smell was so great. And it was enough for the 3 of us. 

ta-da

Overall :

The ambiance is very good, a place casual enough that you can go in your walking shorts and sandals but nice enough that you can take your date or family. The menu offering is substantial and they have an extensive menu for drinks and tea. The food is mostly Filipino but with some twist or local flavor - not the usual food you get in Filipino restaurants. All of the dishes we've tasted were really good. The service was not too slow. The waiters were attentive and we didn't feel we waited too long for our food to be served.

Final Verdict

Definitely one of the places I will come back to when in Baguio. Food was great but the price is a bit over the average.  However, personally I think its worth it. If you have the chance, don't even think twice and GO!

Cafe By the Ruins Dua
225 Upper Session Road 
Baguio City 
074-4229804

(in front of an elementary school)