Where to eat in Boracay? Boracay Philippines isn't just about the most beautiful beaches in the world and the nicest people I've ever met, no, Boracay food is some of the best food I've ever tasted! You're going to be spoilt for choice, so where should you eat in Boracay? Whenever there's a lot of choice, I encourage everyone to try eating vegan - vegan food is healthy, it's good for the planet and (most of all) it's the only type of food that's cruelty-free. If you love animals like me, please don't eat them! ❤
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| Fish are friends, not food :) |
At first look, vegan Boracay looks like it's going to be impossible, with most restaurants and hotels boasting all you can eat seafood and grill buffets, or simply displaying their Lechon Baboy* outside (*a traditional Filipino dish, aka a whole roast pig). But, with A LOT of help from my Filipino friends, I came up with this list of where to eat vegan in Boracay (all of which have non-vegan options too for your less adventurous friends 😘)
Where to Eat in Boracay
1. Subo Boracay: the Only Filipino Restaurant in Boracay
I (and I do hope you'll agree with me) think it's SO important to try local cuisines and visit authentic restaurants when you travel. Granted, it's often harder for vegans, but not impossible (hence this vegan blog). Unfortunately, there is a severe shortage of Filipino restaurants in Boracay. I don't know why but I came up with three theories:
- perhaps it's because Filipino cuisine isn't that well-loved around the world (or more accurately, well known - because if you knew it you'd love it);
- perhaps it's because a lot of the foreign tourists that come to Boracay aren't interested in Filipino cuisine (boo);
- or perhaps it's because a lot of visitors to Boracay are actually Filipino themselves, who are not that interested in eating their home cuisine on holiday and want to try something foreign?
Whatever the reason, Subo Boracay is the ONLY Filipino restaurant in Boracay 😱 you must go there! Non-Filipinos please go and try actual Filipino cuisine (you're going to love it). And Filipinos please go because the food is incredible! Now, I went to the Philippines before I was vegan (BV), and I can assure you that the Boracay food at Subo is even better than the traditional versions which are served with meat. Especially Adobo - traditionally made with pork and chicken, Subo made it for us with tofu:
It was my favourite meal of the night! I love adobo and it was even better as a vegan version - all taste, not guilt :D And what tastes!!! Has to be tried to be believed... but wait, was it my favourite part? The adobo was amazing, but so were the Filipino Spring Rolls! How can I choose a favourite? Don't worry we don't have to - let's choose both! :D
Other delicious dishes included this traditional Filipino salad which was brought to the table unmixed and then mixed in front of us:
Yes, I, a vegan, enjoyed watching a salad being mixed lol... it sounds weird but it was really cool! Damn, it's really hard to write this post... my mouth is watering everywhere. Quick, look at this delicious aubergine dish:
There was also a second gigantic and delicious salad, it wasn't mixed in front of us but it is a traditional Filipino salad:
And to end we had nice cream with traditional Filipino sweets:
Nice cream is like ice cream but without the dairy, it's called nice cream because it's nicer to cows :) aka it's not made from cow milk, but alternatives made from things like almond or oat or hemp or cashew or coconut etc... but of course, a restaurant isn't just about the food, it's also about the ambience. Subo brings it and then some! The place itself is beautiful - set up like a traditional Filipino home. And it doesn't stop there, the staff are super lovely and at the end of the night, they performed a Filipino candle dance!
Make sure you check out the bathroom - there are these super cool pumps to wash your hands lol... where to find Subo?
- on their website: suboboracay.com
- address: Calle Remedios Station 3 Boracay Island
- open: 11am - 11pm every day
2. Nonie's Restaurant
Nonie's Restaurant serves non-vegan and vegan food and drinks made from scratch. Nonie's food isn't just Boracay food, the food will take you all over the world from Spain to Korea to the Philippines and back again. Whilst I love Subo for being traditionally Filipino, I equally love Nonie's for taking all the best parts of other cuisines, keeping the favourite parts of Filipino cuisine and making an awesome fusion food that's a joy for the taste buds. This is one of my favourite things about vegan foods - it's diverse and creative! The best example of Nonie's genius is Banana heart tofu bruschetta - this is Italy (bruschetta) meets Korea (gojuchang sauce) meets the vegan Philippines (atchara). The atchara - which is a pickle usually made from papaya is instead made here with banana hearts!
Vegan Sisig: Sisig is a Kapampangan dish (The Kamampangan People are the fifth largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines). It's traditionally made from pig cheeks and ears plus chicken liver, but here at Nonie's, it's vegan, delicious and served with lavosh. Champorado is another traditional Filipino dish, champorado is comforting and delicious. At Nonie's, it's out of this world! Nonie's also does a tonne of vegan soups and salads. Where to find Nonie's?
Vegan Sisig: Sisig is a Kapampangan dish (The Kamampangan People are the fifth largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines). It's traditionally made from pig cheeks and ears plus chicken liver, but here at Nonie's, it's vegan, delicious and served with lavosh. Champorado is another traditional Filipino dish, champorado is comforting and delicious. At Nonie's, it's out of this world! Nonie's also does a tonne of vegan soups and salads. Where to find Nonie's?
- on their website: www.nonies.com.ph
- address: Boracay 5608 Aklan
- open: 7am - 10pm every day
Boracay Food
I've touched on some traditional Filipino vegan Boracay food (aka ones that are accidentally vegan or can be easily veganafied), but for ease of reading let me list them for you here:
- Mangos, pineapples, pomelo, coconuts and bananas in general - all can be found fresh and local in the Philippines, extra points if you pick your own
- Rice. Obvs. In the Philippines, they often wrap it in banana leaves 😍
- Tofu Adobo
- Filipino vegan Spring Rolls
- Filipino salads - you could live here for years and never try them all
- Atchara
- Vegan sisig
- Champorado
Where To Stay in Boracay
As of this moment, unfortunately, and globally, vegan hotels are few and far between. Hence my number one tip for travelling as a vegan is to stay as often as possible at somewhere with a kitchen: that way you can cook for yourself! It's so nice to have at least one meal a day - or even just one meal a stay - where you know exactly what you're getting. This is especially true for long term vegan travellers.
1. Boracay Amor Apartments
Thus, I recommend staying at Boracay Amor Apartments, because this place comes with a fully equipped kitchen:
Fabulous kitchen aside, this is one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, waking up every morning to this was a literal dream:
On hotels.com they're listed as a 3.5-star hotel, but I've stayed in 5-star hotels all across the world and I'm telling you - this place was better than most of them, combined!! They help you board Boracay (a hectic process), the view is to die for, it's a 5-minute walk to some of the quietest beaches in Boracay, the bed is comfy af, there were two bathrooms! I for one couldn't ask for anything more. Where to find Boracay Amor Apartments?
- On hotels.co.uk: Boracay Amor Apartments (best rates)
- On their website: www.boracayamor.com
- Address: Diniwid, Boracay, Malay, 5608 Aklan
2. The District Boracay
I also stayed and enjoyed The District Boracay. It's very central Boracay, like literally a stone's throw from the beach:
But thanks to good planning, it's super quiet and tranquil inside. I had the nicest massage here and two perfect nights' sleep. They also offer a decent buffet breakfast with many accidentally vegan options. I also had dinner here and they went all out and made a 7-course vegan spread! Where to find The District Boracay?:
- on hotels.com: The District Boracay (for the best deal)
- on their website: thedistrictboracay.com
- address: Station 2 Barangay Balabag, Boracay Island
3. Boracay Accommodation on a Budget
Both of the above places are fancy and very very nice - prices per night are around £75 which is an absolute steal, I highly recommend them to those on honeymoon or some other luxury holiday, those that want to try first-class quality at a lower price etc. If you're on a lower budget, check out these:
I haven't personally been to any of them, but my trusted friend Chad has. All prices around £20/night.
Before You Go to Boracay Don't Forget
Boracay was shut for six months so nature could have a breather. It's important to wear sunscreen in the sun in the Philippines, but it's also important to use ones that won't pollute the environment like Omuci’s Nothing To Hide Eco-Friendly Sunscreen does the trick and it's vegan, of course! (I also recommend taking a bottle of PraNaturals Pure Aloe Vera Gel in case you do get burnt, it happens. On that same note, mosquitos aren't too bad in Boracay, but when I say they're not too bad that means you won't be bitten alive, but you will still get bitten which no one wants. I looked around for a long time to find a mosquito repellent that didn't repel me from my own skin and in the end, I found this: Citronella Candle - Mosquito Insect Repellent Candle it works like a charm and is easy to travel with. It's also 100% soy and is not harmful to humans, animals or the environment. YEY!
Wrap Up: Where to Eat in Boracay
So there you have it, where to eat in Boracay for vegans, people interested in traditional Filipino Boracay food and more. I hope it's been helpful, please share this page with your friends to spread the word on how AWESOME Boracay is. I also wrote a whole guide to the vegan Philippines, I hope you like it :) Plus here's a video we made to go along with it:
