Come Not Just For The Durian: 10 Best Restaurants In Davao City

1. Tuna served 10 ways at Marina Tuna Restaurant

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Davao City is also known for serving up fresh seafood, including tuna. Fresh tuna is supplied directly from General Santos City, which is the main source of the fish in the country. At Marina Tuna Restaurant, they serve tuna 10 ways. And by this, they make use of different parts of the fish and turn them into delicious dishes.

Because the fish is so fresh, its freshness comes out in the final dish. From tuna sashimi, tuna kinilaw (a kind of ceviche) to tuna eye sour soup, grilled tuna belly, crispy tuna tail and tuna roe - all these dishes will surely satisfy your seafood craving. The restaurant has three branches in the city and they also have whole tuna carving services for sashimi parties.

Marina Tuna Restaurant

Address: Km. 8 Bo. Pampanga, Sasa, 8000 Davao City, Philippines

Website: Marina Tuna Restaurant Davao

2. Try durian coffee and durian cheesecake at Blugre Cafe

Blugre Cafe is a homegrown coffee shop that is said to have pioneered coffee culture, in the city. Starting out in 1998, the cafe introduced the first ever durian coffee in the country. Capitalizing on the abundance of the fruit in the city, Blugre concocted the perfect blend of coffee and durian fruit pulp. Most reviews say that durian coffee is a good way to introduce the fruit to people who normally don’t like it. Durian is known for its pungent aroma but the coffee masks this, making it more palatable to most people.

They also have their own version of durian cheesecake, which is another way to enjoy durian. But like any other coffee shop, they also serve other cakes and pastries, as well as light meals. The cafe has expanded to Metro Manila and has a total of 10 branches, in the country.

Blugre Cafe

Address: Abreza Mall, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur, Philippines

Website: Blugre Cafe

3. All you can eat crab at Glamour Resto

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Craving all you can eat crab? Then, Glamour Resto is the place for you. This restaurant is known all over the city for unlimited and good tasting crab. Sourced fresh and shipped daily to Davao from Cotabato province, the crab are cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. The restaurant goes through 50 to 100 kilograms (110 to 220.5 pounds) of fresh crab, every day. And, for an affordable price of less than 10 USD per person, it’s definitely cheaper than any crab dinner, anywhere else in the city.

The buffet lineup, however, is not limited to crab. There are also other seafood dishes and even meat dishes for those who may have allergies.

Glamour Resto 'N Caterer

Address: 386 Padre Gomez St, Poblacion District, Davao City

4. More seafood at Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimp

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

If your seafood craving goes beyond crab, try Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimp Restaurant. This casual dining restaurant serves up crab and shrimp in large plastic bags, on a table lined with plastic. Diners are given bibs and plastic gloves to use during eating because the best way to eat crab is with your hands.

Crab are ordered by the kilogram and cooked in a delectable garlic sauce. Other seafood dishes, such as shrimp and mussels are available as well, but the restaurant’s specialty is the crab. In Davao City, the restaurant has two branches to choose from. The crab are best shared with family and friends, and a 3-kilogram (6.6 pound) meal with drinks costs around 40 USD, for about 3 to 4 persons.

Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimp

Address: JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City; Between Kia & Ford Showroom, Lanang Business Park

Facebook: Blue Posts Boiling Crabs

5. Southern comfort at Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This high-end restaurant prides itself on Louisiana or southern cuisine. Barely three years in operation, this restaurant always makes it to the best restaurants list, every year. It dishes out southern fried chicken, slow-roasted beef belly and huevos rancheros and they make their own bacon and sausages.

Aside from the dishes, people come to Huckleberry for its well-stocked bar and its creative array of cocktails. This is not only a place to eat but has also become one of the best watering holes in the city. The ambiance is another why its always packed. The bar is located in a compound that once was the ancestral house of the Oboza family. Be prepared to spend around 15 to 20 USD, per person, for a full meal, while drinks cost between 2 to 5 USD, each.

Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar

Address: Rizal Street corner Bangoy Street, 8000 Davao City

Facebook: Huckleberry Southern Kitchen and Bar

6. Filipino comfort food at Rekado Davao

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Rekado joined the local restaurant scene in 2015, but it has slowly gained a reputation for good Filipino food, with a twist. Among its offerings is a beef stew, called Kalderobo, which combines the flavors of two distinctly Filipino dishes - Kaldereta and Adobo. Most of the dishes are good for sharing, so this is a good place to bring family or friends. The restaurant is located in a modern, two-story building that can accommodate up to 200 diners. Signature Filipino dishes are also available, such as crispy pork cooked in a shrimp paste sauce, fresh lumpia (a Filipino version of a spring roll) and milkfish, stuffed with spices and young coconut meat. A full meal for 3 to 4 people costs around 40 USD.

Rekado Davao

Address: 1050 Emilio Jacinto Ext, Barangay. 11-B, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur

Facebook: Rekado Davao

7. Mediterranean and halal food at Zabadani

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed

Who would have thought that Davao City would have a restaurant that serves good Middle Eastern food? Zabadani opened up local palates to Middle Eastern dishes such as kebabs, biryani, kabsa, pitas and hummus. It is also one of the few certified Halal restaurants in the city, which is a plus for those of the Islam faith. Pizza is also a regular offering, and on the drinks side, they also serve “layered coffee”, called so because of the layers of flavors you can choose from. They also have other types of Mediterranean coffee as well as Moroccan mint tea. Check out their Halal buffet, every Friday, where diners can try their best dishes for an affordable price of 6 USD for lunch and 8 USD for dinner, per person.

Zabadani Cafe Restaurant

Address: Corner Circumferential Road and E. Jacinto Extension, Marfori Heights, Davao City

Facebook: Zabadani Cafe Restaurant

8. Eat local delicacies with a cultural show at Kaonanan sa Tribu K'Mindanawan

The name Kaonanan comes from the root word “kaon”, which means “to eat.” This restaurant is located in the cultural village of Tribu K'Mindanawan, near the Davao Crocodile Park. Because of its location, diners are treated to a cultural show that showcases the indigenous dances of tribes from Mindanao. The star dish of the restaurant is called the “sungka” meal. It features six items, served on a long, wooden platter with six holes. It comes with an abundant serving of rice and can be shared by six people. One order of this meal will cost you around 15 USD, which is a steal for a group of six people.

The restaurant also serves crocodile meat dishes. During weekends, diners can enjoy their meal, while watching the spectacular fire dance and other tribal dances, performed by the Tribu K'Mindanawan cultural group.

Kaonanan sa Tribu K'Mindanawan

Address: Davao Crocodile Park Complex, Riverfront, Ma-a, Davao City

Facebook: Kaonanan

9. French cuisine at Claude's Le Cafe De Ville

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed

For the past 20 years or so, Claude’s Le Cafe De Ville, in Davao, has been serving authentic French cuisine. It cannot get any more authentic than this, because its chef and owner, Claude Le Neindre is himself, French. Located in the elegant Oboza compound, this fine dining restaurant is located in a restored ancestral house, making its ambiance more than perfect for a romantic dinner.

Although the menu regularly changes, among the best sellers is their French onion soup, liver pate, and meat dishes made with American and Australian beef and New Zealand lamb. A full course dinner for two will cost around 25 to 30 USD per person or more if you order wine with dinner. Reservations are recommended.

Claude's Le Cafe De Ville

Address: Oboza Compound, 143 Rizal Street cor. Bangoy Street, Davao City

10. Deli goodies at Swiss Deli Davao

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

If you are looking for something other than seafood, try the sausages and the cheeses at Swiss Deli Davao. Don’t be fooled by the name though, as the sausages are not imported, but actually made in Davao. The deli was set up by friends Markus Kehl, a butcher, and Romano Venuti, a baker, in order to serve the local expatriate market. Producing their own sausages, the deli eventually started supplying other restaurants and hotels, in and around Davao.

The deli serves a mean cheese fondue, from a selection of imported cheeses, and a sausage platter. Diners can enjoy these with local, or better yet, German beers. Swiss and pasta dishes are also available.

Swiss Deli Davao

Address: RS Compound, Km. 7 Lanang, Davao City

Website: Swiss Deli Davao

Durian, seafood and so much more

To get to Davao, you can take a direct flight from select international destinations. You can also fly into Manila and Cebu, from where several daily flights to Davao City are available. Going around the city is easy with ever-reliable taxis, available all over the city. All of the restaurants on our list are accessible via taxi.

After your culinary adventure in Davao, you will go home with fully satisfied taste buds and memories of a city that is so much more than just durian and seafood.