Café by the Ruins — Restaurant in Baguio

Nestled just a stone's throw away from Burnham Park, Cafe by the Ruins sits in a prime location facing the picturesque Maple Trees Park. The cafe operates daily between 7 AM and 9 PM, accommodating walk-ins only—no reservations are accepted.

Upon entering the two-story eatery at 7 AM sharp, I was welcomed by a cozy atmosphere and a charming traditional interior. I was seated on the second floor, where the Al fresco dining area provided a delightful ambiance.

The menu offers a diverse range of dishes at reasonable prices, but its layout could use some improvement. The confusing organization of menu sections—such as the interrelated bread and spread sections, as well as the unclear indication of included drinks with breakfast items—detracts from the dining experience.

Although my table was set with a glass, I did not receive a customary pitcher of water like other guests. Consequently, I had to wait for my fruit shake and coffee before quenching my thirst. The cafe kindly served a small bowl of fresh fruits, but my main meal took over 30 minutes to arrive and was only brought to my attention after a waitress inquired about it. My food had been left to cool at the counter, despite being one of the first customers to arrive.

The Camote Bread, accompanied by jam and butter, was delectable with its fluffy texture. The sausage was satisfactory but not remarkable. However, the coffee, served with a unique local candied sugar, truly shone.

My meal totaled around 900 PHP, but after paying with a 1,000 PHP bill, my change was not returned even after 10 minutes. I ultimately decided to leave without it, as I could not wait any longer.

In conclusion, Cafe by the Ruins offers a decent breakfast option near Burnham Park, but be prepared to wait—even if you arrive early. If you visit during peak hours, anticipate a queue. While the food and location are appealing, the service leaves much to be desired. I am hesitant to return unless there are notable improvements...

They RUINED my birthday

See, my sister planned a whole-day itinerary for me but i kept on insisting to go there. So when we arrived, we were luckily assisted and told to go to the second floor not more than a 5minute wait. We were seated near the area where they store or cleared out plates. In seeing plenty vacant tables we requested to be transferred to at least a well ventilated area. One of the staff said, "NAKA RESERVE YAN EH MAY MGA WAITING, MABUTI KUNG WALA WAITING". She didnt check, that was her light bulb response in seeing us. As if we aren't good enough to be seated anywhere else. Parang kabit area. As a background, there is no long line for wait list customers, we are the last at the line before we got admitted. Though disappointed, we stayed. Waited 10mins for the menu, we had to ask as we are being purposely ignored. As my exchange with the wait staff was like "that table is the same with this one where you can sit 4". We were eventually transferred to a different table and waited again for the menu, and getting back to us if we have any orders. It was disappointing and our "Karen alter egos" are about to introduce themselves. From full blown celebration we opted to order just coffee. We lost our appetites.

The croissant? Is not even a croissant! It's a monay molded into a croissant! The scones, i have no words but its not a scone. Moroccan mint tea, was just mint in hot water. Siphon coffee was good though, surprisingly good as we are prepared to be disappointed yet again.

Overrated. There are better cafés that gives more value for what...

Food - 2/3 orders are good, but admittedly pricey for the serving.

Bagnet - 400 pesos for 1 serving with rice, tomatoe, and bagoong. The combination of everything is superb! the fat literally melts in your mouth. Very good experience 🤤

Kalabasa puree - average, but acceptable.

Carbonara - is so-so. Doesn't taste legit, nor pinoy style. We even saw a live WORM wiggling on the parsley topping. We tried to get a picture of it, but it was fast to hide between the leaves. Still we eat it, believing that the worm came from the parsley and not from the food itself.

If you think, I'm lying then I challenge you to reach out to me. I'm more than willing to discuss this with you in a polite manner.. Also, the reason why we didn't bother reporting this is a simple cost-benefit analysis - the serving time of your food is more or less 30 mins, plus the staff intentionally avoids eye contact. I even raised my hand and the female staff saw it no kidding (not the one wearing jumper), but she disregarded it anyway.

Honestly, the worm is no big deal for me. I just want to be transparent without demanding anything from the resto...

Ambience is good - the place is beautiful. Service - front desk is very good, respectful and smiling peeps. 2nd floor servers are terrible.

Approx. 30 mins waiting time to get in (maybe bcoz it's around lunch time), plus approx. 30 mins for your food to be served to you. Order the Baguio Bagnet, highly...