Monkey Grounds Coffee — Restaurant in Iloilo City

After our morning jog, we headed to Monkey Grounds in Iloilo for breakfast, bringing with us a hefty appetite. The ambiance struck a perfect balance between modern industrial and lush greenery, creating a cool and welcoming atmosphere.

The coffee was a mixed experience: while the cortado was well-executed, the cold brew with sweet cream fell short unfortunately, the cream didn’t blend well, leaving it slightly coagulated.

The food, however, was delightful. The Pasta Aubergine stood out with its perfectly al dente pasta, and the tomato sauce, caramelized onions, and eggplant melded together beautifully. I also tried the faux meat longanisa with brown rice for the first time and was pleasantly surprised it was flavorful and satisfying, even for a meat lover like me. The Jack Johnson pancakes were refreshingly different, with the citrus and honey giving the dish a light, refreshing touch, while the almonds added a nice crunch and the banana brought it all together.

Unfortunately, the service was lacking. The staff seemed a bit understaffed, resulting in delayed food service and some overlooked details, like missing utensils, which we had to fetch ourselves. Despite these hiccups, it was still a...

Probably the only 1 of 2 restaurant in Iloilo city that tries to represent itself as a vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurant. I was very excited and happy to have found a location that advertised the vegan foods on their menu. The restaurant looked like a hip and upscale restaurant. Visually the food looks like upscale food from America but it lacks taste. For example the pizza, you can hardly taste anything. The fries had hardly any salt. The fried mushrooms had zero flavors. The only flavors that were decent were the mustard and ketchup flavors in the mushroom burger. The chili con soup was not balanced and was like biting into an unrip tomato. The mentee noodle dish was very oily and the fried tofu also had zero flavors. Visually everything was well presented but the taste made the experience a let down.

To give the restaurant a second chance, the next morning I ordered 2 different pancakes and and the overnight oatmeal. The pancakes were decent but the oatmeal did not even taste or have the texture of oatmeal.

Overall, happy to have found a vegan place is a meat only city. I hope the owner tastes the food or have a consultant to give it...

If you're looking for a vegetarian restaurant in Iloilo City, this is the place to be. If you are a vegan, just let them know, they're more than happy to suggest the best menu item for you. They claim to have a 100% vegetarian menu. They have a very wide selection of food: all day breakfast, rice meals, pasta, sandwiches, burgers, munchies, toast, and salads. See photos in this review for the menu. The price is just right. The taste is 5/5 (from a vegetarian's perspective, and from one who enjoys natural taste over artificial flavoring). They do Their personnel are helpful and cheerful. Serving time is reasonable, I'd say even quicker than I thought. They have outdoor seating and air-conditioned areas. They use stainless steel straws. There is a shaded parking space for more than 10 vehicles. Park your car safely inside their property, not outside/roadside. See photos for the parking space. They do accept credit cards, reservations, and maybe catering if you arrange ahead of time with...