Balay Dako
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Balay Dako in Tagaytay is a must-visit destination for anyone seeking a blend of nostalgia, elegance, and authentic Filipino cuisine. From the moment we arrived, the impressive traditional Filipino mansion-style exterior evoked a sense of nostalgia and grandeur. It truly feels like stepping into a piece of the Philippines' rich cultural heritage. Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately struck by its beauty. The waiting room is spacious and welcoming, with a quaint little shop on the side to browse while you wait. The staff at the front were plentiful and attentive, ensuring that all guests waiting for their number to be called were comfortable. The waiting system is particularly genius—receiving a QR code from the security guard in the parking area to join the waiting list even before stepping inside was incredibly convenient and efficient. Our party of over 20 people was thrilled to be seated with a breathtaking view of Taal Lake. The restaurant's attention to detail in presentation is commendable. Despite the size of our group, the staff managed to provide prompt and attentive service throughout our meal. The variety of dishes we ordered showcased the culinary prowess of Balay Dako. Here are a few dishes that stood out: - **Bistek Tagalog**: Perfectly cooked with a rich, savory flavor that delighted everyone. - **Fried Chicken**: The unanimous favorite of our group, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. - **Sisig**: Wonderfully seasoned and cooked to perfection. - **Binagoongan**: While delicious, we felt it could have had a stronger bagoong flavor to truly stand out. - **Tawilis**: Fresh and crispy, a true delicacy. We also indulged in their desserts and shakes, which were creamy and satisfying. The ice cream was particularly noteworthy, though we were a bit disappointed that the Taho ice cream was not available. The service at Balay Dako is outstanding. Despite the busy atmosphere, the staff maintained professionalism and a sense of urgency, ensuring our needs were met promptly. Parking is ample but can become congested quickly, so arriving early or during off-peak hours is advisable. One highlight I forgot to mention in my earlier review is the **Piaya**. Balay Dako serves the best piaya I have ever tasted, hands down. It was made fresh, and the moment I took my first bite, I was blown away by its perfect balance of sweetness and flakiness. The freshly made piaya added an extra layer of authenticity and delight to our dining experience. If you visit Balay Dako, make sure not to miss out on this exceptional treat! Balay Dako offers a wonderful dining experience with its stunning location, excellent service, and delicious food. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Tagaytay and will definitely return the next time I'm in town.
Jereth TolentinoJereth Tolentino
00
Great find! Classic Filipino Restaurant fine-dining style with a close-up of Lake Taal in the viewing deck. Situated in an ancient house, the inside has several large old paintings depicting the Philippines, it is worth the visit for the exquisite taste. Opens 11am-9pm, Mon-Fri, and 7am-9pm on Sat-Sun. It's best to be seated at the second floor right next to the viewing deck and outdoor area, but it also has an indoor area upstairs. But if you like paintings, be seated at the ground floor level, that's where the food and servers were stationed. Place has a free wifi which is fast enough to play a mobile game, totally useful. Waiting time is about 30-45 minutes on a Friday afternoon. Take this time to shoot your photos at the first floor viewing deck of the Taal with the store name. Calamares Fritos. The perfect appetizer with just the right chewiness and you can slice it by piece or eat by hand. Lovely for the wait. Tawilis. This is the best! This fried version of the local fish bred in the fish ponds in the area tastes right! You can eat everything from the head to the tail because it's crunchy. Make your dipping sauce of vinegar and add chili. Kare kare klasik. Really rightfully called a classic. The taste isn't overpowering and the bagoong blends well, not too strong. Came with much vegetables, twalya, and really the usual in it. Crispy pata. Good and crispy, really worth the munch. This is the classic taste matched with the sweet and sour soy sauce onion mix. Homemade ice cream. The flavors are the ones seen at the ice cream cart. Mostly local flavors. I tried the Quezo ice cream. Creamy milky flavor is rich yet not too sweet. It definitely feels comparable to a Häagen-Dazs for the quality. Comes with a sealed small spoon in a 1 scoop cup. Restrooms are clean, but some of the flush don't work in the female area, so the workers are doing it manually. Overall if you want fine-dining with a feel of the old Filipino-Spanish style ambiance, this is a must-visit for both food and the tour.
May NMay N
00
Food: it was a hit or miss. One time we went there for dinner, we ordered Bulalo, Inihaw na Bangus, Lechon Kawali, Pinakbet. Bulalo wasn’t as tasty. Lacking the beef savor. It only had flavor when we added the caramelized onion sauce they provided. But the rest, are really good. Lechon Kawali was huge and really crispy. Pinakbet was cooked just right, with the vegetables still fresh and crunchy. However, a week after, we returned for lunch and had Kare-Kare Klasik, Bangus ala Pobre, Chicharo at Hipon, Inihaw na Liempo and Pinakbet. I had high hopes for the kare-kare but got disappointed. It was lacking the taste of peanuts that is distinct to the dish. Chicharo at Hipon is just sauteed Snowpeas and shrimp. Nothing exceptional. Inihaw na Liempo was bland. The pinakbet was really disappointing. I ordered this the 2nd time because I loved it the first time. Now, the vegetables are overcooked. The saving grace of this restaurant is the variety of Filipino ice cream, especially the queso and the taho flavor. And also their Bibingka with Salted egg and macapuno. Service: my mom had bottomless iced tea. However, waiters weren’t attentive to refill. Even if you call and ask for a refill, it will take a looooong time for them to get back. You would have to ask several times. It’s just frustrating. Connectivity: I’d have to commend them for uploading their menu. It lessens spread of virus/bacteria especially pandemic. They also provide wifi access. However, it’s limited only to 30mins, I’m told. So even if you have your mobile telco on your phone, even if it’s LTE or 5G, signal is an issue. So good luck if you want to pay via e-Wallet. Just frustrating when they could obviously afford a signal diffuser.
John TanJohn Tan
10
We have always loved Balay Dako. Albeit a bit on the expensive side, we always bring our balikbayan guests here whenever we are in tagaytay. They unfortunately have long queues during the weekend (they do not accept reservations) so it pays to be earlier if you want to have your meal on time. Portions are generous and really good for big groups. Taste is superb as well. Our fav there as well is their Piyaya which is cooked on the spot, really good when eaten hot. Service is usually ok, given they have lots of customers. Last week, we dined again and this time, we ordered beef bulalo. The server thought it was the soup (whereas she had taken our order for a soup - sinigang) but we meant the sizzling Bulalo one. The order came and they insisted that it was the bulalo soup we had ordered. We did not push the matter anymore after saying we ordered the sizzling one but we were very much disappointed. Imagine having two big bowl of soup! After a while, the server came back and informed us that they will be changing the bulalo and that they were sorry! We were pleasantly surprised and relieved. We have enjoyed the food, especially the sizzling bulalo which was super tender and the mushroom gravy that came with it was just tasty -- really good with rice! This gesture is what I call customer service at its best! If can be done, it would be best to fix the situation, regardless of whose fault is it. This small act made a mark in us and we are very appreciative. Kudos to the staff and kitchen team! Thank you for making our meal a good one. We have brought our senior parents for a drive to Tagaytay that day just for Balay Dako and they did not disappoint.
L. CheungL. Cheung
00
I think that, at its core, Filipino food is humble/down-to-earth. That’s why there is only so much you can do to “glamorize” it and upgrade it to a fine dining-level culinary experience. Even ingredients are usually humble in nature. At its very best, Filipino food is what your mom or grandmother prepare for you. That’s why it’s a challenge to justify charging high prices for it. That’s what Balay Dako is. Good Filipino food that is overpriced. For example, their Kare-Kare is at PHP 1,000, and it’s nothing outside of what your mom or grandmother will/can cook for you. Even the meat, it’s typical cuts, nothing premium. Their Kansi, although not as overpriced as the Kare-Kare, didn’t have the typical bone marrow-rich beef shank used in the Kansi famous in Bacolod. It’s just regular all-meat cuts (like the cuts used in beef mechado, only larger). This was disappointing, even though the taste was as good as the original from Bacolod (probably because they use batuan as souring agent, just like the original Bacolod recipe). The other dishes we ordered were also delicious, but again, nothing more special than what you eat at home. The only real standout was their lumpia—now this one was a winner! Overall, I think what you’re really paying for here is the ambiance and the view. I’d say it’s ok to try this resto just once for the experience, or very occasionally re-visits…but not a place you’d visit often, unless you are willing to spend more for food that much-cheaper restaurants also offer.
Joel CalderonJoel Calderon
50
Had to drop by and try this Filipino Restaurant in Tagaytay. Spacious parking lot. The guard on duty was accommodating and gave us instructions on what to do before going inside the restaurant. We approached the door person who told us to wait for our queue in the lobby since this restaurant is very busy and a large group of people keeps coming in. Did not wait long enough to call our queue number. The door person assisted us and endorsed us to another door person I think since they have the same uniform. Was introduced to a server who instructed us to scan the QR code for their menu. What I can say about this execution is very organized and well planned. This is to fill in their time to accommodate all the guests. We ordered ginataang monggo, tawilis, and bistek tagalog. These food are all great. A little bit expensive for a Filipino Cuisine but it’s fine since the food here is appetizing! I just noticed how the server here lacks proper training on how to handle guests. Not good enough for guest service. They don’t say “excuse me” and just leave your table after repeating your orders. They don’t give you serving time when to expect your order. I am expecting this kind of service because this restaurant gives a luxury vibe to guests. I hope they can manage and improve their guest service more. Overall experience was not that bad, considering that I loved the food that we ordered.
Mitzi VinalonMitzi Vinalon
00
Nearby Restaurants Of Balay Dako
Leslie's Restaurant
Dahon at Mesa - Tagaytay
Starbucks Reserve Hiraya
Charito by Bag of Beans
Bag of Beans Athena Branch
Gerry's Tagaytay (Gerry's Grill)
Ridge Park Kainan sa Kubo
Jaytee's Filipino Cuisine
Starbucks Hotel 8
RSM Tagaytay Magallanes - Bibingka Queen TAGAYTAY
Leslie's Restaurant
4.2
(1.8K)$$
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Dahon at Mesa - Tagaytay
4.6
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Starbucks Reserve Hiraya
4.3
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Charito by Bag of Beans
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Tagaytay - Nasugbu Hwy, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines
Map
Phone
+63 923 726 6290
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Website
antoniosrestaurant.ph
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Reviews
Overview
4.4
(2.6K reviews)$$$
Ratings & Description
Description
Airy, casual venue with Taal Lake views offering traditional local fare & fusion cuisine.
attractions: , restaurants: Leslie's Restaurant, Dahon at Mesa - Tagaytay, Starbucks Reserve Hiraya, Charito by Bag of Beans, Bag of Beans Athena Branch, Gerry's Tagaytay (Gerry's Grill), Ridge Park Kainan sa Kubo, Jaytee's Filipino Cuisine, Starbucks Hotel 8, RSM Tagaytay Magallanes - Bibingka Queen TAGAYTAY
