Hillbarn Cafe & Restaurant — Restaurant in Tagaytay

We visited Hillbarn Cafe & Restaurant in Tagaytay for a break from work and a breath of fresh air. I found the place on Google, drawn to their chicken and waffles, which I wanted to try. The cafe's exterior and interior were eye-catching, with a windmill-style entrance and cozy decorations that made the place feel welcoming.

We ordered the following:

1. HB Mushroom Swiss (₱460) The brioche bun was soft and soaked up the juices from the patty, cheese, and caramelized onions. You can flip the burger to help the top bun absorb more. The meal was filling, with crispy french fries on the side. Ketchup is available on request. However, the patty was under-seasoned, making it a bit bland despite the size.

2. Fish Poppers (₱270) We couldn't confirm the type of fish used, but it had a unique, chewy texture that was a nice change from regular fish fillets. The sriracha mayo had a sweet and spicy kick. I ended up dipping most of our fries in it instead of ketchup. The portion size was a bit small, though.

3. Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea (₱210) A refreshing drink with a mix of sweet, fruity, and sour flavors. Drink it quickly, as the ice dilutes the taste over time.

4. Chicken & Waffles (₱480) The medium-sized thigh fillet was juicy, savory, and paired well with the HB syrup and chicken sauce. Crispy edges added to the overall experience. The mixed salad was fresh and light. The waffles, topped with powdered sugar, were crispy on the edges and fluffy inside. They came with HB syrup for dipping, but with four waffles, it felt like too much. Another thigh fillet instead of more waffles would have been preferable.

We had a pleasant time at Hillbarn Cafe & Restaurant. The prices felt fair for the quality, despite a few minor issues. The staff, including security, were friendly and attentive, adding to the positive experience. The cafe is connected to an events space, so checking for any upcoming activities is a good...

Place has a very good ambience and the staff/guards have provided a warm welcome for its customers.

However the food and drinks was mediocre at best.

Ranking the food/drinks we’ve ordered from best-tasting to disappointing:

Braised Beef Bowl: Soft and tender beef with perfectly cooked poached eggs. Was worth the Php 535 price point.

Mango Chamomile (Drinks): Refreshing tea with fresh mangoes. Must try

Hillbarn Spaghetthini: Meatballs was juicy and pasta was perfectly cooked. However, sauce was a bit too salty.

Drummets and Wings: Crispy and well cooked however there was too little sauce on the chicken

Fish Sandwich: Fish is crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. Well-cooked.

Onion Rings: Just average. Nothing special

Caesar Salad: Sauce was a bit too salty

Pesto Penne: Mediocre with a bit of a weird after taste. Wouldn’t recommend even though they tagged it as their best seller.

Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte: Quite a bad experience with this one. Too milky without any matcha taste whatsoever. You could also see in the picture how pale this was compared to other matcha drinks....

looking for a dinner date idea that's a few mins away from tagaytay town proper? this is the place for you!!

the place was novel and something out of the ordinary dine in place with its windmill ambiance.

we dined there around 7pm weekend and was not crowded but by 8, almost all the seats were full.

while the food portion were big, shareable for a group of three, the taste was missing that wow factor. price was reasonable for the portion and taste. we ordered the hillbarn salad, steak and fries (would recommend), chicken fingers, jumbo shrimp capellini, and creme brulee. for drinks we had cocoa mint at sky latte. get the chicken fingers for the portion and steak for the taste. both drinks were both pleasing ti the eyes and taste great. dessert was a meh for us.

if there's something that stands out aside from the place, it's the service. staffs are respectful and cater to your beck and call. always ready to assist in any way possible.

lots of parking place by the night but was told that it gets busy in the day.

overall, the experience was delightful and would recommend this place for date night and catching up...