Elizabeth S.

Great place to savor authentic Filipino food with an amazing views. Service was great. Emyl our attendant was so mindful. They worked as a team so our food was served on time. We ordered Kansi Pusit sisig Kangkong with sili Fried salted pork Fried Tawili with suka Tried their Biko pie was ok Turn with Langka Halo halo Overall it was great. I just hope that they warmed my Biko pie before serving.

Dr. Conrad U.

After being away from the Philippines since my younger days, I was invited to come back and present under the U.S. Fulbright Programs last month (June 2025). Our team was brought to, according to the driver, one of Tagrytay's best, the Balay Dako, as we toured the Tagaytay Highlands to ease ourselves of the charring humidity and enjoy the views of Taal and its vicinities. My brother hailed the tastes of their (Bulalo) Boiled and Soupy Fresh and locally sourced Beef broth with a large femur of meat, cartilage and tasty morsels, enriched with cabbage, pechay, potatoes and other aromatics. The broth was beyond measure and the beef was soft and as I offered the bones, the muscles just fell off the cartilages. We enjoyed the soup and never looked at such soups better than this one. The waiter explained that they source from the freshly butchered beef in town and use them as son as they get to the restaurant, they also use the freshest ingredients from the market. We also had the "pakbet" which is a sautéed combination of vegetables and other ingredients, pork in particular and desserts like halo-halo, a cold mixed of nuts, ice cream, milk and beans, etc...it was creamy and sweet to the tastes... What was endearing here was a view of the Taal Lake enamored by the misty cold air and an elevated viewing restaurant platform which made me feel like dining on earth while in heaven? Call it overrated but having food in a place where you feel pampered like a King or Queen, is to me, classic and an experience others can only dream about... Parking was abundant and a gift shop is also located on the lower floor. The waiters and employees are smiling always and greets you like a friend, very humbling considering I don't see this while in Taiwan, HongKong, Vietnam, or even in Korea? No wonder, the world often go along with their, It's More Fun In The Philippines advertising one liner. So, if you're in the Philippines, get an Uber to take you to Balay Dako and enjoy the highlights of Philippines cuisine and Filipino hospitality, like no other. Mabuhay!

Iseo Y.

This is the 2nd time I've been to Balay Dako 1st. In 2017 and the latest is Oct. 19, 2025, if I can only give 10 stars I would. This place will never disappoint you especially me, I love all the foods they serve, delicious to the max! Servers are very attentive. We ordered Bulalo, Kare Kare, lumpiang sariwa, Pakbet, Daing na Bangus, Letchon Kawali, Tortang alimasag, the best for me is my favorite Puto Bongbong( Sorry, I forgot to take pix) Green mango juice is an eye opener for me, I just love it. Let's not forget the ambiance at its best! I will keep coming to this place whenever I can visit. All in all, it's simply the BEST!!

Joseph R.

Not having been to Tagaytay in over 15 years, I am reminded how beautiful Tagaytay is. That being said, traveling to get to Balay Dako on a Sunday afternoon and parking was horrible! But that has more to do with the road infrastructure (construction delays where we were coming from) and quite a bit of people on the road that day. After managing to park (there was quite a bit of parking but even more people), we walked in to a lot of people in the waiting area. Fortunately, they had seating for those waiting along with a shop to the left selling various types of food including pastries. I highly recommend having a field day and splurge on the packaged pastries there - having arrived back in the US, I'm thoroughly enjoying them all to the point where I'm googling to see if I can order some of this online and shipped here ha! The place itself is a lot larger than I expected. From what I observed, there were two floors of seating. We were seated on the 2nd level, which gave us the opportunity to walk outside and observe the breathtaking view. Amazing! The food itself was a hit and miss. We had a party of 7, and ordered various food ala carte. Bangus Ala Pobre, Fried Inasal, Sinigang Ng Baboy, and a few others I honestly don't know the name of ha! What caught me off guard was when they asked on various occasions whether we would like our sinagang (soup) topped off or refilled. That was definitely new to me and appreciated. The Halo Halo Klasiko and slushies were great! What I appreciated was the service. With the amount of patrons at this establishment, I saw all the workers roaming around tending to everyone. I'd definitely like to visit this place again in the future. Very memorable.

Nina H.

Thanks to my Yelp friend Ronnel S. for reviewing Balay Dako since his post and pics piqued my interest. We were in Taygaytay and needed a place to go for lunch. With Balay Dako bookmarked for months, it was the perfect opportunity to check it out. Balay Dako hits all the marks for ambiance, service and food. Everything was amazing and to have Taal volcano with the lake as your backdrop is the cherry on top. Our group of 7 ordered a number of dishes and our standout favorites were the following: *Marinated Bistek Tagalog (Beef Steak) *Palabok *Chicken Inasal *Halabos ng Hipon *Fried Hito (stuffed fried catfish) There are plenty of seats overlooking Taal so no matter where you are, you're bound to get an amazing view. You will need to get there early for a parking space. This is a wonderful restaurant to enjoy a traditional Filipino meal. A bit on the pricey side but worth every single peso. Don't miss it!

Doug L.

Suggest bringing big appetites or lots of family members and friends to enjoy eating here. We drove from Manila and arrived a little after opening. In the parking lot we received a ticket and had to provide it to the cashier once we closed our check. Inside we stood by the fresh piyaya station and watched the nonstop making of them. We ordered a package to go at the end so we could take it back with us. So good. We finally were seated by the window and had a nice view of the Taal volcano. The menu here showcased a quite extensive selection of Filipino dishes. The portions were bigger than we expected so had a lot of left overs. I think the staff could do a better job explaining serving sizes especially for those of us who have not eaten here before. Some of our favorites were Pinakbet fried rice - will definitely feed more than 4-5 people! Palabok - best we've eaten in awhile Callos - lots of beef tripe and chorizo sausage Escabecheng Pla Pla - perfectly fried and paired well with the sweet sour sauce Puto bumbong - buttery and soft. Service was good overall with lots of servers. Would come back if we visit Tagaytay again.

Ron D.

Awesome place to enjoy a lunch or dinner with spectacular view of Taal lake and volcano. Fresh air , bird song , stillness of time while enjoying home cook meals at its best whether with family, friends and love ones. Food are authentic Filipino showcasing its regional best like bulalo and other classic dishes. Service is world class the Filipino hospitality, respect , true service to accommodate guest request and always deliver with smile.

Elle E.

Food choices are overwhelmingly good, so we had to pick what we know we can finish. Service was a bit lagging although we were sat fairly quickly. Place smelled good because of the bakery and all the dishes they prepare were familiar. We bought baked goods after a big meal and we ate them at the condo for post dessert even though we had dessert already at balay dako.

Edelyn C.

Easily one of my favorite restaurants in Tagaytay! It's right off of the mountain with the amazing views of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. It stays absolutely busy for good reason! The restaurant has limited parking so make sure you get there early enough to make a few circles because the traffic can be terrible on the main road. While you wait, go and checkout the in-house bakery and the downstairs area because the views are endless. The region is well known for their Bulalo dish (a Filipino Beef Marrow Stew), which is a staple soup that is made by cooking beef shanks and bone marrow until the collagen and fat has been melted into the clear broth; vegetables of your liking are added on but typically includes cabbage, corn, and green onions. I personally am a big fan of their version and as soon as my fiancé tasted it, he understood and had an epic reaction. The waiters will also refill your bowl of bulalo soup as many times as needed, so don't worry!! The menu is huge so I would personally prepare ahead of time and make sure that you're ready for a family style meal, because all meals are intended to bring your family together in the Philippines! Top picks and safe for not-so-adventurous Americans: Lechon Kawali, Sisig Na Baboy, BULALO NA BAKA, Sitaw at Giniling na Baboy, Stir Fried Chili Eggplant

Kate R.

Love the food! This is like the mid level restaurant chain of Antonio's. There's always a line to dine in here, but to beat the crowd make sure to arrive by 11 and you will surely be seated right away. The ambiance of the restaurant is very relaxed and homey, feels like you're eating in a familiar settling. The servers are all smiling and very attentive. The service is great! Food. We have their bulala (must order), the meat is tender and the soup is very tasty. We also had the kare kare, but I like the bulalo better. Dinuguan is good too! For drinks I had green mango shake and my mom tried their guyabano drink, all very good. For dessert, we had the palitaw and bibingka, the palitaw brings back my childhood! It's so simple and the taste is what I remembered. Overall, this is one of the best dining place in Tagaytay.

Kenx S.

Ambiance - very nice restaurant with excellent view of Taal Lake and volcano. Service - very good service. Servers were very attentive. When we asked the receptionist outside for an area where we could take an unobstructive picture of the view (as opposed to the screened window), she directed us to take bottom steps outside the restaurant. It turned out that there was renovation in that area thus, it was inaccessible. When we explained this to her, she then pointed us to the second floor of the restaurant which had a patio with a perfect view. It didn't make sense for her to direct us to the bottom stairs initially because it was steep and inconvenient. Food - we ordered Kare-kare (disappointingly tasteless but had real ox tails), palabok (on the salty side and did not have the depth of flavor I was hoping for; however, it had a lot of ingredients such as crunchy chicharon, shrimp, etc), fresh lumpiang ubod (tasted good), crispy lumpia with lumpiang ubod inside (very good) and pork bbq (my favorite). I wish we had a choice of serving sizes especially for the kare-kare and palabok but both were large servings. We took home the leftovers. Unfortunately, the kare-kare was spoiled by the next day. Could it be several days old already? We placed the leftovers in an ice chest with ice so...I would probably not be back. Manam had better tasting dishes and had serving size options. Sorry.

Boj o.

The location and view from the restaurant were stellar. We only wish the food were the same. We're expecting to be blown away but it was somewhat disappointing. The Kare Kare and Sisig took the biggest hit of lacking flavor and was not savory at all. To make long story short, for the price, it could be better. The service was exceptional. The place was very nostalgic. It makes you feel at home. Maybe this place was hyped up and made our expectations high especially when you're hungry. Manam set the benchmark for us and we were expecting the same or better.

Vince C.

First of all, the place is impressively beautiful. Everything was tight. The staff were attentive. The food came out very fast. The views of Taal were gorgeous. Its a very nice place. When it came to the food, they will definitely fill you up. As far as the taste, it was good, but I wasnt necessarily blown away with anything. Dont get me wrong, if given the opportunity, Id definitely go back and dine again.