Top Three Places to Eat, Sleep and Drink in El Nido

Truth be told, it’s literally been a year since this trip happened, but it’s been on my mind lately and luckily my diligent-self wrote down all these ideas while the knowledge was still fresh. So, this guide should actually be pretty helpful to anyone hoping to hit the ground running while also avoiding food poisoning and bed bugs while traveling through El Nido.

Food

Evening view from Outpost Beach Bar.

1. Art Café:  This is hands-down the best food in town. It’s been a year and my mouth still waters at the thought of their fresh, daily-catch ceviche salads. However, I can’t remember anything else on the menu, except for the rum and cola that almost killed me.  Neither I nor my girlfriend could bring ourselves to finish that one.

2. Altrove Pizza: I didn’t actually eat here, but my travelling partner did and I remember the queue for the place stretching all the way down the street every night. I also remember everyone being like “Yeah, I’m going to Altrove for dinner” and I never heard anything bad about it. Plus, it does smell amazing, which probably explains the line.

3. Outpost: With great bar food, free shots and epic sunsets, of course this place is on the list. Also, the backpacker atmosphere makes it easier to meet new people. Definitely had the best conversations here and would highly recommend to anyone wanting to chat about local culture and find interesting people. Watch out for the shots. They’re made of sugar rum and taste like candy.

Hotels and Hostels

The room view from Makulay.

1. Spin Hostel: This is a clean, safe, in-town option that’s super close to everything and great for meeting new people. It was full of groups, singles and couples, so my girlfriend and I were able to make quite a few new friends or at least she was. No seriously, I’d be in the water all day, only to get back and find that we both had dinner reservations with 10 people she had just met. This actually happened. I don’t know how she did it, but I admire the talent.

2. Makulay: This is more of a couple’s thing, but it worked out better than expected. Our suite was split level, so management brought up a second bed for us and it was like we both had our own private space. We stayed in the Loft House at the top of the stairs and it was amazing. We’d wake up to ocean views and come back to relax with beautiful sunsets.

It felt secluded, private and wonderfully romantic. Again, I’d be gone most of the day, but my beautiful traveling mate got to spend at least one day lounging around mostly naked, drinking coffee and working on scholarship applications in the most romantic setting possible. The only drawback to this place is that the secluded location makes it an easy target. Remember to leave any valuables in the office safe.

3. Outpost: We didn’t actually stay here, but visited often as it’s an awesome spot in a prime location. This place feels like what you’d get if the other two spots were mixed together to form the perfect combination of amazingness. Like Makulay, it’s got tons of atmosphere and is right next to the water for epic sunsets; however, it also maintains the backpacker friendly vibe of Spin, which is great for meeting new people.

Plus, the food is great as are the drinks. Every day, at sunset, the bar starts off the evenings with free shots for everyone, which is a definite plus. The one drawback is that this spot is a bit inconvenient to get to from the main town, so you need to rent your own wheels for traveling back and forth. Unless you decide to just never leave, which is possible, the place does have everything you need for a perfect getaway from reality. 

Bars and Clubs

1. Rooftop Bar: The definition of chill, this place is littered with cuddly couches and pillows to lounge on after a long day. It didn’t do anything for me except make me sleepy actually, but my friend loved it. It fits perfectly into the hippie niche of relaxed, quiet drinking. To be honest, I don’t even remember why we went here, maybe just out of curiosity and to enjoy some cheaper drinks before going to a legitimate club. That said, it is better than the street bars crawling with window shoppers.

2. Sava: The music is loud and the assholes are many. This is where you find all the desperate Tinder travelers waiting for a success story to write home about. I’m proud to say we didn’t give them the pleasure. These assholes will literally chat/message the same lines to every girl in town, telling them all to meet at the same place in hopes that one will actually be dumb enough to give them the time of day. Assholes.

I actually like the venue. It’s an open bar with an ocean front view, so you can lounge on leather while sipping cocktails and watching the waves roll in and out. Alternatively, you can also go bump and grind on the tiny dance floor with the rest of the tourists. I say tourists, because you won’t find many locals here as this venue requires them to pay a cover charge. It really is kind of an assholes’ place to be. 

3. Pukka: This was by far our favorite spot and we ended up here more than once. It’s got everything you need for a great night: live music, a large local crowd and an open layout that lets you sip triple-shot mojitos while watching the ocean do its thing. The best part about this place is the local crowd. El Nido isn’t that big, so it’s not uncommon to find yourself sharing drinks with the same scuba guides you were just underwater with earlier in the day.