Bacolod and chicken inasal go together like rice and your favorite ulam—but the City of Smiles has plenty more up its sleeve than the famous smoky grilled chicken.
From bakeries churning out cheesy pastries to mountain-based cafes serving sticky kakanin and restaurants giving Filipino comfort food the spotlight, there’s a whole lot more to eat beyond the usuals stops.
So if you’re planning to eat your way through the city and its nearby areas, here are five places worth adding to your itinerary. Just make sure you arrive hungry, because you’ll want to save room for all of them.
1. V&W Bakery Cafe & Restaurant
There’s nothing cheesy about a good pastry, especially when that pastry comes in the form of soft cheese rolls and Queso de BolaQueso de BolaA round ball of Edam cheese sealed in red wax, a fixture of the Filipino Noche Buena table. Sliced and paired with ham, pandesal, or hot chocolate, its salty, nuttyGo to Queso de Bola Glossary ensaymadas.
Luckily, V&W Bakery Cafe & Restaurant serves both, with the rolls perfect for a quick bite and the ensaymadas pairing buttery, pillowy dough with the savory richness of queso de bolaQueso de BolaA round ball of Edam cheese sealed in red wax, a fixture of the Filipino Noche Buena table. Sliced and paired with ham, pandesal, or hot chocolate, its salty, nuttyGo to Queso de Bola Glossary. And since the bakery is conveniently located beside Citadines, a 4-star hotel along Lacson Street, it’s an easy stop for when hunger strikes in between sightseeing and other food adventures.
So whether you’re after breakfast, a quick merienda, or a few pastries to take home as pasalubong, V&W has you covered—because when a cheese craving hits, you knead to answer it.
V&W Bakery Cafe & Restaurant is located at The Row, Lacson St. (beside Citadines Hotel), Bacolod City.
2. Buttery
Buttery’s tres leches is the kind of cake that barely needs an introduction—or much chewing. Its soft, super-moist texture practically dissolves the moment it touches your tongue, only leaving behind a milky sweetness that’s anything but subtle. The generous layer of cream on top then adds another layer of richness, all while staying light enough to let the cake do most of the talking.
For those who want to keep the streak of sweetness going, the tres leches latte brings a milky, dessert-inspired twist to your usual coffee order. Pair it with the slice of cake, and you’ve got a match made for anyone who believes there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing.
Butter is located at Two Regis, The Upper East, Bacolod City.
3. Sucre
For when you want the nostalgic taste of home but with a little extra pzazz, Sucre is the place to be. With a slightly elevated take on various Filipino and Negrense favorites like fried chicken, cansi, and even lechonLechonWhole pig roasted over charcoal until the meat is tender and the skin turns shatteringly crisp. The star of any fiesta or celebration, lechon has regional variations across the Philippines,Go to Lechon Glossary paksiw, the small space tucked besides The Upper East House’s museum certainly doesn’t hold back on flavor.
The appeal lies in how it gives familiar dishes a little something extra without making them feel unrecognizable. It’s comfort food with a bit of polish, perfect for when you want something familiar but are in the mood for more than your usual home-cooked fare. And if you still have room after your meal, Sucre also has cookies and cakes to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Sucre is located at The Upper East House Megaworld, Corner Lexington, Bacolod City.
4. Quan
Just a stone’s throw from the University of St. La Salle, Quan is a go-to for students looking for affordable meals and merienda between classes. But you don’t need a student ID to appreciate a spot that makes satisfying your cravings easy on the wallet.
For something sweet, look out for Golden Sun and napoleones. The former is a thick puck-shaped cake that’s coated in a (you guessed it) golden layer of custard. The custard is, to my surprise, not as sweet as it looks, while the cake itself is dense and compact. The classic napoleones, on the other hand, is a glazed flaky pastry with layers and layers of creamy filling that make it hard to stop at just one.
If you’re having trouble choosing, we say get both. With its dense cake and mellow custard, Golden Sun offers something different from the napoleones’ flaky layers and creamy filling. Either way, they’re a good excuse for a merienda stop, even if you’re long past your student days.
Quan is located at La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City. They also have multiple other branches in the city.
5. Duyan Cafe
Okay, including Duyan Cafe on a list of places to eat in Bacolod is technically cheating. It’s in Silay, after all. But with lush greenery, cool, dewy air, native coffee, and plenty of sticky kakanin, we think it deserves a pass.
There’s ibus, sticky rice steamed in woven palm-leaf casings; biko, a sweet rice cake with a rich, caramel-like flavor; and bukayo, a coconut fritter-like treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. Pair them with a hot cup of native coffee, find a spot overlooking the greenery, and suddenly, that almost-hour-long drive out to the mountain feels like an excellent decision.
Duyan is a reminder that a good food trip doesn’t have to be a race from one restaurant to the next. Sometimes, the best plan is to venture a little farther, order a few local treats, and enjoy the cool countryside air while you snack.
Duyan Cafe is located at Sitio Lantawan, Barangay Guimbalaon, Silay City.
Bacolod Has More Than Just Inasal
There’s nothing wrong with building a Bacolod trip around the famed chicken inasal. But between the pastries, desserts, comfort food, and countryside merienda, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by stopping there.
Think of these spots as your excuse to explore beyond the usual food stops. Just remember to pace yourself, bring your appetite, and maybe loosen your belt a notch—because, in Bacolod, there’s always something else worth taking a bite of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beyond its famous chicken inasal, Bacolod has plenty of places to explore for pastries, desserts, and Filipino comfort food. V&W Bakery Cafe & Restaurant is known for its cheese rolls and Queso de Bola ensaymadas, Buttery offers tres leches cake and a tres leches latte, Sucre serves Filipino and Negrense favorites, and Quan is a convenient stop for merienda and local sweets.
V&W Bakery Cafe & Restaurant is worth checking out for its soft cheese rolls and Queso de Bola ensaymadas. These cheesy pastries make convenient picks for breakfast, merienda, or pasalubong.
Buttery is a stop to consider for tres leches cake, known for its soft, moist texture and creamy topping. You can also try its tres leches latte for a dessert-inspired coffee option.
Duyan Cafe is located in Silay City, not Bacolod proper. However, its lush surroundings, native coffee, and traditional kakanin—including ibus, biko, and bukayo—make it a worthwhile detour for visitors exploring the Bacolod area.
For something beyond chicken inasal, try cheesy ensaymadas, tres leches cake, Negrense dishes such as cansi and lechon paksiw, and local sweets like napoleones. If you’re venturing into nearby Silay, look for traditional kakanin such as ibus, biko, and bukayo.
