Cafe by the Ruins

Inside Cafe by the Ruins (day time) - 2

Cafe by the Ruins (in the morning)

Because it was so hot in Manila, me and Sharlyne went to Baguio City and stayed there overnight. We really made the most out of our Baguio City trip by having dinner and having breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins. I like the ambiance of their restaurant. You’ll feel like you’re just eating at the comfort of your own garden. 🙂

Inside Cafe by the Ruins (at night)
Cafe by the Ruins (at night)

The combination of the menu items we ordered when we had our dinner there might seem weird to you. For our appetizer, we had English Muffins with herb cheese (dip), Pandan lemongrass iced tea for drinks (80 pesos per glass), Lemon Ricotta and Grilled Chicken Breast Pasta and Beef Ribs Sinigang.

Biscuits with Herb Cheese at Cafe by the Ruins
English Muffins with herb cheese (80 pesos)

Beef Ribs Sinigang is just perfect to warm ourselves up because Baguio nights are really cold. Quite a bit disappointed because the soup was too salty for me. One order of it is already served with a cup of mountain rice. The serving size of their Sinigang is good for 2-3 people. The bowl is filled with vegetables and has an ample serving of beef ribs too.

Lemon Ricotta and Grilled Chicken Breast Pasta at Cafe by the Ruins
Lemon Ricotta and Grilled Chicken Breast Pasta at 240 Pesos

As for the Lemon Ricotta and Grilled Chicken Breast, it was again kind of disappointing. The fettuccine noodles were soggy but I liked the  combination of lemon ricotta. The chicken was overcooked but it’s tasty.

Beef Ribs Sinigang at Cafe by the Ruins
Beef Ribs Sinigang, 300 pesos

We capped off the night with an order of Strawberry Shortcake and a cup of Rizal’s Tsokolate-e for the both of us. How can one resist that tower of fresh strawberries, cream and scones drenched in syrup? That dessert is made of pure bliss. Rizal’s Tsokolate-e is not thick but I think it would be better to pair this with the other pastries. In addition, their hot chocolate (Rizal’s tsokolate-e) is a bit expensive (140 pesos per cup). I would probably order hot tea next time. 🙂

Strawberry Shortcake at Cafe by the Ruins
Strawberry shortcake, 200 pesos

We went back to the hotel happy with the Strawberry Shortcake and the ambiance. However, we decided to give Cafe by the Ruins a chance so we returned there for breakfast.

Fruit bowl at Cafe by the Ruins
Fruit bowl

For breakfast, I ordered a Filipino Lon-si-log while Sharlyne ordered the Farmer’s morning feast. Both of our orders already include cup of brewed coffee and a fruit bowl As for the coffee, we upgraded the regular brewed coffee to Ruins coffee (coffee filtered with cardamom, topped with whipped cream, cinnamon and muscovado sugar).

Ruins Coffee at Cafe by the Ruins
Ruins coffee, 80 pesos per cup

What I like about having breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins is that their serving is really generous. Sharlyne didn’t get to finish the bacon and even gave some of it to me. She liked it so much because the bacon is crispy. Perfect breakfast! For me, I like the Farmer’s feast more than the Filipino lon-si-log. FYI, they make their own bacon which is healthier than that of the processed ones being sold in the grocery. 😉

Farmers' Morning Feast at Cafe by the Ruins
Farmer’s morning feast, 260 pesos

What I like about their Filipino lon-si-log is that there is more meat and less fat which is what I hate about the typical longganisa being served in other restaurants.

Filipino Lon-si-log at Cafe by the Ruins
Filipino Lon-si-log, 260 pesos

This was our first time to dine at Cafe by the Ruins so I was quite disappointed that some of their dishes were not able to meet our expectations. We recommend this restaurant for breakfast. I might give this another chance when I come back. They have lots of dishes to choose from anyway. Many people say that the place has better ambiance before because it really looked like ruins but since buildings were constructed around it, the place looked out of place now.

Cafe by the Ruins
23 Chuntug Street, 2600 Baguio City, Philippines
(074) 442 4010

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