A friend of my family took us on a trip to Tagaytay for a little food trip while admiring the scapes and sceneries Tagaytay has to offer. From all the sights and sounds Tagaytay has to offer, there's one Filipino restaurant that got me noticed. What was that restaurant I'm featuring right now?
The place in question is this; Balay Dako. A Filipino restaurant with a close view of the Taal Lake, which is the home of the infamous Taal Volcano. It's located on the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway between Max's Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway branch and Leslie's Restaurant. The restaurant's name means "Big House" in Negrense.
At first glance, it looks more like your grandparents' house from a faraway province but the moment you step in...
...it's actually a fancy restaurant brimming with life as visitors looking to eat and forget their everyday stress. A word from the street is that famous celebrities got the chance to eat at Balay Dako. I don't know who these celebrities are but they sure are having a blast eating at this high-class Filipino restaurant.
The Balay Dako restaurant is divided into three different dining venues; Azela, Silong, and Terraza. We're in the Silong area, which is located on the ground floor, where we get to see how a Tagaytay delicacy known as the Piaya was made, and a view of the Taal volcano from the window, among many others.
However, the best place to dine in Balay Dako is in the Terraza area, where you can easily get out and experience the view of Taal Lake. The perfect place to take pics of the majestic but terrifying landmark that made headlines with the eruption three years ago that caused the whole Mega Manila to experience smog and forced residents to wear facemasks while on the go. That was moments before the pandemic, just so you know.
The Terraza area also packs a bar and grill where they will serve you some cocktails, pulutan, and of course, pizza with a Filipino twist.
Because Balay Dako is a fancy restaurant, don't expect this place to be budget-friendly because the menu here features outrageously-priced Filipino cuisine that is high quality compared to everyday Filipino meals you've cooked at home. For instance, the palabok I had there costs 650 Pesos while the Kare Kare Klasik costs us 1,060 Pesos. Although expensive, the high quality of these foods is delicious as such. Well, the palabok I had fits the bill neatly and so is the Kare Kare and the Bulalo soup.
The drinks don't come cheap as well, although the restaurant will offer you complimentary water. It's hot as standard, although you can request one in either warm or cold, I think.
If you had fun dining at the Balay Dako, you can come to its deli to buy some pasalubong as well. Just a word of advice; they don't come cheap as well but hey, these pasalubongs are worth sharing with your friends and family after your Tagaytay trip.
So, what can I say about Balay Dako? Although the menu's outrageously expensive, this fancy restaurant is a must-visit for adventurers here and worldwide, especially if you're in the mood to witness the dangerously beautiful Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano from either the window or at the Terraza. I would gladly recommend this place to those who are new or returning to the Tagaytay trip.
Short highlights:
BALAY DAKO
Tagaytay - Nasugbu Hwy, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines
Opens 1100 to 2100 Weekdays, 0700 to 2100 Weekends
