Where to eat in Cebu? You know youβre at the right place when you find yourself in a restaurant packed with dining customers. Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant in Mactan is one of the best restaurants in Cebu where excellent Filipino food come together with drop-dead gorgeous views, a breath of fresh air, and inexpensive bill. This place was an hour of drive away from our hotel in Cebu City, but it was totally worth going for. π
Review of Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant (Cordova, Cebu)
Ambiance: β β β β β
We expected that Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant’s staff would ask us to wait to be seated as we arrived at prime time. While waiting, we walked across the entire restaurant and checked out the interior design. Bright green chair fittings add a pop of color to the wooden fixtures that blended well with the “native” theme. Bamboo poles were everywhere, providing a sense of oriental, edgy yet comfortable vibe, as they hearken back to the days of hand-driven craftsmanship of Asian art pieces.
Surprisingly, there were far more seats at the back, supported with floating platforms where people can watch the boats glide by. Too bad the sky was as dark as black paint and there were no stars to bring even the faintest glimmer. Though we were not successful in seeing good views outside, we could imagine how it would be magnificent at daytime, since Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant has a good prime setting overlooking the sea.
The jeepney by the counter looked cute and we could not pass up a photo-op with it. Jeepney is the most iconic means of transportationΒ in the Philippines, so having one placed inside the restaurant speaks volume about how the concept of the Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant’s decor style is intertwined with contemporary Filipino society. Nice! π
Service: β β β ββ
The waiters and waitresses were too busy managing requests and arranging tables and seats for customers coming in. Raising and swaying one hand in the air wasn’t enough, so we did what we had to do. Everyone in our table raised and waved our two hands up high and looked at the servers going to our direction in the eye. π Yes, that’s what you can call desperation.
Else, our water glasses would have remained empty for the majority of the meal, our orders would not have been followed up, and our bill would have taken forever to get to us. Because of the extensive space of this restaurant and considering the size of the crowd, I think more staff on the floor are needed to serve customers more efficiently. Service overall was a wee bit chaotic but staffs were friendly.
Food: β β β β β
Our meal started off on the right foot.Β Warming and soothing, Ginataang Munggo (PhP 120) is a vegetarian dish that’s cooked with coconut milk (gata) and tender mung beans (munggo). I loved that the fragrant coconut milk was able to coat every ounce of the mung beans in its rich and thick soup. The sweet potato tops (talbos ng kamote) hit the right senses with slight bitterness that became sweet after lingering on palate for a bit.
Soft and succulent, the Baked Scallops (PhP 150) were really fresh with rich melted cheese toppings that made us swoon. It wasn’t just a plate of baked scallops; it was a plate of heaven, and Iβm still thinking about it now. So good and delightfully creamy, too!
We also fell in love with Kinilaw (PhP 175), a Filipino ceviche dish consisting of cubed raw fish marinated in vinegar along with diced tomatoes and spices. A pile of white fish saturated in slightly tangy sauce stung our tongue with a citric punch, and we can’t help but appreciate the perfect texture and firmness of the fish in every bite.
I don’t think I’ll ever quite tire of the magical combination of garlic and butter. When plump shrimps are cooked with this flavorful pairing, good things happen. These Buttered Garlic Shrimps (PhP 95) tasted delicious and were almost addicting, with sweet bursts of the silky butter sauce brightened with notes of finely chopped garlic. Awesome!
It would be sad to leave Cebu without tasting one of its finest food aside from the roasted lechon (suckling pig): the Lechon Manok (PhP 250/whole). Even without sauce or gravy, the chicken’s taste was impressive as a heady blend of spices played off beautifully. The skin came out not too scorched and the meat, juicy.
Some say you can tell how good a Filipino restaurant is by how well they make lechon kawali (Filipino crispy fried pork belly). Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant’s Lechon Kawali (PhP 210) version was on par with the standard quality we expected. The deep-fried pieces were intensely crisp and crunchy on the outside and moist and tender within. If your heart belongs to Filipino food, this is your jam. Order the lechon kawali with pride! π
Price for Value: β β β β β
You can expect a fiesta of wonderful Filipino flavors here at this buzzing floating restaurant in Mactan, Cebu. Prices of food are not astronomically high, so it’s best to indulge when you can. Low prices actually add up to a relaxing time since you don’t have to feel guilty about busting the budget. π I recommend adding Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant to your list of restaurants to try in Cebu. You won’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Operating Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
hehehe.. really? desperation!! Seriously!!!!! Raising hands like that!! hahaha but I must agree with you..
good food is easy to come by in CEBU because a lot of restos serve fresh stuff.. plus everything is affordable!! and I love it! see you soon dear
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening here! Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant is one of our favorites in Cebu. We’ll definitely return when we’re back again! See you. π
You should try their branch at Mountain View as well. Best during dinner, you’ll see stunning city lights π
Thanks for the reco. π We’ll try to visit that next time! Hopefully the weather is good so we can see the world go by and the pretty nice sunset.
That shrimp looks so good. I have to watch what I eat now when I go places I ate some shrimp stuff the other day and broke out as much as I eat shrimp I was shocked. Anywhoo love the bright colors and the outside. I don’t know when I eat outside it just feels less noisy and crowded
I love seafood and the buttered garlic shrimps deserved a special kudos. It had the flavor and taste I was hoping for. Great gem! Noise wouldn’t be a huge problem when you’re enjoying the food there, I promise. π
I love the setup of this place. It looks like it has a very relaxed feel. The photos you took are amazing too. The shrimp have me feeling like I want to make shrimp for dinner tonight.
It would have been more amazing when we came before it got dark. Anyway, we had a fun time dining at the floating restaurant in Cebu. Everything was at reasonable prices! π If you like and appreciate genuine Filipino cuisine, this is the place. Go!
I can see how having everyone at the table raising both hands in the air and looking at the server would get annoying. But the atmosphere looks really nice.
Haha. Beyond that though, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting an unusual and very good tasting meal in Cebu with its outstanding menu and flavors. π
I love the idea of dining in a restaurant overlooking the sea. The setting is really nice and all the food looks delicious. Scallops are my favorites and the baked scallops you have there made my mouth water.
The meal was a gastronomic pleasure! You might want to order more than one plate of those baked scallops and not share them. So good. π
This is awesome. Look at all that food. Now, I’ll be honest this is not my kind of food at all but my husband? Would be all over everything here. I’d love the view as I sat and ate though, that is beautiful. I love how all your reviews are so informative and very detailed. This looks great!
As always, thanks, Jeanine for your positive comments that make my heart jump in joy! π Don’t miss this jewel when deciding where to eat in Cebu. Everything was prepared very well and Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant is a fun place to dine with a big group of family or friends.
Sounds like there was definitely room for improvement as far as the service is concerned but the ambiance seems to be amazing! Sounds like you all really enjoyed the food as well! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Oh, I’m pleased to share with you a great restaurant to consider in Cebu. You’re welcome! π The setting was fantastic, it proved to be very good weather with a nice breeze and ambient lighting.
The food looks amazing! I sympathize with the service…but that may be because I’m the girl who just tells the waiter it will be much easier to just leave the pitcher of water the first time they refill my glass! LOL
We also had a pitcher of water and we were asking for it to be refilled. π
this place reminds me of that “kainan sa balsa” in bacoor Cavite.. it is not as huge and as cozy as this one but like Lantaw you’ll be dining on a hut sitting on a floating bamboo raft
Cavite is nearer. I have to check that out online. π
I like the Filipino Setup with the matching jeep. The food looks really delicious too and they have a wide selection.
Yeah, also one thing I liked was that even if there were lots of people, we never felt rushed so overall it was a happy experience. π
I have heard & seen via Facebook the different floating restaurants across the country but this one looks much more better. I love their ambiance and I do bet also that there would be a great view during the day. I’m just wondering, what happens to the seats or the customers who are seated outside when it rains? It looks like an open area.
The baked scallops looks cute and yummy!
I also thought about that. Maybe the tables and chairs would be moved to dining areas covered in roof panels. Baked scallops were the best in this meal. So creamy, so cheesy! π
This place has it all!! I am really interested in that last dish, the lechon kawali. Looks yummy! Love the decor and ambiance of this restaurant. Looks inviting and very authentic! Thanks for sharing it.
You’re welcome! Their lechon kawali was top notch and it’s a must-order. Perfect marks for the food!
My family and I have eaten here before and the food here are really winners. I could just keep on eating those delicious scallops! The butter garlic shrimp were also divine. This was certainly worth the long drive from the main city.
Those seafood entrees were the way to go here. Food was of high quality and there’s much emphasis on the flavor. Delicious! π
I wish we had a floating restaurant in my area! It would be perfect for the Florida beaches here and to relax in the sun. I love those booths and that color green is my FAVORITE. I’d love to one of those in my house, haha.
I also wish that we have a restaurant near our home or office that doesn’t necessarily have the same floating setup but serves the same good AND inexpensive food. π That shade of green is really captivating!
ay ang ganda naman jan! I hope my boyfriend and I can visit this restaurant in Cebu! Now we know where to eat there
Yes, you won’t be disappointed. π Sana makapunta kayo for lunch, mas maganda view pag may araw pa hehe.
I can totally imagine my family waving in unisom out of desperation! Good for you, I guess you had to get the busy wait staffs attention somehow. Nonetheless it looks like a very cool restaurant.
It’s either wave our hands altogether or stand up and go to the waiter directly to get attention. Haha. π