As we were staying at The Forest Lodge for 3D2N on a weekend, we grabbed the opportunity to dine in at what’s regarded as the best fine dining restaurant in Baguio City: Le Chef at The Manor, Camp John Hay. This all-day dining hotel-restaurant offers both Filipino and international cuisines by Chef Billy King. It’s open daily from 6AM to 11PM, and serves breakfast (buffet style), lunch and dinner.

Going to fastfood restaurants and those you frequent when in Baguio City may be tempting, but absolutelyΒ  if you only have a few days to visit and tour the City of Pines and want to eat well, it would be a mistake to miss dining here. Le Chef at The Manor has landed features in travel magazines and online sites many times over, and after experiencing it for the first time, we say the hype is well-deserved. Make a reservation as this restaurant books up well in advance.

Review of Le Chef Restaurant (The Manor, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

Ambiance: β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

We walked from the parking lot of The Forest Lodge and were led to The Manor’s garden, restaurant and bake shop. Elegant and classically beautiful. That’s how I’d shortly describe the atmosphere and design at Le Chef inside and outside. There’s little lighting in the garden area but it was enough to set a romantic mood right while enjoying the cool air of Baguio.

As we stepped inside, we found that the ambiance is one that spots a rather relaxed setting. It’s an ideal venue to host an executive lunch, an intimate family gathering or a memorable date. The restaurant is partitioned into sections with wall dividers, giving diners a sense of exclusivity while all being in the same room. The nice presentation on the dining table highlights the exquisiteness to expect from the meal to come. This is really my kind of place. πŸ™‚

Service: β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Service was great from reception to the end. We received warm greetings from the staffs and the manager upon arrival, and they presented only friendly and attentive stewardship.

For those celebrating their birthdays, an acoustic band serenades them a song and this shows how Le Chef wants to please customers and make them happy on their special day with dedication. I also noticed that the staffs take effort in speaking to diners between service unobtrusively to make sure that the food was cooked well and requests are attended to promptly without fail. Now that’s commendable.

Food: β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Warming us up for dinner was this basket of bread with Le Chef’s specialty dip. Boring, right? Wrong. These breads were perfectly soft and light, and the dip was flavorful. This complimentary starter kicked off the meal just right, while we were waiting for the actual courses to be served.

Topped with toasted almonds, Le Chef’s bowl of Broccoli Cream Soup (PhP 160) was as delicious as a simple plate of broccoli gets. It had this pure and eye-popping green color with chicken broth that’s nice and aromatic. The contrast of the rich texture and flavors of the cream soup and the crispy almonds helped make it remarkable.

Dressed impeccably, the Caesar Salad “The Classic Way” (PhP 220) came with Romaine lettuce in anchovy dressing, with croutons, bacon bits and Parmesan cheese carvings. We loved every minute eating this salad. The greens were so crunchy and so fresh that your lips will water and your eyes will pucker. If green stuff isn’t your thing though, then maybe pass.

Well seasoned and beautifully presented, the Pan-fried Halibut Steak in Pommery Mustard Sauce and Penne Pomodoro (PhP 720) was straight-up amazing! One of my go-to’s has always been fish, and this is one you definitely don’t want to miss. The pasta was also excellent, a heartier content of the dish than you might think. You could use some carbs anyway.

We carried on, with more wisdom than sense of adventure. My mom had the star dish, the Malaysian Goat Curry with Biryani Rice (PhP 495), which looked interesting on Le Chef’s menu. The classic aroma of curry was present. The meat had a staggering tenderness so our teeth could gently bite it down. To goat meat lovers, I bet this will be your heaven. In my case, I thought it was better to cash in my digestive bandwidth elsewhere.

Served with pickled green papaya and steamed rice, these Char-grilled Baby Back Ribs in Fennel Barbecue Sauce (PhP 540) were not what we came to Le Chef for, but they were the best of the bunch out of our orders. Smoky with just the right spice, the baby back ribs were not tricky to eat as they’re fall-of-the-bone good. The sauce was less sweet than I expected; it was alright. We really liked this a lot, though not quite as much as the steak….


I’m not even gonna hesitate. The MANOR Steak (PhP 880) is one of the best steaks we’ve tried. My boyfriend had sampled a lot of versions of steak in many restaurants and he told us this one has his seal of approval. It was an incredible cut of medium rare meat, which arrived at the table perfectly cooked and juicy.Β Home-fried potatoes and grilled tomatoes were sitting on a side. Yes, they were nice as well, but we’ve hardly noticed them as we were too busy shoving slices of steak into our mouth. πŸ˜‰ Even if my taste buds don’t often agree with meat, they did this time. The MANOR steak was delicious with a capital D.


Since Le Chef lacked selections for vegetarians, the most they could offer my dad who’s a strict vegetarian was the Brown Rice Selection – Vegetable and Mushroom (PhP 320). The minimal description didn’t need to take some decoding. With an elegant display, all ingredients were as you know they would taste like, and nothing was deceptive.


For desserts, we shared the Banana Split “Le Chef” (PhP 220)β€”three flavors of ice cream, sliced bananas, cream, nuts and cherries on top. As a punchy, sweet combination with a spectrum of textures, it won our hearts and minds.

Also a hit, the Cherry Cheesecake was a very pretty and fairly tasty CHEESY bite. It was smooth, creamy and everything I’d look for in a cheesecake. I loved the thin graham-cracker crust at the bottom. Yum!

Price for Value: β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†

We’ve traveled six hours from Manila, and we just wanted to maximize our vacation stay in Baguio with great-tasting food. Pleased and satisfied, we didn’t go back to the Forest Lodge hungry with these heavy and impressive entrees. Le Chef’s menu is by no means exorbitant especially for a special occasion, and by the standard of the variety of food matched with good quality, is actually good value.

If you are going to stay or just arrange a visit at Camp John Hay, I recommend that you make a reservation at Le Chef Restaurant and do so for dinner. It’s better to go with a larger group and order as much as you can realistically handle, and then have some desserts. πŸ™‚

Address: The Manor, Loakan Road, Camp John Hay, Baguio City, Benguet
For inquiries, call (074) 446 0406 or (074) 424-0907
Date Published: 11/05/2014
19 / 20 stars

About 

Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.

88 Responses

  1. mindy

    By now i should’ve known better than to read your restaurant reviews with an empty stomach!!! Everything look so good and your descriptions on the steak makes me drool so bad. I am so hungry now that even the cheesecake (i don’t eat cheesecake, just not my cup of tea-or slice of cake, ha!) is beckoning me hahaha

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha be prepared as there’s MORE to come! πŸ™‚ Ah, it’s interesting to know why you don’t like eating cheesecakes. Actually at first I don’t as well but then as I’ve tasted a lot more versions and learned that there’s really good-quality ones, I’ve come to appreciate cheesecakes so much now than before. <3 Love it!

      Reply
  2. Robin (Masshole Mommy)

    That Broccoli Cream Soup looks so good. What a great restaurant.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      It’s funny to me that a seriously plain looking soup is the one that captured your attention most! Wow. πŸ™‚ Yes, Le Chef is a great restaurant. We’d want to be back.

      Reply
  3. courtneylynne

    Omg!!!! This restaurant looks beyond amazing!!! And the broccoli cream soup!!! Wish I had a bowl right now πŸ˜‰

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      The soup was actually a star dish and not to be underestimated for the richness and thickness of its taste. It was very filling as well and I couldn’t even finish it alone.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more food, the Banana Split was ordered by my mom. I tasted it and I knew for sure it was so good. It’s banana split as you would imagine: sweet as hell, just the way you’d like it. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  4. Liz Mays

    I would never call bread boring. That would have been the perfect start to my meal too, and everything else looked so good from the soup to the dessert!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Yes, the complimentary bread was fresh and filling, and I enjoyed the way it was baked. We liked everything in Le Chef. By far, it’s really the best restaurant we’ve been to in Baguio City. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Jacqueline

    That place is beautiful! I hate distracting restaurants with lots of stuff hanging. I love wooden walls. The food looked yummy as well πŸ™‚

    Reply
  6. Ann Bacciaglia

    I love the decor of the restaurant. The food all looks amazing. i would love to dine here.

    Reply
  7. mr_jeng

    DUDE!! The GOAT!! I love!!! WOW! It has been a long time since I had GOAT but wow! Even the veggie looked tempting to eat but I am still not going near it. HEHEHEHE!!!
    The prices are also reasonable ah!! :D:D:D Next time when in Baguio! πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha I don’t know what will happen if you stuff yourself with vegetables. Hey, they’re really fine and delicious. πŸ˜› For sure, you’ll love to have a hearty meal here! Everything was neatly constructed in beautiful plating.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Every dish served brought wows to the table. If you also have noticed, Le Chef has a bakery and the cakes and desserts displayed there looked like they all are packed with a bag of flavors that bring oomph to each spoonful of sinful calories!

      Reply
  8. Nancy

    I’ve never had Filipino food before! By the looks of your photo at Le Chef restaurant, I think I could easily love it πŸ™‚ Broccoli cream soup, right up my ally. The halibut looked amazing too, I love fish in a nice creamy sauce.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      These are not essentially authentic Filipino food we had. If you want to try our local cuisine, you can go ask the staff for their best recommendations. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. Rebecca Swenor

    This place looks amazing and the food all looks so delicious indeed. I am now craving Broccoli Cream Soup. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      If you can travel abroad and other island destinations in the Philippines, why not Baguio? I think for sure you’ll have the chance to visit this part of the country. Enjoy Camp John Hay. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Krystal

    Le Chef is so beautiful. If I ever get to your side of the world, I’ll definitely check this gorgeous restaurant out!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      You’re welcome! Le Chef is such a big name and very popular in Baguio. Do check it out next time you’re in the area, so you’d have a wonderful story to bring back home about this grand resto. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Fernando Lachica

    Always you make me feel hungry reading your reviews and truly, this place looks excellent for diners and tourists. Well, food makes my day even banana cue and can of coke.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Oh, while several new developments in Baguio are created, it’s still nice that the landmarks and places we used to go to are still there. (The last time we went was 10 years ago.) You must see and experience the changes. Camp John Hay in particular has been really modernized. πŸ™‚ Good place to stay as a family!

      Reply
  12. Allen

    I got stuck at the broccoli soup. I’d love to try that and also the steak; for someone like you to rave about steak then it must be really good πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Hi Allen! The Broccoli Cream Soup and the Manor Steak should be a “deadly” combo that will make you very pleased for a full meal. Haha yeah you know me well. I don’t like meat but this is one of the rare/few occasions when I appreciated it. πŸ˜›

      Reply
  13. Cindy G

    Would love to try their steak! πŸ™‚ was it worth the price? Now I have another place on my list to try when I went to Baguio.

    Reply
  14. BCP

    Awesome post! Add to the awesome menu of Le Chef at The Camp John Hay Manor are the musicians that play there every night. The food and Baguio tunes is one thing you should not forget to try when you’re in town. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Thanks, BCP. πŸ™‚ Le Chef offers a relaxing vibe that’s trendy and warm. I look forward to having another dining experience there with more friends and family next time.

      Reply

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