Where to find Vegetarian, Vegan and Jain food in Cebu, Philippines

Initial research on Google and Trip-advisor did show a few options for Indian and vegetarian restaurants in Cebu. However, most of the Vegetarian restaurants I came across in Cebu promoted mock meat which none of us like and few of them served seafood as well, so make sure you confirm the ingredients before you order in any of these restaurants. What we absolutely could not get any information was about Jain food in these restaurants from any of the forums or reveiws. We were worried for our parents as they only eat Jain food and wont compromise on that aspect! Incase we don't find any good restaurants, the only options are fruits and bread (only if eggless) with butter, cheese or veggies. To add to our worry few friends who have lived in Philippines said it will be very difficult to find vegetarian food in Philippines except a few places in Manila!

Well nothing was true, not only we found some great vegetarian food options in Cebu, but also the Jain versions for us as well. The restaurants were kind enough to make food as per our specifications. The biggest advantage of Philippines is everyone speaks english and its easier to explain your preferences.

Vegan Burger at Feria, Radisson Blu, Cebu

On an average the food was cheap in Cebu and the other places we travelled in Philippines. On a normal meal we did not spend more than Rs.600 (437 PHP) per person even when we ate at 5 star restaurants.

Here is a review of all the Vegetarian, Jain or Vegan food and restuarants we could find on our food quest in Cebu:

1) Toniq Juice Bar & desserts from Kits Kitchenn

Toniq juice bar, Ayala Mall, Cebu

We were desperately looking for vegan or vegetarian desserts in Ayala mall, when we came across a post about a place called Kits Kitchenn in Rustans super market, we were delighted and excited to try this place out. Unfortunately when we visited that place we realised the place had been shut down. We approached some of the staff who said it has now shifted to the 4th Floor but again we couldn’t find it there as well. We just called up the number on their Facebook page and they said some of their desserts are kept at a restaurant called Toniq Juice Bar on 4th floor.

The place was easy to find on the fourth floor and glad we went to this place, one for the amazing food they served and ten for the desserts from Kits Kitchenn.

Best Pizza in Philippines-Vegetarian Pesto Pizza

For food we tried their vegetarian pizza, burger and a wrap, everything was made fresh and tasted good. 

Best Vegan & Gluten free desserts

We also tried one portion of each dessert that was available, believe me, all desserts were delicious! Would highly recommend you visit this place even if you are not a vegetarian! The dessert's are so good! I think you can also request Kits Kitchenn in advance if you want any vegan or vegetarian cakes or desserts for your Birthdays or Special Occasions.

Vegetarian Burger served with Nachos-Must Try!

Toniq Juice Bar is open from 10 am to 9 pm, the place gets crowded very quickly and one of our orders for takeaway took more than 40 mins.

Address: Ayala Center Cebu, 176 Archbishop Reyes Ave. CebuBusiness Park, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines 

2) Feria

Vegetarian Pizzas at Feria

I would highly recommend Feria simply because they have a good variety of options for Vegetarians.  Make sure you book a table in advance (+63324029900) and inform them about your food preferences especially if you are a Jain. They are open for breakfast from 6 am to 10.30 am, lunch from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and dinner from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm. In case your are going for dinner to try Indian food make sure you reach before 9 pm as the Indian chef suggested he leaves by 9.15-9.30 pm.

Indian curries Paneer Kadhai and Paneer Methi Malai at Feria, Radisson Blu, Cebu

The day we visited was the first day of the Chinese New Year and the restaurant was absolutely packed, they suggested we go for the buffet as they were running some special offers on the buffet! The spread was grand but due to restrictions on our dietary preferences we requested them to serve us à la carte food.

The staff was kind enough to accommodate the request despite of the heavy rush.

Their menu is designed exceptionally well for people with dietry preferences and allergies and has very detailed description of allergens and ingredients. The detailed menu was something I really liked about the restaurant. Further tweaks are possible in some of the dishes, so make sure you request your server for them.

We tried their Italian, Indian and Vegan food, the food was good to taste, had a good portion size and was on the cheaper side if you compare with any Indian five star restaurant!

Quattro Formaggi Pizza, Feria, Radisson Blu, Cebu

We explained our preferences for Jain food to the Indian chef. The Chef was really nice and made some food out of the menu as well like paneer kadhai in red sauce and a jain paneer methi mutter in white gravy. The paneer was made fresh by the chef. What we liked about the Indian dishes was they was served as a combo along with naan bread, basmati rice, papad, salad and chutneys. The combo would cost only 400-450 PHP, the same would cost more than 500 php if ordered separately at any of the local Indian restaurants!

In Italian cuisine we could only try the pizzas, none of their pastas were eggless. Both pizzas we ordered were good to taste, however the Margherita tasted better as compared to the four cheese pizza. Their vegan burger was a delight as well, huge in portion and tasted really nice.

Margherita Pizza, Feria, Radisson Blu, Cebu

Overall we had a great dinner here!!

I would strongly suggest enrolling for free for the Radisson rewards membership on their website.  Members get an additional discount on total bill, we got 5% discount on our bill at Feria.

Also if you want to book a stay at Radisson Blu Cebu the cheapest price we found was on Agoda.com.

Address: Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts, Sergio Osmena Boulevard, Corner Juan Luna Avenue, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines

3) Acqua at Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa

Franco Veggie Pizza, Acqua, Shanghai-La, Cebu

We were mesmerised by this property of Shangri-La in Cebu. Everything was grand, the lobby, the gardens, the pool, the sea view, the kids zone etc. We were glad we went to Acqua, this way we at-least got to explore the property! Acqua is an Italian restaurant with some great vegetarian options to fulfil your cravings. The restaurant is headed by Chef Andrea Burzio who is from Turin Italy, he personally took our order and specification for the food which was very kind of him. He was happy to customise some of the dishes to Jain food as well.

Excellent service at Acqua, Shangri-La, Cebu

The service staff was prompt and helpful.

Kids menu at Acqua, Shangri-La, Cebu

They have a special kids menu as well.

Margherita Pizza, Acqua, Shangri-La, Cebu

The complimentary breads served with olive oil and a red chilli sauce were fresh and nice. We tried their Franco Veggie pizza and Margherita pizza, both were really good.

Aglio olio pasta, Acqua, Shanghai-La, Cebu

I did not like the aglio-olio Pasta much, but the white sauce and pesto sauce were really nice.

Penne in white sauce, Acqua, Shangri-La, Cebu

They are open for breakfast from 6 am to 10.30 am, lunch from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and dinner from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm.

Spaghetti in pesto sauce, Acqua, Shanghai-La, Cebu

Overall we had a great dining experience here after an amazing sunset cruise in Mactan.

Address: Punta Engaño Rd, Cebu, 6015 Cebu, Philippines

4) Pizza Hut at Ayala Mall

Veggie Pizza, Pizza Hut, Ayala Mall, Cebu

They have two options for vegetarians- the Veggie pizza and Cheese Lovers Pizza. Both Pizzas are really good, the cheese stuffed crust base was yummy as well! The server was kind enough to replace some of the toppings in veggie pizza for free. They customised the pizzas to jain specifications as well.

Cheese lovers pizza with stuffed cheese crust, Pizza Hut, Ayala, Cebu

The store is open from 10 am to 10 pm.

Address: Pizza Hut Ayala Cebu, 3rd Level Ayala Center Cebu,Cebu Business Park, 6000 Cebu, Philippines

5) Bread Talk at Ayala Center Cebu 

Bread talk at Ayala, Mall, Cebu

I could go here everyday just to enjoy the aroma of the freshly baked products. We tried their wheat and refined flour breads which were both really nice. The breads from here were a saviour on our trip to Bohol. We thoroughly enjoyed the sandwiches we made from the wheat bread especially. There are two supermarkets in Ayala, Rustan’s and Metro Supermarket on the lower floor where you could buy a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits as well. Metro supermarket was huge as compared to Rustans and cheaper as well.

Address: Ayala Center Cebu The Terraces, CebuBusiness Park, Archbishop Reyes Ave, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines

6) Cherry’s The Spice

Very average place! We were late from our amazing trip at Bohol and could not find any other option for Vegetarian food. Recent Trip Advisor reviews did warn us about this place, but still we decided to give this place a try because of some high rating.

Indian food-Paneer Chilli, Paneer Kadhai, Dal Tadka, Chole, Chapatti and Rice, Cherry's the spice, Cebu

The paneer was tasting stale and the gravy was not good at all. The owner was very imposing and we really did not enjoy the ambience and food at this place. The prices are ridiculous as well and not at all worth it, would suggest going to Feria instead.

Would definitely recommend to avoid this place, nothing authentic or good about it!

Address: Gov. M. Cuenco Ave, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu,Philippines

Other then the above options you will find plenty of fruits everywhere in Cebu and Bohol.

Grilled Bananas near hanging bridge in Bohol

We tried this grilled banana in Bohol just opposite the hanging bridge.

The best coconut water I had ever tasted was in Philippines. Coconut water is abundantly available everywhere in Cebu and Bohol, its refreshing would hardly cost 30-40 php, one coconut water could easily fill 3 or 4 glasses, thus it is as filling as a meal.

Bo's coffee- Best coffee in Philippines

We also tried the local Filipino coffee- BO’s Coffee at many places in the city and airports! We liked Bo's coffee more as compared to the American chains like Starbucks or Seattles Best Coffee.

Cafe Mocha at Seattles Best Coffee, Ayala, Cebu

The cafe mocha at Seattles Best Coffee was better as compared to all the other iced or cold coffees we tried here.

Iced coffees, Java Mint Chocochip, Salted Caramel Cookie Java, Seattles Best Coffee, Cebu

Good thing at all the 3 coffee shops, the whipped cream they served was egg-less.

Seattles Best Coffee-Javakula Mint Coffee, With Eggless Whipped Cream

Like we did you should also not find any trouble in finding great Vegetarian, Vegan or Jain food on your trip to Cebu.

If you have any queries or suggestions please leave a comment below, you can also email me on vegyatri@gmail.com.

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