The hip Manila hangout, Travel Café Philippines isn’t just a mellow café and modern Filipino restaurant, but also a travel shop where you can book a trip to one of the myriad stunning islands and a shop selling everything from CDs of local music to stoneware pottery. The food is excellent—expect modern interpretations of well-loved local dishes such as adobo (chicken marinated in soy sauce vinaigrette stuffed with liver), Batangas beef ribs, or braised oxtail served with banana heart. End your meal with the Philippine’s most famous and extravagant dessert, halo halo, a rainbow-colored tower of different flavored ice creams, shaved ices, sweet preserved beans, coconut and fruit. One portion feeds at least four.