Nakabalo Restaurant

Nakabalo Restaurant is the open-air dining room at Nakabalo Guesthouse in Cang-Obao, Maite, up a short climb into the hills above San Juan. It sits about 100 m above the sea, and its infinity pool looks out across the water to Apo Island, Negros and, on clear days, Mindanao. Sunset is when it fills up.

The menu leans Italian with some Asian dishes: pizzas, pastas like carbonara, amatriciana and seafood pasta, gnocchi, thick beef burgers and steak, plus a kinilaw-style ceviche and Thai curry. Pizzas and burgers get the steadiest praise, while some pasta sauces divide opinion on salt. There's a short list of French wines, cocktails like the piña colada, fresh juices and cold beer, and a pool table for after dinner. Service can lag, so order your second round early.

The restaurant is open 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily. Non-guests can use the pool for a fee, which a 2026 reviewer put at ₱1,000 with food and drinks included; the terms have changed over the years, so confirm when you arrive. Cards are accepted, which is rare on the island. Bring mosquito repellent for the evening, and arrive an hour before sunset to claim a lounger by the pool edge.