How is Cebu city currently? For single tourists and semi-expats

[Jack Peterson]

 You Know I often sit and think to myself, How many upper class Filipino Restaurants, people would hope to find in Western Cities? When in Rome springs to mind 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Jack Peterson
Just because

[Mike J]

4 hours ago, Old55 said:

I've been to dozens of fine restaurants in Cebu City not counting upscale resorts and hotels. 

New French restaurant, Le café Francais in Moalboal has amazing food!   Currently rated 4.9 by google reviews, 5.0 by Tripadvisor.    Other fine places to eat are Herbs Guest House in Moalboal and Escapo Verde in Badian.   The later two are primarily lodging but have excellent food.  Excellent dining is available but you sometimes have to search for it.  Getting hungry just writing this post. 

[RBM]

On 10/27/2022 at 6:04 PM, Kingpin said:

Restaurants aren't good, traffic is terrible but everyone understands English here. Never a better time to rent a place.

 

 

Interesting, used to live in Cebu few years ago, were many fine restaurants. Could be the pandemic has closed a few.

My brother just returned here for vacation, stayed at a familiar hotel in Cebu last week. Comment was how its gone so much down hill, was shocked, same with some old haunts...restos. Guess with no guests during pandemic these owners are short of funds and happy just to stay open. 

 

[Kingpin]

20 hours ago, Old55 said:

I completely respect your opinion. We all have different tastes and expectations. 

Back at ya, and indeed we do.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that nobody comes to the Philippines for the restaurants, and everybody comes to Philippines for the people. Thankfully I'm happy with my wife's cooking, so the lack of outside cuisine isn't an issue at all.

 

6 minutes ago, RBM said:

Interesting, used to live in Cebu few years ago, were many fine restaurants. Could be the pandemic has closed a few.

Closed many, but the issue was restaurants with an international menu which were always lacking. There are always decent places for Filipino food, and none of that is surprising; if you want authentic international food, you need international chefs.

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Kingpin

[CebuAndy]

Read a lot all over internet and seem many people who returned to Cebu this year regret it, and wish they had waited longer. A aquentaince told me the old spaghetti house restaurant in SM city was long gone, a early victim of C-19 or before? 

Thailand currently enjoy a new building boom, although limited vs pre-C, it's noticeable there are investors with money to burn, on new project.  Can only hope some of them will head to Cebu. Airline tickets in the region are getting lower.

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

11 hours ago, CebuAndy said:

many people who returned to Cebu this year regret it

Yes, but in my experience, it makes me wonder if it is me who changed or Cebu.  Cebu is not the same as it was a decade ago, but neither am I.  Which came first?  Truth is, most places I have gone back to after a decade do not feel the same.

[GeoffH]

12 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Yes, but in my experience, it makes me wonder if it is me who changed or Cebu. 

I think many cities in the Philippines changed character during Covid, a lot of the businesses that were popular with tourists closed or reinvented themselves and cater more towards the locals now.  

That's changed the feel of some areas IMO.

[OzeMike]

Added to the effects of the Covid19 lockdown is the huge amount of damage in Cebu Island...including Metro Cebu last December I think it was.

I've been there twice since them to go to the BI for my 13A visa and the city is taking a long time to get back to how it was....in addition there is garbage and litter everywhere it seems and the never ending traffic growth of course.

Air pollution has been bad there even pre Covid and the "Cebu Cough" is becoming well known.

I hope it can recover and fix many of these problems as I think it has sadly become a mini Manila. Great restaurants and shopping malls there though!

[Old55]

10 minutes ago, OzeMike said:

Added to the effects of the Covid19 lockdown is the huge amount of damage in Cebu Island...including Metro Cebu last December I think it was.

I've been there twice since them to go to the BI for my 13A visa and the city is taking a long time to get back to how it was....in addition there is garbage and litter everywhere it seems and the never ending traffic growth of course.

Air pollution has been bad there even pre Covid and the "Cebu Cough" is becoming well known.

I hope it can recover and fix many of these problems as I think it has sadly become a mini Manila. Great restaurants and shopping malls there though!

Agree 100%. Darn traffic is often totally gridlocked and the air quality is poor.

We enjoy the many good restaurants and shopping malls too. If it weren't for having good friends and our family in Cebu City area I doubt we would visit the City more than a day. 

[Kingpin]

4 hours ago, OzeMike said:

 it has sadly become a mini Manila

It's always been a mini-Manila, even been promoted as the Visayan's 'Queen' to Luzon's 'King'.  Some may not know but the changes started long before Covid. The Mango bars were shuttered by the government, and it became an outdoor restaurant area, many of which have popped up throughout the city.  On the streets, traffic and pollution is terrible but completely irrelevant as myself and other expats I know here order everything on Grab or Foodpanda, not to mention Shopee or Lazada.  These delivers are major improvements but you can't take fully advantage of them unless you're in the city itself.