Cebu

I eat out a lot. I mean, six times a week. So when I went to Cebu last week, I was amazed at how good their food was. Their dipping sauce concept is brilliant. It's all about the sauces for me. My girlfriend doesn't like sauce with her steak. So it was great for her. She didn't order the dipping sauces on the side. I had their salmon and found my favorite sauce. It was their soy sake tamarind?. You gotta try it! Pros: the food!! Cons: parking! more

We were in Old City on a Friday night and passed by Cebu. It was really crowded and buzzing, so we stopped in. (Line was long, but it moved fast) It was a lot of fun. Great DJ. On the way out, I picked up a menu card for the restaurant. What a surprise! I was expecting something very different. We ended up going back to Cebu the following week for dinner. I wanted to try their tapas menu which isquite extensive and really reasonable. I don't think anything is over $7 or $8 on it. The surprise for me was the Dipping Grill. Although we shared a couple of tapas dishes that our server - Iris - (she was fantastic) recommended, we decided to see what the Dipping Grill was all about. I ordered the skirt steak (full size) and my date had the half portion. We each ordered different sauces so that we could end up trying 6 of their sauces. It was really great, and a fun way to share a meal. The ambiance was great: good background music, but we could still talk without having to shout over the din. We weren't rushed and were lingering over dessert and coffee and ended up hanging around for the late night again. Another DJ but just as good. more

I went to CEBU last Friday with my girlfriends and we had a blast! I never write reviews but I had such a good time I felt like I had to share it with citycearch! Food was fabulous! Love their entrees as well as tapas menu. The DJ was awesome and the drinks were DELICIOUS. I recommend to anyone who is looking to have a great meal and night out! Pros: Great Food, Great DJ! more

Lately I have been feeling like a lot of restaurants and lounges never live up to the hype projected by professional reviews or their own websites. Well, I stopped in Cebu this past week after a young hostess greeted me while a friend and I reviewed the menu out front, I must say we got more than we had bargained for. Pros: Different Menu Options, Really Great Looking Place Cons: No Beers On Tap more

We had good service (the place was empty at 6p.m. on a Saturday night), but the food was not good. ""Paella"" was recommended and we expected to get . . . well . . . at least something resembling paella. We received tomato sauced rice piled with mushy, inedible mussels, a few small clams, previously frozen shrimp, and yes. . . what resembled and tasted like KIELBASA!! My sirloin steak (accompanied by what tasted like dipping sauces assembled from bottled barbeque sauce) was fatty and gristle laden. The small asparagus spears were tasty, as was the sliced potato. My child's talapia was ok, but the 3 dipping sauces were not good, nor were they suited to the dish. We cut our losses and had ice cream from a local store for dessert. Not worth the time or money. Pros: location, good service although place was empty Cons: food, food, food - They also called 4 different times to confirm the reservation!!! more

not only were the drinks incredibly small, but the bartenders were slow and rude. The bouncers were the most egotistical jerks and had control issues. They will kick you out for setting a drink down or closing your eyes while sitting. On the way out , my friend asked for me to wait until she got her coat so i turned around to help her - a bouncer shoved me outside and said i could wait outside ... then he proceeded to to accuse me of calling him the ""N"" word behind his back. The worst part - the managers don't care about what anyone says and completely ignore the issues. Pros: looks nice, music Cons: nowhere to dance, controlling and self-righteous more

The big bartender with the red hair Greg is possibly the best bartended in the world. He served us an excellent meal and made us drinks to compliment the meal. He made me a martini and when I asked him what was it called he asked me name. I told him it was Jamie. His response ? Jamie I made the especially for you so from now on you can come in here and call it the Jamie. Pros: Greg the Bartender Cons: We can go everyday more

If waiting 57 minutes (yes, precisely fifty-seven minutes) for your drink order is your idea of good service, then this place is for you! I realize the world doesn't revolve around me and completely understand when a restaurant is packed and service is on the slow side - I'm really not one to complain. However, the place was half empty and I could see by the expressions on the faces of the other patrons that I wasn't the only one in dismay. From there things only went downhill. The staff forgot about 1/3 of our our food orders and seemed bewildered and bollixed when we asked hard-hitting questions like, ""Where's my food?"" After paying the tab, I ran for the door, hoping to escape, and praying to never return. The bottom line: Worst Phila restaurant experience ever. Pros: the food was ok. Cons: Service, service and... oh yea, service more

Having lived in metropolitan city as Boston, there is no Filipino cuisine...So, visiting Philadelphia, I was excited to find out that there was a few Filipino restuarants...To my dismay, I was very disappointed with the food. In addition, some of the servers who aren't native filipinos, should be retrained in the ingredients of each dish. One example, ordering 3 appetizers, Lumpia shanghai, tocino, and tahong - I believed that Toron is not another name for Lumpia Shanghai, which was served as part of the 3 apps we've ordered. When we had asked the server that I did not ordered this, she responded by saying that it was made that way...I was shocked!!! Do not convince a filipino native that Toron is Lumpia Shanghai...One redeeming dish that was served was Kare Kare...tasty and authentic...overall I expected a little bit more.. Pros: Some dishes authentic Cons: Some NOT authentic... more

I went to Cebu this past Friday with my girlfriend for dinner around 9:00 PM. The hostess was not at her post when we came in and when she arrived she wasn?t even apologetic or very friendly. We were seated promptly, and I was surprised how dead it was in there?there were not many diners. Pros: It's in Old City so you can hang out somewhere else afterwards Cons: The food and the decor are disappointing more

My girlfriend and I ate at Cebu the evening of April 12. We loved it. We had grilled Salmon, 3 tapas, a Cebu salad, a glass of wine and a Mojito-like cocktail. A full, delicious, somewhat exotic meal for $60. The service was fine; a fascinating Cambodian server was knowledgeable and friendly and professional. The decor was lively-punk-romantic-high tech; a former bank with high ceilings and some tropical-like touches. We ate early, so the restaurant wasn't crowded. The tables were not too close together. We would go back in a second. Hopefully our next experience will be as good as the first. more

I stayed in the area of Cebu for about a week and had such a bad dinner there that I felt compelled to find a Menupages to comment. It strikes me that the positive reviews here might definitely have a stake in the restaurant; they're too glowing and they don't in any way capture the actual experience of eating at Cebu. Different chefs, servers, and food distributors can make a dramatic difference but I ate here in early January - the period described - and I can honestly say it was the most disappointing restaurant meal I have ever had, ever. And the service was just astounding, also among the worst. Yes, the atmosphere is excellent - that's why I chose the restaurant but you know the cliches about beauty, skin deep, looks, etc. more

Do not go here! I have never had such a bad experience as I did at this bar. Bartenders are completely unprofessional, and when I complained to management they did nothing about it. I have worked as a waitress for years and never have I seen an employee say harsh things to a costumer. The bartender should have been fired on the spot! more

Sixteen of us had a superb relaxed fine dining experience at Cebu. Ambience was elegant, service was efficient and very friendly. Food was delicious, bountiful portions, authentic!!! The mixed drink I had was unique and exhilirating. Prices were better than other fine dining restaurants in the area. We felt that we were treated very special. I definitely will be back with my friends and family. Filipinos will be proud to have such an upscale restaurant. This restaurant is highly recommended. more

I went here with my girlfriend for their Valentine's Day prix fixe dinner and will probably not be returning. Pros: Food Cons: Service, attention to detail more

We went to Cebu for the $30 dinner tonight with a few friends. I'm extremely satisfied with their Restaurant Week offer ( yes, they are doing it, although we did not know about it either) My husband had the Kare Kare (oxtail) and I had a the Cebu Salad and trifecta appetizer option (you get 3 appetizers for a bargain): Inihaw (pork bits with sweet onions and lemon), Lumpia (great thin rolls with 3 wonderful dipping sauces), and the the Tokwa (my favorite: tofu, chorizo and other morsels). Pros: The food has quality and originality, the interior is upscale and inviting Cons: Service is a bit chaotic, prices may be high on regular weeks more

I went with a large group of friends and the service was generally good, if a little slow. We did have some issues with the hostess, who was incredibly rude when it came time to return our checked coats. The trifecta appetizer sampler is an excellent way to try several of their delicious dishes. I particularly enjoyed the ribs, which were tasty and incredibly tender. The entrees were all solid; I had the kare kare (oxtail) and enjoyed it. For dessert, the fried bananas were the way to go. The flan was strangely dry, stiff and tasted off. Overall, though, it was a nice evening and a great place to go with a bunch of people. Pros: Yummy appetizers Cons: Slow (and occassionally rude) service more

We had dinner at Cebu last night. We were a group of 11. We started off with the Tokwa Baboy, Ensalada Tropical and Ceviche, all fantastic. For our main course we loved the Kiwali Lechon, Crispy Whole Fish, Cebu Noodle Bowl and the Pancit Bihon. The paella was just ok. The Flan for dessert was just like mom makes it. Yum. Besides the food, the music was played at just the right volume and the waitstaff was excellent and SO friendly! I expect the waitstaff at places like these to be snotty and cold, but Cebu's bartender and waitstaff were the complete opposite. That made a big difference in the dining experience. more