Review Lantaw Restaurant and Cafe Racer

The wife and I tried Cafe Racer a couple of weeks back and last night we tried Lantaw.

Cafe Racer was our second choice because it has been hard to get a table at Lantaw. I hate waiting so we tried Cafe Racer. Pretty standard filipino fare with a foreigner slant. I had a Monte Cristo sandwich and fries which turned out exactly like the one I ordered at Mooon Cafe a short while ago. So I would rate it as OK.

Lantaw was still busy last night. The crowds have been non-stop but we got lucky and we were seated immediately as we only needed a table for 2. Menu is filipino style dining. It was hard to get the attention of a waiter to take our order but persistence pays off. Once we had ordered we were told there was a 15 to 20 minute wait to get our food. It actually took 45 minutes and the beers, appetizers, and main course all showed up together. Perhaps that's better than one person getting served while the other watches them eat but there is room for improvement.

Fortunately the food was very, very good. Prices were reasonable. One nice touch was being able to order a litro of Coke with 2 glasses for only 55 pesos. They are still doubling their money on the bottle of Coke and its a great deal for customers. Beer is 45 pesos.

If you can handle the crowds Lantaw is worth a visit.

 

Great info being specific with the coke and beer. Can you give some examples of "reasonable" food prices since we all have a different definition?

 

My wife told me Lantaw is owned (or managed) by the same people who own Moon Cafe.

 

I have been there now three times in the last two weeks.

don't buy the imported beers , I have tried several of them problem is no one else is buying them and they don't taste good at all, been sitting there since the place opened, so i would suggest not buying the foreign beers, the local beers are super cold just the way beer should be. and the coke litro is a good deal when compared to the dispensered/can option, service water is not tap water but the filtered kind

food is ok nothing over 350 pesos, standard Filipino fare, rice comes on selected plates (small, medium and large) medium size is more than enough for 4 people and still have left overs (all leftovers can be taken away, just ask before paying)

as for the staff, talk to the neck as there is nothing above it, food is ridiculously slow, the fancy coloured seats are dirty (only so may times you can turn them over, and are pretty uncomfortable and soft when you sit on them the table is too high for comfort), place is pretty busy but pretty dirty too, tables not cleaned properly, food on the floor,

but all in all, its ok i guess, for me the novelty has worn off, and its just the same old same old

but for the locals its the new in place to be seen, just like when Robinson's first opened.

 

Hi shotshapers :-) We missed Lantaw on our last trip, we were too tired and headed to KRI since we were in the vicinity. I like the local beers but I love a good IPA. Can you recommend a place?

 

I am not a fan of Filipino food so when I went to Lantaw with friends I didn't enjoy it, but my wife likes it.

 

Hi PatO! As long as there's pork or beef in the menu my bf is safe but he really liked the burgers at KRI so even though Lantaw isn't that far, we decided on KRI plus the kids enjoyed their meals.

 

Hi DavyL, traffic would be a problem when we finally settle there. We mostly come from the north when not staying at downtown hotels. We have somebody drop us off and walk around downtown or take a trike. We get our groceries at Cang's Daro. When I stayed there for seven months I don't even mind taking the ceres when I want to be left alone and when I feel like going to the wet market, I get off near Obdulla's, walk from there, and pay a trike (I know some of them) to take the things I buy home, and stay downtown a bit. I tried riding my bicycle one time, and knew I couldn't manage back with it so I paid a trike again, he tied it at the back and I was free to walk around. A lot could happen in seven years, when we move there. Hoping things will be better like restaurants not concentrated downtown.

 

With respect to Lantaw and Cafe Racer you can expect serious parking problems as well as traffic congestions in the evening starting as from 6pm. A new restaurant that attracts many customers but with limited parking facilities is not the most perfect combination to go out for diner with a car.