Awesome cultural experience with incredible food! Very worth every penny. The atmosphere was very authentic, the food was delicious, and the show was amazing! I highly suggest this place to anyone that visits Intramuros or is around Manila at any time! Checkout my vlog I did while there on my YouTube channel chancerobertson13. You'll get to see what its like there!
Instagram: chancerobertson13; kelsicarma
This review is more about the service than the food and the ambiance, which was great nonetheless. We were entertaining visiting relatives from the US last December 2, 2017 and brought them to Barbara's for lunch. We had a great time because the food was delicious and the service was awesome even if the place was packed. We left full, satisfied and happy, only to find out much, much later that my sister-in-law was missing her wallet. To keep this story short, we found out she had left it at the restaurant and we were able to recover it with all her money intact. We salute the waiter who must have found it and turned it over to admin, as well as Anne who made sure we got it. This is the service institution that is Barbara's - not only serving good food but making sure that the experience remains great for all its patrons. THANK YOU, Barbara's!!! <3 <3 <3
An impromptu dinner at Barbara's turned into an unforgettable evening. We were in the area to visit the amazing churches built centuries ago, and we happened to be next to Barbara's at dinner time. Lucky for us! The buffett and service was excellent, by far the best buffet I've had in Manila. The cultural show was very energetic and highly entertaining live music with dancing. Our whole group loved it, especially the audience participation!
Mabait at hospitable ang mga staff , sobrang galing ng mga singer ,maganda ang place nakakarelax and masasarap ang food, salamat Barbara's for making my Grandma happy and special today :)
Not to mention the awesome sights and its location and yummy food, we managed to meet the great people behind Barbara's (Ma'am Marketing Manager and Ms. Wina) who never hesitated to help us achive the marriage proposal of our friends.
Yes, they were very helpful and I must say, they are really really good. You guys are the best.
We occupied their cafe downstairs and their pasta were sinful (specially the Pasta Pesto) and the sandwiches were yummy!
Again, thank you for making us feel special.
Overall experience: 10 out of 10
Good food, good ambiance, beautiful dance by Kultura Filipina. The Senior Citizens of Marulas, Valenzuela City really enjoyed the night.
The "BEST" food, entertainment, ambiance, hospitality, friendliest and warm staff!! I truly encourage foreigners to visit this place, you will enjoy your experience at Barbara"s and will want to keep coming back over and over again !
Just try it and you will agree with me. My Husband and I never miss going there whenever we are in the Philippines .
The food are nice as well as the ambiance it makes me feel that I go back to the spanish era. One of the amazing part is the Kultura dinner show � their performance is so fabulous. I hope they have a fb page so that I can rate it as well. Such a nice experience �
Will definetely come back! Friendly staff and affordable price plus the talented Kultura Filipina dancers! Keep it up!
Jerome John Duran Jose
+5
We celebrate here the most special day for our friend. Very accommodating and wonderful service. The food was great and superb. Two thumbs up for Barbara's.
Celebrated my birthday last Dec. 6 and it was an extra special event. I planned to have my engagement proposal that day also. The crew was very cooperative. I commend Sir Arbie for communicating and lending a super extra hand to this memorable event! It was an experience of a lifetime for both of us. Salamat salamat Barbara's Crew! See you soon!
I wouldn't mind go back there again and again. Impressive food. Great service. Beautiful ambiance. Totally nostalgic.
A lovely place and great food. A truly heritage experience.
Super sarap and i love the ambience😍❤️
The restaurant's interiors brought us here, one of the best ambiance for dining. The food is actually fine but pricey (ala carte). Food choices for buffet are not that wide.
The restaurant also feature musical performances which are very entertaining. Would recommend for those planning to tour in Intramuros.
One of the most amazing resto in Manila I've been so far. The Filipino-Spanish vibe is all around. Ambiance, music, interiors are so elegant.
The food were great. From viands of all kinds, appetizers and desserts are ridicously good! Most recommended is the guyabano shake that was so awesome freshly made!
Will definitely come back and recommend this to anyone. I was so busy feeling the place and enjoyed my meal and wasn't able to take a pic. But trust me, you'll never go wrong with this resto! ❤️
Barbara’s is a buffet heritage restaurant showcasing a variety of Filipino food. Moreover, the ambiance of the entire area is very historic. The place will surely put you back in the Spanish era. As you get inside, you will notice round tables and chairs, crystal chandeliers, and wooden furniture. In line with these, you will feel like you are in a Filipino traditional house.
Had a breakfast meal here at Barbaras’s coffee shop before we roam around intramuros. The pesto that I ordered was delicious as well as the mango shake - perfect thirst quencher for the hot weather.
What a beautiful restaurant - absolutely love the decor. The seats by the window are perfect for dates 👌. The food was delicious, the drinks were refreshing, and everything is affordable. Service is great, although it seemed a bit understaffed in the afternoon.
BEST RESTAURANT IN INTRAMUROS! 10/10! Would definitely recommend. Their staff is nice, the food is amazing. Try their buffet, very cheap and is worth your money. Also, try their Kare Kare and Crispy Pata. There are also live shows (filipino cultural dances + instruments)!
The place has also a great ambiance, we ordered sinigang na sugpo and I was surprised with their big servings. The staffs were also nice. I just hope they offer more choices on their menu, but this place is still recommended if you want to let a someone have a taste of classic Filipino foods.
The food was great the service was excellent and the atmosphere it great. It's a quiet restaurant with piano playing. This place is great for a romantic meal or with a family. They have a buffet and a regular menu. Our food and drinks cost ₱1300
I had a nice quiet lunch here during my visit to Intramuros. I was here on a holiday so perhaps it was not crowded or busy. Staff were friendly and helpful.
Prices are ok, in line with what you might expect from a place in the middle of a tourist attraction, not cheap but not unreasonable either. Food was good, not remarkable and portions are on the small side. One of my orders, calamaris with lemon butter sauce came instead with some kind of watery mustard dip which was still quite good.
The tables are positioned very close to one another, I can see how it might become quite cramped on the days when it is full but on a nice quiet day like I had, it's hard to find anything wrong with the place.
The staff were friendly and I loved the ambience of the place. They have a seperate restaurant from the buffet. We ordered their pancit and mozarrela sticks. Overall the food was delicious especially the mozarella stick. We were expecting it to have more flour than cheese but was surprised on the cheese. ⭐
We were invited here before by a friend who celebrated his mom’s birthday party. The food was delicious and the ambiance was great. I like the theme rustic spanish. The powder room was clean the only concern we had at that time was parking. It was weekend so finding a space to park was difficult, we need to park far from the restaurant.
Usually, when I would go to Barbara's we would order or eat from the buffet. But this time we opted to order ala carte. Ordered pritchon, seafood platter, kare-kare and of course.... the favorite blueberry cheesecake. Suprisingly the pritchon was just the right crunch.the seafood was good, cooked just right... and of course loved the cook of the kare kare. Though... it wasnt as good as i have remembered. The cheesecake was as always for me one of if not the best ive had yet. :) the service was awesome and they accomodated us despite arriving at 930 pm (they close at 10pm) and allowed us to stay till around 11pm. The ambiance is cozy and homey though i still get dizzy going down their steep stairs. Always a favorite to go back to. :)
The food are a bit pricey for it's serving size. I ordered caldereta and I must say that the meat is very soft and tastes so good. Is it worth the price? Somehow. But I still wish they lower the price or be more generous to the serving size. Their halo-halo and chocolate cake is okay but nothing special. The place is very nice looking and staffs are very accommodating. Still love the overall experience. Hopefully, I can go back to try their buffet.
How can I forget this place? Barbara’s served me my best dinner in Intramuros so far. Such a charming place of old world appeal. Offers refined intermingling of Spanish and Filipino dishes. Warm and welcoming staff. Just a stone’s throw away from the magnificent churches of Spanish Manila. Definitely recommended to tourists and Intramuros pilgrims.
We availed of their lunch buffet which was composed of all Filipino food. Food was great. Ambiance was PERFECT. If you’re looking for romantic places, Barbara’s is definitely what you’re searching for.
Thank you barbaras heritage resto for your hospitality and warm welcome 😊 super nice ng mga staffs very accomodating the food also are good fave namin yung fried lumpia ng batangas 😁 thumbs up sa ambience feels like the old days ang set up! 👍🏼 Thanks again for experiencing to us your good creativity 😊
It was Mother's Day so my family decided to celebrate it here at Barbara's . The moment that I stepped in Barbara its a travel back in time feeling . we arrived at barbara's around 5:30 pm , early birds for the dinner buffet so we are able to choose a table that is in front of the stage . The dinner buffet cost php895.00 all in the drinks is not included but it comes with a Cultural show , I find the cultural show very entertaining . The show features most of the Filipino dance from Luzon to Mindanao culture dance at the end of the show they will ask if you want to join them for their Tinikling dance hehehehe. The food I can say is mostly Filipino and Healthy food , They serve a lot of vegetables and fruits . They also have Lechon yummy. over all the food is good service is good the cultural show is very entertaining and the ambiance is very nice. clap clap for Barbara's.
Heritage restaurant in the heart of old Manila. I advise you to book a table and be there by 6:30. You don’t want to miss the show which is nealy 1 hour long and very interesting. I really enjoyed the food, excellent variety also for vegetarian. Fresh ingredients and very well cooked and displayed.
Good value for money!
It is located in the heart of intramuros. Around the area is very spanish era time, the kalesa thing, the gwardiya sibil in character and the churches were beautiful. The restaurant decorated in spanish-filipino way, the interior of this place were great. I never had a chance to take a picture of food since I'm too busy to choose which to eat. Well they served buffet filipino food and most of it were delicious. Specially the filipino dessert, I like the most the "minatamis na saba". The highlight of staying inside the restaurant there is a band singing for the guest and you can request a song as well. 🇵🇭
Charlene Briones-Michelena
+5
An authentic Spanish-Filipino restaurant in the heart of intramuros. This restaurant is a great place for fine dining and experiencing of Spanish style interiors. Love the decor and settings in this restaurant. Good place to go on romantic dates or take balikbayans and foreigners for an authentic experience
We arrived here around 8pm, Galing kaming BGC. So patapos na yung buffet ng 9pm and the show (Traditional Filipino Music) As we arrived, Almost uwian na dahil magsasara na nga sila. We did not enjoy so much the food ans the ambiance, But the good at the buffet was great!!
Buffet start at 6:30, Next time will be here around 6pm para Naabutan lahat ng shows. Well be back here, kasi were not satisfied sa Nangyari samin gawa ng late kami nakadating
Overall- 4.5/5
Well be back here.
I had an awesome dining experience with my siblings at this very quaint place.
My review for Barbara's:
1. Food (taste, variety & presentation) = 3.5/5
2. Price (Is it worth your money?) = 3.5/5
3. Service (courteousness, promptness, grooming of staff) = 3.5/5
4. Location = 4/5
5. Ambiance (exterior and interior cleanliness, design and facilities) = 4/5
Very nice atmosphere at friendly staff. Surroundings are nice. Did not try filipino food there but their blue marlin was reasonably good. Nice coffee Malongo. Nice juices. Good place for a break when visiting Intramuros
Relaxed ambiance , great food , affordable price and world class customer service combined into one. This restaurant is located in the historical place of Intramuros Manila , in front of San Agustin Church. This is truly a place to be, may it be for business meetings, dinner dates or just plain casual dining. Barbara serves a reminder that Filipino dishes will always be an endless favorite. This restaurant delivers all the great filipino cuisine that will never be forgotten by our tastebuds . I definitely enjoyed my Barbara's experience. I will surely be back ! Try it out too!
Stephen Andrew Placiente
+4
Nice ambiance, an old fashioned spanish motif, good food and well-trained waiters.
Just that if you do a la carte serving it has additional show fee of 350 and the buffet is 699(package wth show). Buffet has more or less 10 choices as I remember? Anyway I'd rate it 8/10. So far, it's good. :)
My team and I and our business partner went to this restaurant for lunch. The place was reminiscent of old Spanish colonial architecture. The ambiance was of the same era too. They served buffet lunch for just 550 pesos. The selection wasn't that many but every dish they served was really good. There was a pancit molo soup, lechon kawali, pansit malabon, beef karekare, pinakbet, grilled gindara, lechon manok, lumpiang ubod,a salad bar, and banana cue,and turon,and assorted fruits for dessert. Halfway through the meal, a male trio serenaded us with classic and new songs. The food tastes really homemade....something that will remond you of grandma's cooking. I will definitely go back to this place.
Hopefully, me and my soon to be hubby would have a romantic date here..I like their concepts..Im also hoping that this would be our wedding reception..its really really nice.. :)
Llewelyn Angelo Riñoza Aca
+3.5
Do they have buffets? I need to know coz i want to take my girl out of a date. I consider this place as one of the greatest. When I was 3 we ate here and was my first restau experience thats why I want her to experience the feeling. (Not her first time) 😂✌🏻️🙈
You won't be drawn immediately by the food but by the ambiance it offers. You'd see mostly foreign tourists enjoying the coffee shop branch just beside Casa Manila Patio. The food, while nothing spectacular, is adjusted to have an international flavor.
Food - The salad bar was excellent. A must try is their Beef Kare-Kare. It was juicy, tender, and mouth-watering, with their matching shrimp paste. Other faves were their Lechon Kawali, Sotanghon and Laing.
Ambiance - Loved the dining experience. It reminds me of Vigan. Our dining spot was perfect, aligned with their chandelier and themed music.
Price - I was looking for more Filipino dishes and desserts. They could have add more variety to compensate for the PHP 549 paid for the set menu. Also, they may add a fine selection of wines and spirits for a better dining pleasure.
Service - Friendly staff. Top-notch service, and authentic Filipino hospitality.
Sigrid Pearl Jaramillo
+3.5
The place is really instagram worthy. Went there with my bff and as soon as we stepped inside we both got the feels like we traveled back in time. Even though i'm all praises for the place I can't say the same for the food. It's not that bad but not extraordinary either. I loved the chicken adobo though. But is it worth 595? If you have a lot of money to spare and you're just after some wonderful shots, it is definitely worth every peso but if you're really after some mouth-watering food there sure are other places to eat.
on the buffet spread @ php549 (lunch)
sopa de almondigas
mustasa salad
pandan rice
sotanghon guisado
fried lumpiang batangas
bangus ala pobre
lechon kawali
chicken adobo
beef caldereta
palitaw
coffee jello
guinataang halo halo
fried kamote
My-Food-O-Meter:
taste: 4/5
price: 4/5
service: 4/5
Minimal selection but every dish has a rich flavor. I really liked their beef caldereta, the meat was tender and a bit spicy. Their version of chicken adobo is different, the texture of the sauce is more similar to lengua and tasted more like gravy, but it was okay. The ambience is nice too. A bit creepy coz its an old house/building but really clean. This is a great place to bring foreign friends, especially if they're gonna eat filipino food for the first time. Drinks not included.
Upon entering the place i can't help but admire the spanish era. Elegance, with a touch of home maker , history can tell me it's roots and again i am being nosy, eager to ask about the place, can't help it. (Can i just live here) forgot i was on a date, fresh pasta penne serve with tomato sauce .... I told you i love pasta and 2 thumbs up for this. The blue berry chesecake is A list. Plus the ambiance. Looks like this is my favorite place to be.
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I am not sure there is still an a la carte menu (likely), but you're already better off just booking from their inexpensive buffet meal (P595 on evenings, if I remember correctly).
There will be several kinds of salad (pako, ensaladang talong, salted egg and tomato, romaine), soup, and five main dishes, which were caldereta, roast chicken, and a lengua, among others. Good deal!
More than that, this is located right across San Agustin church in the Plaza San Luis Complex, which is a reconstruction of old Intramuros homes during the Spanish period. Spanish decor, beautiful wooden furniture (like the curved and straight-backed mariposa chairs), and rugs cover the floors of this mansion repro. And at 7:45, there is a skilled rondalla band that performs an impressive range of cultural dances. We were entertained for over an hour, and the live music helps this performance stand out above the rest, since you get one, or the other, and rarely both.
We played dress up for this, had Filipino fun, and had a grand evening.
The food is a 3.5 to me, but the show was tops, and worth repeating.
Bring your parents and older relatives, your balikbayan friends, or for a themed evening, this is fun to go to.
It's best to park near the church, and tip the watch-your-car boys nicely.
Historically appealing and I quote. As a fan of such I am pleased with the interior details, furnitures and design.It all brings me back to the Spanish Era. They also showcased our Filipino customs through native dances. As for the food, as far as I remember, food was, ok, nothing so special about it same old Filipino-Spanish food on silverwares.
The food is good as well as the setting of the resto. You have different cuisines to choose from their menu. They have different set up for buffet and fine dining. My mom and my sister really enjoyed their food.
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After our tour group explored the Rizal park and Intramuros, we were tired and hungry. We left our grub plan to the wisdom of our guides who had planned our afternoon well in advance. Upon entering an archaic building with some colonial work, I was greatly intrigued about what we will see next. Going up the stairs, we made it to Barbara's. What followed later was a satisfied lunch enjoyed by a dozen tourists.
The restaurant had a moderate size but had a mix bag of an ambiance. It had a colonial appearance with a distinct touch of Spanish influences and a modern day Filipino restaurant. The artificial trees felt a bit out of place and made walking a somewhat hard but it would be difficult to imagine Barbara's without them.
The most obvious thing about the restaurant were a trio of string musicians who were playing Spanish and Filipino songs. They did come to our table too and entertained the ladies of our group.
After sitting down and having ice tea - we decided to to get ourselves the buffet. The restaurant was quite crowded due to lunch hour and there was a long line at the buffet counter. The spread was not large but I found enough items to fill my plate. There was the pork adobo which was distinctively different from what I had back at my hotel. There were noodles , rice, Chicken, a few Chinese items,a few Western dishes and Filipino food. For a small platter, the diversity was certainly nice.
The desserts had a separate area and I picked chocolate, mango and kiwi cakes. I also enjoyed lemon and kiwi mousse shots which were tasty.
It could be a bit pricy but the experience was quite memorable for us first timer tourists. The platter size could be larger as well and would certainly be nice if something could be done about the queuing. But all in all a good experience. I think Barbara's trump card is definitely its ambiance.
Food 3.5/5
Service 3/5
Ambiance 4.5/5
Pricing 3/5
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I had the opportunity of dining in Barbara's restaurant at Intramuros Manila last Saturday and it was honestly quite amazing. When I got off the cab, there were guardiya sibils. These men are known to be the police force back in the Spanish Colonial Era here in the Philippines. The ambiance upon entering the place made me feel like I traveled back in time when Dr. Jose Rizal still used to walk the roads of Manila or then known as the "Open City". There were antique furniture like chairs, mirrors, pictures and chandeliers; surprisingly they don't look worn out, they appeared to be well maintained and still of a fine dining restaurant quality. I went to the second floor to join other guests at the "Main Dining " area where Barbara's can accommodate about one hundred to one hundred twenty people all at the same time. After entering the glass door, it felt magical. The entire restaurant is designed for fine dining, tables were draped with layers, the silverware, porcelain wares and the glass wares are arranged like in a five star hotel. I felt like I was an ilustrado who have so much money to pay for an expensive dinner. Just about around seven when I started to get food form the buffet since they smelled so good and enticing. The menu that night were some of my favorite Filipino dishes like laing, caldereta, adobong baboy, pancit malabon, inihaw na pla-pla, inihaw na manok, paella at lumpiang ubod. There was a green mango salad corner paired with different Filipino sauces like bagoong. Just remembering about it makes my mouth watery. My favorite among the dishes was the laing. It was so delicious that I have been thinking about it from Saturday til this very moment. My mother is Bicolana so I know how a good laing tastes like but this one just rises above them all. There was no trace of bitterness, all of pleasure and yumminess. My second most favorite dish had to be two; the adobong baboy and beef caldereta. They were a revelation that these common viands can actually be cooked in a whole lot way better than what we Filipinos have been eating for a long while now. The meat was so tender and the sauce was just sinfully good. I had to make second trips to the buffet table because one was really not enough. The paella is a dish passed onto us by the Spanish people, yet with time we have made it taste like its one of our own. It was flavorful, the seafood complemented the rice filled with broth that has penetrated every single grain of rice, every spoonful was so delightful. After stiffing myself with all these, I know had to cap it off with dessert. I have tasted a lot of buko pandan salads from different restaurants but the one in Barbara's made me feel that I have been wronged of how it should taste and now salvaged from my naivety. There were fruits topped with a spongy like cake similar to that of a brazo de mercedes with a crunchy caramel glaze on top. Also, crunchy turonillas were served along with a rich bowl of ginataang bilo-bilo. That night was my moment of re-discovering why Filipinos love to eat--that's because we also love to cook and we do very good. I know I would come back and reminisce my first visit in Barbara's, it was nothing but pure pleasure. The amazing dishes were the highlight of the evening but the cultural dances and the rondalla playing classical Filipino and contemporary music were the cherries on top. It made the entire experience true to its name, "Kultura Filipina"- it was nothing short of magical.
We went here for my niece's baptismal reception. Though with limited variation of food, everything that was on the buffet was actually good. I really liked the blue marlin and the chicken, as well as the dressing for the salad! yum! Too bad the only non-soda drink available is iced tea, i would want other variation of iced tea perhaps raspberry or anything, lemonade too perhaps? All in all, I will definitely go back here someday! :)
I a student near the area i think I almost known all the restaurant where good food and servings are but this Barbara's is very new for me! So my classmate celebrated his birthday here and we really enjoy their set of food! Especially the bulalo and their country style chicken! I really like the taste of bulalo very smooth and delicious that makes me want more more likely when you a chilli and fish sauce to it, taste really good! And also the friend chicken it is not dry and more juicy taste!
One of my friend celebrated her birthday at barbaras. The resto is not that familiar to me, and one of my friend told me that they are closed. But still i made an effort to look for it around intramuros. And when i got their im almost half hour late, they are already serving the food. And from that time the aroma of the dishes are so delicious. I tried all the viands they served. It taste good! The place is also beautiful, with a spanish style of interior its so sophisticated.
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