Baguio's CAFE BY THE RUINS Opens Again! - Awesome!

Baguio’s well-beloved restaurant, Café by the Ruins, has finally reopened! Now you can enjoy your favorite breakfast items like champorado, home-made bacon, Ruins coffee and signature camote bread in the original location.

A year after a fire hit the iconic restaurant, the next generation of owners decided to make a comeback. While the signature facade remains intact, Cafe by the Ruins has been totally revamped, offering a fresher and more modern look but still providing the same old favorites from their menu.

Here’s what the new cafe looks like…

CAFÉ BY THE RUINS
25 Shuntug Rd, Baguio, Benguet
Operation hours: Daily – 7AM to 9PM
Email: cafebytheruinsdua@gmail.com
Telephone: +63 74 4424010
Facebook: Cafe by the Ruins
Instagram: @cafebytheruins

Cafe by the Ruins is located along Shuntug Road across the City Hall. Parking is available on the side in front of the house.

The new Cafe by the Ruins has a different ambiance compared to the that of the original.

Though I miss its former authentic Baguio atmosphere with its bamboo and cogon roofing, I do admit I love the sophisticated, modern and inviting cafe that it is now.

The open-air deck on the second floor provides a breezy gathering spot with great lighting.

The original signature facade remains untouched.

If you will look closely, you will find the damages from the bombs and bullets of WWII.

Check out the dap-ay, an area similar to the place where Ifugaos meet for rituals or assemblies in their villages.

One of the advocacies of Café by the Ruins is that everything has to be locally sourced and made in-house as much as possible.

Their menu still carries the classic favorites that vegans and non-vegans alike enjoy. The ingredients come from all over the Philippines, from the Cordilleras all the way to Davao.

There are baked goods displayed on one side.

Rizal Tsokolate-e (₱145)

There are different versions of the tsokolate drink, but my favorite is the Rizal Tsokolate-e, which is local Malagos cocoa with rich carabao’s milk, that has just the right sweetness and thickness.

A perfectly concocted and moderately thick beverage that warms you up from the inside.

Ruins Coffee (₱80)
Arabica coffee steeped with cardamom and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

For coffee lovers, I suggest the Ruins Coffee with its spice notes that are intense but very enjoyable, more so if you’re into strong flavors.

Don’t forget to mix in your Balikutsa (spun sugar)!

Ernie’s Camote Bread with Spread (₱100)

For starters, try Café Dua’s famed camote bread. Ernie, uncle of Feliz Perez (second generation owner), developed this beloved heirloom recipe.

The camote bread is specially soft and sweet, deliciously perfect with their homemade spreads (Jam & Butter, Fish Roe Pâté, Herbed Liver Pâté and Herbed Cheese).

They have different spreads but my top picks are the jams and Fish Roe Pâté.

Warm Shitake Salad (₱280)

This salad combines my favorite Asian flavors with crisp mixed greens garnished with radish, cucumber and smoky grilled shiitakes. This is one of my favored items on the menu.