IKAO

IKAO is a quaint gastropub that has an upscale ambience that features Filipino and Asian food fusion. If you and your partner are fans of Bite King and want to patronise and experience his cooking, or at least experience the concept he makes in his videos, this restaurant is for you.

The food in the restaurant is also easily adaptable for couples who are not fans of exploring other cuisines but are up to trying once in a while.

• 📍 Location: 2F Reefside, Surf Co. Building, Talomo, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,000 – ₱2,500
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Gastropub – Asian/Filipino Fusion
• 💑 Best For: Casual Date Nights and Cocktails
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Great for chill evenings, laid-back vibe with cocktails and drinks
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Coco wasabi kinilaw (₱488) – a Japanese food fusion of kinilaw
  Chicken Tanglad Maharlika (₱388) – it’s a Filipino version of Thai/Malaysian Pandan chicken, but instead of pandan, it uses tanglad
  Chicken Tibuok (₱328) – chicken skin using asin tibuok
  Wabad De Cacao – cocktails (₱398) – like Bailey’s or Irish coffee but with a sweeter and much deeper taste of rum.

Read more here.

Wobbly Pan Spanish Bistro

Wobbly Pan is perhaps one of the most underrated date spots in Davao. It offers a taste of genuine Spanish cuisine. They offer authentic flavors like bacalao (their version of ‘bulad’ or salted cod), tapas, and all the way to their paellas. They have an alfresco that copies the essence of Spain’s streetside dining.

• 📍 Location: Brgy J. Camus corner General Luna St, Poblacion District, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,500 – ₱3,000
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Spanish
• 💑 Best For: Wine kind of date night
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Heavily Spanish-inspired menus (will require a bit of research if it’s your first time with Spanish cuisine). Really interesting flavors and leaning more towards red sauces.
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Croquettas de Jamón – pork (₱380) – deep-fried potatoes with Spanish jamon,
  Bacalao Fresco A La Vizcaina (₱790) – salted cod in a rich, flavourful red sauce. Eat it with rice to dilute the saltiness because it’s like eating bulad; you can’t have it without rice.
  Solomillo A La Ranchera, medium-rare (₱825) – thick slab of steak in flavorful red sauce
  
  They have a Happy Hour time for their cocktails, which is buy 2, take 1, around 2-6PM, which is nice to opt for if you want to drink and loosen up. Loved their Strawberry Mint Mojito (₱360)

Capri’s Restaurant and Deli

Capri’s Restaurant and Deli definitely exudes fine-dining restaurant vibes. Superb customer service, and you feel very well taken care of. Sophisticated, polished, and upscale. Perfect for wining and dining someone special. They highlight famous fine-dining dishes like risotto, steaks, lamb, and beef Wellington. Showcases a fine list of European, Western, and Italian dishes. Have an impeccable selection of wines.

• 📍 Location: J.P. Laurel Hwy, Bajada, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,500 – ₱3,000
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Mixed Cuisine – European, Western, Italian
• 💑 Best For: Formal, Wine and Dine, perfect for anniversaries
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Elegant yet cozy interior, warm and genuine customer service, deli section, pasta, steak. Expect the bill might be high, especially if opting for steaks. A little dressy.
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Baked Tomino Brie (₱575) – tomino cheese in grape glaze, pairs well with a bottle of Moscato
  Classic Caesar Salad (₱395) – nothing beats the classic caesar salad
  
  Read here for my personal review.
  

Verve Steak Bar

Verve Steak Bar is a good spot if you’re travelling up north. It’s also easily accessible because it’s next to Go Hotel Lanang. They have a great atmosphere that is not intimidating for casual diners. They have a great food selection and are generous with their portion size. If not up for steaks and just want to try out their pastries, you can order with your partner because they also have Sunshine Bakery, and their breads are as good as Mary Grace’s.

• 📍 Location: J.P. Laurel Ave, Lanang, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,500 – ₱3,000
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Mixed Cuisine – European, Western, Italian
• 💑 Best For: Date nights, steak dinners, celebratory meals
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Great steak and meat selection. Can opt for Sunshine Bakery goods. Great for casual dining.
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Peri-peri Chicken (₱650) – for one person, the serving size is generous
  Baby Back Ribs (₱750) – delicious. Smoky barbecue taste. Prepare for takeouts
  Steak Rice (₱150) – flavorful steak rice and can act as a meal on its own
  White Sangria (₱350) – great to pair with your peri-peri chicken or salad. White wine.
  Triple Cheese Ensaymada (₱60)
  

Benjarong Bar and Restaurant Davao

Benjarong Bar and Restaurant in Davao is located at Dusit Thani Hotel. It seems intimidating, but it is one of the unexpectedly budget-friendly date spots because most of their dishes come in portion sizes meant for sharing. The kitchen is led by a native Thai chef, so the food is carefully crafted to taste as authentic as back home.

• 📍 Location: Dusit Thani, Stella Hizon Reyes Rd, Pampanga, Davao
• 💸 Price Range: ₱1,500 – ₱2,000
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Thai Cuisine
• 💑 Best For: Perfect for intimate dining, Couples looking for authentic Thai food
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Really elegant and within a luxury hotel. Can be intimidating at first, but really great and accommodating. Might involve some research on Thai cuisine. Dishes are more for sharing than solo dining.
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Por Pia Pak (₱300) – Vegetable spring roll – a safe choice for people unfamiliar with Thai dishes. Close to Filipino lumpia
  Gang Khiew-wan Gai (₱420) – Thai Green Curry – not the usual chicken curry. Heavy on basil rather than turmeric, which we are familiar with.
  Khao Niew Ma Muang (₱320) – Mango Sticky Rice – don’t miss out on this. One of the best, as it is not too sweet and relies on the natural sweetness of the mango.
  

Read my review here.

La Fle e Ristorante

La Fle e Ristorante is one of the many restaurants in SK Complex. With its classy red interior, it provides a classic and vintage vibes to it. Perfect for couples who want to enjoy Italian cuisine and a laid-back atmosphere.

• 📍 Location: 2nd Floor, SK Complex, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,500 – ₱3,000
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Mixed Cuisine Italian-American
• 💑 Best For: Dressy Dinners and late-night lounge vibes
• ⚖️ What to Expect: May require dressing up as it has an aesthetic fine dining vibe to it. Service is superb and quite accommodating. Great selection and good serving size. After 10PM, it becomes a lounge vibe with music.
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Al Matriciana Pizza (₱625) – mildly spicy and very strong pork umami flavoring
  Ostrich Fritters (₱420) – small portion size but really good flavors. A little tough, so you may need to unleash your masculine side just to cut the ostrich fritters. If you want to be more demure, not this.
  Risotto in Spanner Crab (₱550) – great for adventurous diners.
  Grilled Salmon Bruschetta (₱475)– really great for salmon lovers.
  Truffle Marble (₱395) – rich and decadent chocolate cake
  

Made Simple

Made Simple has been a Tatler Dining-acknowledged restaurant for several years in a row. It’s perfect for a health and fitness enthusiast couple who want to enjoy and splurge a little both in money and calories. They have gluten-free, plant-based, and vegan-friendly dishes. Perfect for couples who enjoy brunch, as they serve brunch from 8AM to 5PM.

• 📍 Location: Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,000 – ₱2,500
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Brunch, Mixed Cuisine, Plant-based, Vegan/Gluten-free
• 💑 Best For: Health-conscious couples, vegans, laidback and casual dates, perfect for day dates too
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Straightforward menus that offer healthy options, a laid-back but very pretty interior, ambiance isn’t too intimidating, but the food might be (for first-time diners), and great because they have a lot of electric outlets for phone charging in their booths. Great for brunch tho (8AM – 5PM)
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Enoki (₱295) – Deep-fried mushroom.
  Fish and Capers (₱595) – light but really delicious mahi-mahi fish
  Scampi Pasta (₱495) – generous pasta and strong shrimp flavor. has a little spice.
  Torrijas (₱295) – brunch options – Spanish toasts similar to French Toast, but plant-based and more flavorful.
  

Lamano

Lamano has a classy and contemporary interior with modern design rooted in its Filipino identity. It’s a good entry point for diners who want to try something more “fine dining-adjacent” without straying too far from what they already know. The restaurant is heavily Filipino-Spanish fusion with global influences. It playfully combines different dishes into one, like their kaldereta lasagna, arancini na humba, and sinigang na risotto to name a few.

• 📍 Location: Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City
• 💸 Price Range: ₱2,000 – ₱2,500
• 🍽️ Cuisine: Mixed – Filipino and Spanish Fusion, European
• 💑 Best For: Perfect for intimate dining, celebrating special milestones, and wowing on a first date. Also great for those not so adventurous with food. Great for bringing foreign dates as it mixes Filipino dishes with Spanish/European dishes.
• ⚖️ What to Expect: Serving sizes are big. Friendly to diners who aren’t adventurous. May need to dress up a little bit.
• 🍽️ Eatsmejax food recommendation:
  Sinigang Risotto (₱320) – For risotto enjoyers who also love sinigang, this is a fun dish to try.
  Kaldereta Beef Lasagna (₱580) – too filling a dish. Can already be shared between two. Really delicious.
  Tiramisu (₱350) – cacao shell filled with chocolate mousse, then covered in dark chocolate coating. Not really a tiramisu, but it has a nice flavor, and it has a really strong cardamom/gingery taste. Great for photo-taking and a very interactive dish.