Best Hotel Breakfasts in Manila: 9 Buffets Ranked, Prices and Hours (2026)

The short version: the best hotel breakfast in Manila is Spectrum, the buffet shared by Raffles and Fairmont Makati. Honey you pick from the comb, a peanut crusher for the peanut butter, a probiotic yogurt I still think about, and staff who don’t shut it down the minute you walk in late. 9 out of 10. The Okura and The Peninsula are next, both 8: Japanese dishes under a six-floor ceiling at one, free coconuts by the pool at the other. The biggest buffet, Circles at Makati Shangri-La, isn’t the best. And breakfast was in the rate at only three of them: Raffles, the Grand Hyatt and the Okura.

I’ve eaten breakfast at nine Manila hotels for this site, most of them more than once, and paid for all of them. Here they are, scored out of 10 on the breakfast alone: whether it was included, what it costs if it isn’t, when it runs, and the one thing worth getting at each.

At a glance

Walk-in prices are per person. *Included in the Raffles rate I booked, not every rate. Spectrum’s site says from ₱1,900; I paid ₱1,800 at the Fairmont, or ₱1,400 if you buy it at the front desk. Spectrum, Circles and the Grand Kitchen prices are from the hotels’ sites and a Klook guide; the rest are what I paid. Hours are from the hotels’ sites.

Raffles and Fairmont: Spectrum, 9 out of 10

Spectrum is the restaurant the two hotels share, and it’s the best breakfast in the city. The selection is wide and full of things nobody else has. Honey from an actual comb, which you pick yourself. A peanut crusher that makes the peanut butter in front of you. A probiotic yogurt that was really good. A soba station, a sushi counter with soy sauce on tap, and mangoes cut at the table. The service matches it: if you come in near the end, they don’t start clearing around you, which other hotels do.

It was included in the Raffles rate I booked, though not every Raffles rate has it, so check. At the Fairmont it was extra: ₱1,800 on my bill, or ₱1,400 at the front desk. If you’re choosing between the two hotels on breakfast, a Raffles rate with breakfast for two is the better deal. Best for couples, families and foodies, and popular with locals.

Okura: Yawaragi, 8 out of 10

Breakfast at Yawaragi is in the atrium, under the six-floor ceiling, next to the bonsai, and it’s usually not crowded, so it feels calm. What I like is the Japanese side: the condiment station, dishes you don’t get anywhere else in Manila, and, as odd as it sounds, the baked beans, which were just right. The food is good rather than great; I’ve had better at some of the others. The setting carries it. Very romantic for couples, and good for families. Included in the rate, which at about $333 a night makes the Okura one of the better deals here.

The Peninsula: Escolta, 8 out of 10

Escolta is smaller than the others, so there’s less of it, but I like it as much as any of them. It’s lively, it feels happy, it looks over the pool, and the coconuts are free, which almost nobody else does, and you can have as many as you want. Get the mangoes too. There’s a sushi counter, a juice station with fresh fruit and vegetables, and the Filipino hot dishes. Not included; ₱1,890 a person, 6:30 to 10:30. Couples and families.

Grand Hyatt: The Grand Kitchen, 7.5 out of 10

Big, lively, Western and Asian, and included in the rate. The problem is the crowd: it’s the only breakfast in Manila that might turn you away or make you wait a while. The food isn’t memorable, and the sushi didn’t look especially fresh. Get the roast beef. Best for families.

Conrad: Brasserie on 3, 7.5 out of 10

The Brasserie does themes, which I like; when I went they’d done a Halloween buffet. There’s a halo-halo station and an Indian station, and the Filipino dishes are the best part: kakanin, pandesal, and balut if you’re brave. The selection just didn’t seem as strong as the top three. Best for families. Not included; ₱1,800, 6 to 10:30.

Makati Shangri-La: Circles, 7 out of 10

Circles is very big, maybe the biggest of the bunch. There’s a Japanese station, a Western section, a patisserie and a gelato cart, and at breakfast a second buffet in the lobby. The food wasn’t really that good, though, and it gets too packed; there’s a line to check in with your room card. Fine for a big group. Not included; ₱1,800 on the site.

Shangri-La The Fort: High Street Cafe, 6.5 out of 10

The hotel is the best in Manila; the breakfast isn’t. The room is very large, so it never feels crowded, but they close right on time, and the selection and the food trail the others. Little things: no mangoes, and coconuts are ₱220 extra. The eggs are the best part. Best for families. Not included; ₱1,350, 6 to 10:30.

Solaire: Fresh, 6.5 out of 10

Fresh is pretty big, and the eggs are good, but the setting isn’t much: casino on one side, a wall on the other. For what it is, it’s expensive, and it’s not really a family breakfast; fine on your own. ₱1,300 for one buffet on my stay, 7 to 10:30.

Aruga: à la carte, 5 out of 10

Aruga has a breakfast room off the lobby but no buffet; you order à la carte. The eggs and beef were my favorite. The only real drawback is that it’s not a buffet, which, for a serviced apartment at $130 a night, is fair. It suits business travelers more than families or couples. Not in my long-stay rate.

Included or not

Included in the rate I booked: Raffles, Grand Hyatt, Okura.

Not included: Fairmont, Shangri-La The Fort, Conrad, Peninsula, Makati Shangri-La, Solaire, Aruga.

If breakfast matters to you, that changes the math. Raffles at $446 with breakfast for two is closer to the Fairmont at $397 plus ₱1,800 a head than it looks. And the Okura at $333 with breakfast is the cheapest way to a top-three breakfast.

Verdict

Money no object: Raffles, for Spectrum with breakfast for two in the rate. Adjusting for value: the Okura, where a top-three breakfast comes with a $333 room.

Spectrum if you want the best. The Okura for a setting nobody else has. The Peninsula for a happy, smaller room by the pool and all the coconuts you can drink. Don’t pay extra for High Street Cafe at the Fort or Fresh at Solaire; those hotels are better than their breakfasts.

Raffles or the Fairmont? They share a building; see Raffles vs. Fairmont Makati.

FAQ

Which Manila hotel has the best breakfast?

Spectrum at Raffles and Fairmont Makati, 9 out of 10: honey from the comb, a peanut crusher, a probiotic yogurt and good service.

Which Manila hotels include breakfast?

It depends on the rate. Of my stays, it was included at Raffles, the Grand Hyatt and the Okura. The others charge ₱1,300 to ₱1,900 a person.

Can I eat at these buffets without staying at the hotel?

Yes, all of them take walk-ins. Spectrum is from ₱1,900, Escolta ₱1,890, Circles and the Brasserie ₱1,800, the Grand Kitchen ₱1,655, High Street Cafe ₱1,350 and Fresh ₱1,300.

Which is the biggest buffet?

Circles at Makati Shangri-La, with two rooms at breakfast. Biggest isn’t best, though; Spectrum is better.

What time do the breakfasts end?

Most run to 10:30 am. Spectrum goes to 11 on weekends, and the staff don’t rush you; High Street Cafe at the Fort closes right on time.