Manila Hotel Buffet Review: Café Ilang-Ilang Price, Dress Code and Menu (7/10)

The short version: Café Ilang-Ilang, the buffet at the Manila Hotel, is one of my favorite settings in Manila. A historic hotel, lit up for Christmas from October, full of families and birthday parties, with a walk out to a view of the bay. The food is another story. The range is huge, from Italian and Japanese to Korean, Filipino, Indian and Western, but not much of it is that good. At about ₱3,818 ($60) a person, it costs more than buffets at the top luxury hotels. Go for the place more than the food, almost as a tourist spot, and pair it with Intramuros or Binondo. I’d go back when family visits.

I had dinner at Café Ilang-Ilang with two others on a Thursday in October 2026. We paid for everything ourselves.

Pros

• A historic hotel with a happy, lively feel
• Christmas lights from October
• A huge selection, including real sushi, not just sashimi and rolls
• Good kiwis, corn, and chicken and beef at the small stations
• A nighttime walk by the pool, with a view of the bay
• Easy to get a table, even when it’s busy
• Close to Intramuros, Binondo and Rizal Park

Cons

• The food is mostly forgettable
• About $60 a person, pricey for a buffet
• A long drive from BGC or Makati, especially on weekday evenings
• Sometimes they don’t allow outside water bottles

Getting there

It’s a bit of a drive. On weekdays, especially around dinner, expect 45 minutes to an hour from BGC or Makati, so I recommend weekends, when traffic is lighter. Since it’s a trek, it’s worth making a day of it in the area (more below).

The setting: 8.5 out of 10

The Manila Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in the country. It opened in 1912, and General Douglas MacArthur lived here before the war. In 1945, during the Battle of Manila, Japanese forces fortified the hotel, and it was largely destroyed in the fighting, including MacArthur’s penthouse, before being restored.

Arriving feels like an occasion. The building looks grand, almost like a Peninsula, and from October it’s covered in Christmas lights.

Inside, it’s lively and happy, with plenty of birthday parties and a mix of foreign tourists and local families. It can get a little packed, but it never feels crowded, and since the buffet is so large, it’s always easy to get a spot.

After dinner, take the short walk outside, past the pool, where you can sit and look out at the bay. The walk is open to the public.

The only thing that brings the setting down is the distance.

The food: 6 out of 10

This may be a controversial view. There’s a huge amount of food, with seafood on ice, carving stations and a station for almost every cuisine, but I never thought much of it was that good.

Sushi: 5 out of 10. One nice thing about the Japanese section is that it has actual sushi; most buffets, even at the luxury hotels, only do sashimi or rolls. It just wasn’t that good, but maybe you’ll think otherwise.

Chicken and beef: 7 out of 10. My favorites were the various chickens and beefs at the small stations. There are a lot of them, so I don’t remember which ones exactly.

Pasta: 5 out of 10. A bit bland, and not too memorable.

Bread: 7 out of 10. Good.

Corn: 7.5 out of 10. Also good.

Kiwis: 8 out of 10. Most of the fruit isn’t too tasty, actually, but the kiwis were the best thing I ate. Ask for extra.

There’s also a halo-halo station. I didn’t try it, but it adds to the experience.

Service: 7.5 out of 10

You don’t interact much with the staff at a buffet, but it seems well run: for such a large spread, the food never seems to run out, and the people are friendly. One small thing: sometimes they don’t want you to bring in outside water bottles.

What it cost

Dinner for three was ₱11,454.98, about ₱3,818 ($60) a person: the Monday to Thursday dinner buffet at ₱3,612.74 each, plus a Coke Zero, two bottles of water and local tax. The buffet includes fruit drinks, but bottled water and soft drinks cost extra.

The hotel’s website currently lists these buffet rates per adult, including VAT and local taxes:

• Breakfast: ₱1,950 ($30), every day
• Lunch: ₱3,495 ($55) Monday to Friday, ₱3,645 ($57) on weekends
• Dinner: ₱3,645 ($57) Monday to Thursday, ₱4,295 ($67) Friday to Sunday

Fruit drinks are included with lunch and dinner; bottled water and soft drinks are extra. Children 5 to 12 pay about half, and special days like Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve cost more. Rates change, so check before you go.

Value: 7 out of 10

I still think it’s a decent value, because there’s nowhere else quite like it, and it’s great for showing visitors another side of Manila.

That said, the food is overpriced. About $60 a person is very expensive for a buffet by Philippine standards, more than even the buffets at the highest-end hotels. On food alone, it’s not a great value, and it’s a long way to go. So I’d still recommend it, just not strongly.

Vs. other hotel buffets

All of these cost less than Café Ilang-Ilang:

• Spectrum, at Fairmont and Raffles: a little more upscale and airy, with fewer birthdays, and in Makati. The best food of the buffets.
• Conrad Manila: similar food quality, with a Halloween theme when I went, but less festive.
• Shangri-La The Fort: a little more upscale, less Filipino, and more hotel guests.

What none of them have is Café Ilang-Ilang’s history and celebratory feel.

Make a day of it

Since it’s a trek, spend the day in the area:

• Intramuros: the old walled city, close by.
• Binondo: Manila’s Chinatown.
• Rizal Park: right next to the hotel, though it can get very hot.
• Manila Ocean Park: the aquarium. You don’t necessarily need to go; it’s a little dated and there isn’t much there, although the biodome is decent if you’re nearby.

Who it’s for

• Visitors and tourists: a different, more authentic side of Manila.
• Family visits: I’d go back when people like my parents come to town.
• Birthdays and celebrations: it feels like an occasion.

Skip it if you don’t want to drive far, or you want great food.

Tips if you go

• Go on a weekend, when traffic is lighter, and lunch if you want to save a little.
• Make a day of it: Intramuros, Binondo or Rizal Park.
• Take the walk past the pool to the bay after dinner; it’s open to the public.
• Ask for extra kiwis, and try the corn and the chicken and beef stations. Skip the rest of the fruit.
• Don’t count on bringing your own water bottle; the fruit drinks are free, but bottled water costs extra.
• Check the dress code: smart casual at dinner.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

Café Ilang-Ilang is less a restaurant than an experience: a grand old hotel, Christmas lights, birthday songs and a walk by the bay. Come for that, eat the kiwis, corn, chicken and beef, and don’t expect the food to match the setting. Would I go back? Yes, when family visits. This restaurant is in my Where to Eat in Manila guide, with all fourteen ranked and matched to occasions.

FAQ

Where is Café Ilang-Ilang?

In the Manila Hotel, near Rizal Park and Intramuros, about 45 minutes to an hour from BGC or Makati on a weekday evening.

How much is the Manila Hotel buffet at Café Ilang-Ilang?

The hotel currently lists ₱1,950 for breakfast, ₱3,495 to ₱3,645 for lunch and ₱3,645 to ₱4,295 for dinner, per adult, with weekends and Friday dinners at the higher end. We paid about ₱3,818 ($60) each on a Thursday, with a drink and water.

Is the food good?

Some of it. I liked the kiwis, the corn, the chicken and beef stations and the bread, but most of it was forgettable for the price.

Is there a dress code?

Yes. Per the sign at the entrance: smart casual, no gym or swimwear, no in-room slippers, flip-flops only at breakfast and lunch, and closed-toe shoes encouraged for men at dinner.

Did MacArthur really live at the Manila Hotel?

Yes. It was his official residence before the war. His penthouse was destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Manila, and the hotel was later restored.

What’s best at the buffet?

The kiwis (8) and the corn (7.5). The chicken and beef stations and the bread were a 7.