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We take a look at some of the most promising establishments worth checking out this year.

The new BLU Bar & Grill (Photo: Manna Alcaraz/Facebook)
With its sophisticated ambiance and majestic views of the city, it’s no surprise how Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s BLU Bar & Grill has remained a favorite spot among locals and foreigners for the longest time. Last year, they went through renovations, with the new BLU Bar unveiled just right in time for Christmas season.
While it’s still the same BLU people know and love, the changes vastly improve the overall experience—the most notable being a bigger and chicer indoor area which can now be closed off in case of bad weather. And while you’re at it, indulge in a plate of the spicy gambas before washing it off with the Chocolate Martini made from Cebu-grown cacao by Ralfe Gourmet.

The Clove on the Quay (Photo: Facebook)
The Cebu Yacht Club is becoming one of the best places to hang out when in Mactan, especially with the opening of several new restaurants in the past few years. More recently, the Yacht Club welcomed the newest member of the family, The Clove on the Quay.
The most gorgeous view of the sunset serves as the backdrop for thirst-quenching cocktails (happy hour starts at 4:00 p.m.), and then nightfall transforms it into an uber chic bistro serving Mediterranean and North African fare. Big groups will love the Spice Trade Platter which includes beef kebabs, tikka masala, grilled prawns and vegetables, and Sultan rice pilaf. My personal recommendation would be the immensely tender and flavorful Boeuf Bourguignon.

The Weekend’s Faux Gras (Photography by Oliver Echevarria/Zee Lifestyle)
Considering it’s is from the same man behind Ilaputi, we’re looking forward to Jan Rodriguez’s newest venture. Set to open sometime after Sinulog (crossing fingers), The Weekend is brimming with the promise of new flavors and dishes sure to be instant favorites.
Already, Zee Lifestyle had a preview at last November’s holiday potluck feature, with Jan serving us Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower with fresh carrot and jicama sticks, and a blue cheese dip; as well as the Faux Gras made of bacon fat and pureed bacon. It also has a selection of cocktails with… interesting names, but that’s for us to know and you to find out when they finally open.

League Sports Bar (Photo: Facebook)
Judging from the photos alone, League might be the most legitimate sports bar in Cebu just yet. Having opened recently, it boasts of a warm and comfortable ambiance that everyone— whether sporty or otherwise—would immediately feel at home at. We also spot billiards and foozball tables in the middle of the industrial-chic decor, so while we’re not watching the latest sports on the television, we can always just hang out and have fun playing games.

Coffee and Comfort Cafe (Photo: Facebook)
Coffee & Comfort Cafe goes beyond being just a coffee shop. It’s also a study center, which is perfect considering its location. The environment is also conducive for meeting clients and doing freelance work. Of course, the main highlight of the place would be the delectable creations of Miles Semblante, who’s been seen more in chef whites than elaborate costumes in recent years. People have been singing praises about her French toast with caramelized bananas, while the Choco Bacardi Frappe proved to be a hit over Sinulog weekend.

Tim Ho Wan (Photo: skyscrapercity)
When is Tim Ho Wan in SM Seaside City Cebu opening? Your guess is as good as ours, considering when we poked around, we couldn’t find a definitive answer either. But we’re putting the Michelin-star restaurant on this list anyway, simply because we’re so excited to have our fix of their famous steamed pork buns that we can only cross our fingers it’ll finally open this year.

La Vie Parisienne (Photo: Marco Paulo Diala/lamikaayo)
Who doesn’t know La Vie Parisienne? Famous for its croissants as much as it is for those iconic pink cherry blossom lighting fixtures, it’s become a popular hangout among locals and visitors over the years. Sometime last year, they added a chic extension that just may be their most stylish area just yet. With dome-like ceilings and pretty chandeliers, it’s a new dimension to La Vie Parisienne that bolsters its Instagram-worth reputation, while offering a new experience to its patrons.

Shaka Hawaiian Restaurant (Photo: Facebook)
Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian… heck, even Lebanese. Name it, and chances are Cebu has it. What was remarkably absent was Hawaiian cuisine—a gap that the Pages Group of Restaurants was all too happy to fill up with their latest venture, Shaka. The place is hard to miss; after all, it basically dominates one block of Cebu I.T. Park, incorporating the existing terrain for one charming ambiance. It all but reminds me of my childhood dreams of having a treehouse. Pineapple fans rejoice! Shaka utilizes the fruit into majority of its dishes in so many unexpected ways, you’d find yourself coming back for more.
EAT YOUR HEART OUT Maya Mexican Restaurant. I absolutely love their Queso Fundido! It’s my all-time favorite comfort food. Their fish tacos and quesadillas are great as well. I love the interiors and ambience of this place, too!
Crossroads, Banilad
6332. 238 9552, 238 9618
www.theabacagroup.com
CHEERS TO THAT Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s BLU Bar & Grill has impressive food and extensive cocktails, and the breathtaking view of the city from a thousand feet; and The Ibiza Beach Club at the Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu, with its chic and upbeat Mediterranean atmosphere, is perfect for when you’re up for some lively music, tapas, and drinks right by the beach.
Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills
6332. 253 1111
www.marcopolohotels.com
HAPPY PLACE Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa. It has everything: the best fine dining restaurants, the cleanest white sand beach, sprawling grounds and beautifully manicured lawns and landscapes, excellent rooms, and world-class service.
Punta Engaño Road, Mactan
6332. 231 0288
www.shangri-la.com
Edited from ‘Locales’, originally published in Zee Lifestyle Directory, March 2015. Like Zee Lifestyle Directory on Facebook.
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Marco Polo Plaza Cebu: Cebu City’s finest (Photo courtesy of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)
There were big shoes to fill after Hans Hauri departed his post as the hotel’s Area General Manager in December 2014, yet Julie Najar, with knowledge and skills acquired from her 30 years of working in the hospitality industry, is a more-than-competent successor to watch out for.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu introduces their new General Manager, Julie Najar (Photo courtesy of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)
Najar graduated with a Hotel and Restaurant Management degree in St. Paul College, Quezon City Philippines, with further training in various fields of hospitality at the Cornell University in New York and the Cornell-Nanyang Instutute of Hospitality Management in Singapore.
She worked for a handful of hotels and resorts in Singapore, Manila and Cebu before joining the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, where she rose through the ranks. A long-serving employee of the hotel, she started out as a Front Office Manager in 2005 and became HR Manager after two years. In 2009, she became the Resident Manager, and subsequently in 2013, the Hotel Manager.

Marco Polo’s Lobby Lounge is the perfect place for a light meal, a casual meeting, and unwinding with friends. It serves high tea, signature coffees, cocktails, and desserts. (Photo courtesy of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)
A diverse leader, Najar is also actively involved in other organizations, serving as the new President of the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) and as the Assistant Secretary to the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, a private sector consultative body mandated to assist the government in the development, implementation and coordination of the Philippine tourism policy.

Located at a thousand feet high, Marco Polo’s Blu Bar & Grill serves a choice of award-winning cocktails and grilled favorites, superb entrees and desserts. (Photo courtesy of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)

Café Marco, the hotel’s signature outlet, is designed to showcase the preparation of a la carte and buffet dishes (Photo courtesy of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)
Najar’s experience and expertise ensures that the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu will continue its brand of excellence under her management.