Marco Polo Restaurant is one among the must try food place in the beautiful Siquijor island. The restaurant’s mission is to bring the passion of Italian kitchen in Siquijor. Located in municipality of San Juan, Marco Polo restaurant is just a few minute motorbike or tricycle ride from various resorts and accommodations in Siquijor.
Marco Polo Restaurant Menu
Marco Polo Restaurant is the only food place in Siquijor offering authentic Italian cuisine. On their menu are starters, pizzas, pastas and Italian breakfast. All are simple and Italian dishes at a very affordable price. They also offer various wines, liquors and cocktails.
Marco Polo restaurant’s facade is simple, clean, and laid back. It is nicely set by the beach. A Filipino feel welcomes guests to its minimalist interiors. There are wooden tables and chairs that are carefully situated across the restaurant’s kitchen and bar area. I love the open area concept of the restaurant as guests get to enjoy the fresh air and hear the relaxing sound coming from the ocean waves.
There are 2 huts outside the main restaurant that are also available for dining.
I personally love these huts as you get clear and beautiful view of the beach from here. It is best to visit Marco Polo during the sunset. Nonetheless, the morning low-tide view of the beach is also awesome!
If you want to simply relax there is a chill out zone with 2 hammocks. The entire restaurant is clean and well-maintained. I’m pretty sure that the area looks very cozy and relaxing come nighttime.
Marco Polo Restaurant Experience
Thanks to Rose, the caretaker of the lodge where we stayed, for recommending Marco Polo restaurant. As we arrived in Marco Polo Restaurant, a staff warmly greeted and welcomed us. We immediately took one of the huts while deciding which pizza and pasta to order.
Though they have Italian breakfast meals, we decided to order pizza and pasta to make sure that we get to try their specialty. I really do not dine in fancy and expensive authentic Italian restaurants in Manila so I did not have any idea which pizza to order. We seek for the help of one of the staff. She told us that their best seller is Hawaianna. Since I’m not really a fan of pizza with pineapple, we asked for another option and ordered Calabrese – topped with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage and black olives. For the pasta, we ordered Frutti di Mare, spaghetti “al dente” with mixed seafood in a light creamy white wine sauce.
Authentic Italian Pizza and Pasta
The freshly baked 12 inch Calabrese pizza and freshly cooked Frutti di Mare pasta quickly arrived. The pizza crust was not too think nor thin. It was just perfect. The crispness were just enough for the thickness of the pizza. I should say that it is by far the best pizza I have ever had during my travels! Calabrese was different from any other commercial pizzas back in Manila. It was more of a delicious homemade authentic Italian pizza to me. It was very tasty! I personally loved the fresh tomato sauce, sliced sausages and the big black sliced olives. The pasta was a surprise. I forgot that I was in an authentic Italian restaurant and expected for a typical Pinoy white sauce. Nonetheless, I find the pasta very tasty and delicious! Truly an authentic Italian pasta.
As we were enjoying our meal, Sir Guilio – the friendly owner of Marco Polo restaurant, checked us out and asked how’s the food. He told us that he approached because he has seen me enjoying eating pasta. We then started chatting and became instant buddies. He was so kind to even share some information as to where his pizza ingredients come from. I learned that the ingredients he use come from Italy, Australia and of course the Philippines. Before leaving the restaurant, he even asked me for my blogsite. I hope he will be able to read this post.
Marco Polo also offers delivery within the municipality of San Juan. Delivery hotline is 09778405399.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay in Marco Polo Restaurant. The foods are delicious! The restaurant’s ambiance was really good. The service was superb. We felt like more of guests than customers. I would highly recommend Marco Polo Restaurant and would definitely come back on my next Siquijor visit.
