Breakfast Buffet at Balay Dako

We always go to Tagaytay for a food trip but until now I still have a long list of restaurants that I want to try. I feel happy whenever I ticked something off on my list and finally last December, we were able to visit Balay Dako. I wanted to try this restaurant but the problem is they only offer buffet breakfast every weekend and holidays so we grabbed the opportunity when I saw that they are open few days before Christmas.

Read: Food Trip in Tagaytay

Balay Dako does not accept reservations, it is a first-come-first-serve so we left the house as early as 5AM because we will fetch my grandmother-in-law in Laguna. We arrived in Tagaytay past 6:30AM. From the parking lot you can already see the wooden house, it lives up to its name because Balay Dako is a Negrense word which means “big house”.

My husband registered and the staff gave us a number, pang #18 na kami. They started calling the number at 7AM and the staff ushered us to our table. We have a breathtaking view of Taal Lake and who ever think na after few weeks, magkaka-ashfall.

It’s funny because I don’t like to visit during weekends and holidays kasi for sure marami tao. Pero marami pa rin pala tao kahit weekday and hindi pa holiday so I guess lagi sila puno kahit mahal ang rate. According to their site “Antonio’s is much more than a restaurant. It is an experience”, so charge it to experience na lang kahit lugi ko sa 11-years old son ko na mahina kumain. Hindi ko pa rin maaccept na adult rate na siya. Hehehe!

Balay Dako Buffet Breakfast Rate 2019

P700 - adults
P450 - children below 4 feet
FREE - toddlers and below

Prices are subject to a 10% service charge.

Antonios’ Group of Restaurant has 5 restaurants in Tagaytay, the first restaurant that we tried is Breakfast at Antonio’s, and this time buffet breakfast at Balay Dako. This restaurant serves Filipino cuisine so if you love Filipino food or if you have balikbayan, this is a good choice. PHP700 + service charge is not cheap but if you check the buffet spread mukhang sulit naman sa dami.

Read: Christmas at Breakfast at Antonio’s 

They offer mixed green salad with 4 types of dressing, fresh fruits, bread, assorted jams and spread, hot and cold drinks, dessert, cereals, granola, soup, and a main course. For main course, they have assorted tuyo, homemade longganisa, bacon, daing na bangus, ginisang gulay, chicken and pork adobo, tapa, corned beef, atchara and ensaladang mangga.

They have a station where you can create your own omelet and fried rice. Just choose from the available ingredients and the chef will cook it for you. They also have balut, penoy and taho. Of course, I was not able to try everything but my favorite foods are puto bumbong, taho, champorado, ginataang halo-halo, ensaymada, daing na bangus and since Christmas season may Ham.

Watch the video here

Update: January 2023 

My mom visited us last year and I planned to bring her to Balay Dako because I’m sure she will enjoy Filipino Cuisine but when I inquired, napaisip ako kung worth it pa ba pumunta because of the price increase. My family ate at Balay Dako last December 2019 and the rate is only PHP700 + Service Charge so I was really shocked that after three years, PHP1,200 + Service Charge na yung rate nila. Konti na lang kasi buffet breakfast na rin sa hotel so we just ate at Taza Fresh Table pero mahal din pala. Parang nagbuffet na rin pala kami sa presyo. Waah! 

December came and we were looking for a restaurant where we could have an early Christmas get-together and Despedida na rin because my family will go to Vietnam and my mom, niece, and nephew will go to Norway; so yun na rin yung last meeting namin sa year 2022. We’ve been inquiring to different resorts and buffet restaurants pero fully booked na rin so I suggested Balay Dako. 

Balay Dako does not take any reservations and they have a first come first served policy so we just need to go early to get a slot. The breakfast buffet is from 7AM to 11 AM every weekend and on selected holidays. 

Balay Dako Buffet Breakfast Rate 2022 

PHP1,200 - Adult 

PHP900 - children below 4ft 

FREE - toddlers and below 

Prices are subject to a 10% service charge. 

On the day of our trip, we left early and arrived at the restaurant at 6:20AM, the guard gave us a small piece of paper where we need to scan the QR code and fill out the Guest Queuing Form. Yung paper, #173 nakalagay pero hindi namin alam kung what number nagstart. Past 7AM, they started calling the numbers na and as far as I can remember, pang #20 kami sa natawag but we were seated at 7:15AM so mabilis naman magpapasok ng guests. 

We are a group of 10 people pero wala ng available table for 10 people so 2 separate tables na lang kami. Anyway, the Balay Dako menu is still the same and this was our second time so I only have limited pictures.

What’s new? Balay Dako has store na pala so while waiting or before leaving the restaurant you can drop by their Deli store.

Balay Dako Opening Hours 

Saturday, Sunday and on selected holidays
7-11AM

Balay Dako
Tagaytay - Nasugbu Hwy,
Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite