Chowing down on Pizza at Trattoria Altrove El Nido was not part of the grand plan for my visit to Palawan Philippines. When I travel I make it a rule to eat local. I’ve enjoyed Bun Bo Nam Bo in Hanoi, Croque Monsuier in Paris, Hangi in Rotorua, Beef Rendang in Kuala Lumpur (for breakfast!), Gang Kiew Wan Gai in Phuket, Frites Belges in Brugges (seriously yum!), Sepat Ayam in Legian, Paella in Barcelona (with lots of Sangria), Spanokopita in Santorini, Pork Pies in London and Poi in Oahu to name a few. OK I didn’t really enjoy the pork pies or the poi, but I did try them all the same. During my recent trip to the Philippines I studied many a menu filled with Filipino ‘delights’, but I failed to find anything I was excited to order. Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures and I have zero interest in eating something ordinary so I threw the rule book out the window and decided on Pizza. Our hunt for El Nido pizza lead us to Trattoria Altrove. Read on for all the details …
Finding The Best El Nido Pizza
I saw some very interesting interpretations of non-local cuisine in El Nido. ‘Sweet potato fries’ were literally regular potato chips sprinkled with sugar and The Hubs’ ham breakfast at One El Nido Suite where we stayed was just wrong so I was a little apprehensive what El Nido pizza would be like. Pizza can range vastly in quality from gastronomic delight to leftovers the dog won’t eat. I didn’t want to end up with the latter so we made it our mission to hunt down the very best pizza in El Nido. If you are going to do it, you may as well do it right! There are no familiar pizza chains in El Nido as the likes of Pizza Hut, Dominos and Little Caesar’s have yet to discover this tiny Palawan outpost. That’s a good thing and mass produced pizza is highly unlikely to be the best. With very little local knowledge, we turned to the internet for advice. When Trattoria Altrove El Nido came up time and time again we knew it was the right place to get our El Nido pizza fix and the decision was made.
Getting In To Trattoria Altrove El Nido
Trattoria Altrove El Nido does not take reservations and clearly we were not the only ones keen to sample the best El Nido Pizza because when we arrived on a rainy night the place was packed to the rafters and a queue snaked along the road. It was 8pm and we were starving. We waited around for about 10 minutes and when we didn’t see any progression we contemplated grabbing a take away from Altrove Express, but decided to head to Athena Greek Restaurant instead. The next night we arrived earlier (6.30pm). We had been on El Nido Tour A during the day and headed to Altrove straight after a quick shower. There was still a queue. The constant rain we experienced in El Nido had eased slightly and there were only two couples in front of us so we decided to wait. This time the queue moved quickly and we were seated in just over 10 minutes. Not bad at all!
The Trattoria Altrove El Nido Experience
Like many Palawan restaurants, Trattoria Altrove El Nido is barefoot only. This is an old Filipino tradition that is said to stop the spread of germs. As you enter you will be asked to remove your shoes and leave them in the pidgeon holes near the bottom of the very steep stairs. Don’t do a Carrie and bring your Manolo’s ladies because we all know how that ends! When we reached the top we were greeted warmly and got our first peek at the dining room which is not visible from the road. The space is compact, furnished in dark wood and features dim lighting. I love a bit of romance as much as the next person but reading the menus by candlelight was a little tricky. Most tables cater for two or four but the staff will push them together to accommodate larger groups where possible. There are two ‘chill out zones’ at the rear complete with low tables and cushions on the floor. While I love the concept of lounging around sipping cocktails, I know me and I would have worn half my dinner so we opted for a table. The traditional wood fired brick oven is on ground level while the busy kitchen pumps out meals at a fast pace upstairs in full view of the diners.
Drinks At Trattoria Altrove El Nido
After a week of cocktails I was really wanted wine. If you have read any of my previous restaurant reviews you will know that Sauvignon Blanc is my favourite tipple. A quick scan of the drinks menu at Trattoria Altrove El Nido revealed that my only option was a Sauv from Chile. I prefer the Kiwi variety but beggars can’t be choosers and I ordered promptly. The Hubs opted for a Singapore Sling after loving the one he had at Long Bar in Raffles Makati earlier in the week. When the drinks arrived we were disappointed. The Hubs refused to drink his cocktail and slid it over to me while signalling for a beer. I drank it, but it most definitely wasn’t a Singapore Sling and all I could taste and was orange juice. My wine was drinkable. Just. Never one to hold back, I expressed my dismay with the wine to the Slovenian manager and suggested he add a Kiwi Sauv to the menu. He somewhat gruff response indicated he wasn’t too thrilled with my feedback and advised the cost of importing from NZ was prohibitive. I wouldn’t have thought it would be that much different from Chile but what do I know. Wine is already expensive in the Philippines so I shudder to think what the end cost of a glass would be if he is right. Next time I’ll be bringing a lot more duty free vino with me that’s for sure.
The Main Event
We came in search of pizza but Trattoria Altrove offers all your Italian favourites. The Hubs stuck to his guns and ordered a pepperoni pizza (410php = approx AUD$10.20 or USD$8) but as always he customised it by adding fresh parmesan cheese. Despite my mission to hunt down the best pizza in Palawan when I saw the menu at Trattoria Altrove El Nido I found myself craving pasta. Badly. Three styles of pasta are on offer (penne, spaghetti and fettuccine) to mix and match with the various sauces. The pasta is imported from Italy and all the sauces are made fresh to order in-house in small batches. I decided on the Fettuccine Alla Carsica (300php approx AUD$7.50, USD5.80). As has happened on numerous times in the Philippines, our meals arrived at different times. While there is no excuse when they are being prepared by the same kitchen, I am going to give Altrove a slide here as coordinating the upstairs kitchen and pizza oven downstairs would have been difficult. My fettuccine was cut a little thinner than I expected but was cooked to al dente perfection. The divine cream, bacon and thyme sauce and was ladled on top rather than mixed through but I’m not adverse to a little DIY at the dinner table. It was delicious but I couldn’t finish the generous serving size. The Hubs loved his pizza. The Naples style hand-tossed thin crust base puffed beautifully under the heat of the open fire in the brick oven. The toppings were generous without being overwhelming and both the mozzarella and tomatoes are imported from Italy for authenticity. As a testament to just how much he enjoyed it, he finished every bite which never happens and he has educated our local on just how to prepare his new favourite. They haven’t added it to the menu yet but surely it’s only a matter of time. With full tummies and the plates cleared we purposely didn’t linger as a courtesy to those we knew would be waiting not so patiently outside. It would be nice if everyone was as thoughtful but we saw a number of guests hugging their final drinks longer than needed and we departed well before many who arrived before us. Often the hype of a restaurant doesn’t live up to expectations but Trattoria Altrove El Nido did. It was by far one of the best meals we had in El Nido and if we had another night in town we would have gone back.
More Trattoria Altrove To Love!
What we didn’t know when we dined at Trattoria Altrove in El Nido was that they have two other restaurants in Coron and Parañaque (Metro Manila). Imagine our surprise when we spotted another Trattoria Altrove as we were strolling through the streets of Coron after booking our Coron Island hopping tour. It was a no brainer that we would visit. In fact we visited twice; once for lunch and once for dinner. Unlike its cousin in El Nido, Trattoria Altrove Coron was almost empty both times we visited which was a bonus. The decor is a mirror image of the El Nido restaurant right down to the chill out zone. The Hubs simply could not stray from his favourite pizza creation but I did mix it up a little. After the drink debacle in El Nido I steered clear of the wine and Singapore Slings and opted for a frozen margarita instead. On midday on a scorching hot day it went down a treat so I ordered another. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and after adjusting for our initial disappointments in El Nido we actually enjoyed Coron Altrove more. If you find yourself in Palawan (or Manila!) you simply must try Altrove for yourself!
Have you been to Palawan Philippines? Do you have a favourite restaurant in the region? I’d love to hear about it in the comment below.
Until next time …
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Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. I paid for all my meals at Trattoria Altrove in full and as always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links which will earn me a few cents to contribute to the running of this site if you make a qualifying purchase at no extra cost to you.
Rosie Fluskey says
Awww I just got back from the Philippines and we went to this restaurant! I got the seafood pizza and my Hubs got the truffle pizza which smelt delicious! Both were really great. I was tempted by the Carbonara but just couldn’t walk away without having the pizza.
Allison Smith says
So glad you enjoyed it Rosie! Even though I had the pasta and I have a taste of The Hubs’ pizza
Lucy says
The food in the Philippines is not my favourite, so I can understand why you went for pizza. I’m shocked how good you said it was, as I find I cannot find a good pizza outside of Italy. They must of been taught the correct way to make it!
Allison Smith says
I haven’t been to Italy Lucy so can’t compare but this pizza was good and made using imported Italian ingredients which probably helps!
Megan Jerrard says
Oooh that does look like a good pizza! I do enjoy eating local also, but find it equally as interesting tasting the different takes or versions of specific cuisines in different regons of the world. For instance I’m sure Philippine Italian tastes different to Australian Italian – usually due to the agriculture in the region. But also for Filipino traditions, like taking off your shoes. Little cultural quirks like that add to the experience even if it’s not ‘local’ cuisine so to speak. Trattoria Altrove El Nido sounds great, thanks for the recommendation – always a good sign when you get there and it’s packed! Despite the drinks situation, glad to hear it lived up to the hype!
Melanie Klien says
Hey Allison, I haven’t been to the Philippines but I traveled a lot in 2015/16 and sometimes you just need some Western food, like Pizza or noodles or something alike. I totally feel ya 😉 And i’ts good to try out all the local food but at one point you want something different again. The food looks delicious and I am sad to hear the wine wasn’t good but unfortunately that was a few times the case in Southeast Asia and I think it must be so hard for them to get good wine and it’s freaking expensive. Good idea to bring some with you next time 😉
Allison Smith says
The wine in SE Asia is sooooo expensive but there is only so many cocktails I can drink before wine becomes a necessity lol. Taking duty free works if you are going to one place and staying there but on this trip we moved around so much I didn’t want to be lugging it all over the country with me lol. First world problems right?
mangwanya says
the best pizza ive had was on the Italian riviera – I had pizza every single day so much so I had to stay off it for a while. you’ve inspired me to practice making my own perfect pizza at home
Allison Smith says
That’s awesome Mangwanya! I love making my own.
Taiss says
So great when the restaurant lives up to its hype! You have made me crave pizza now and we are going to Italy next month LOL!!! Good to know that with a line you were seated pretty quickly! It’s always fun to have pizza in southeast Asia and it is actually good. We never really found a great place in Thailand and my theory is that the cheese is not that great! Cool that you found another location of the place in another city!
Mellissa Williams says
It’s interesting that you had to enter the restaurant barefoot. Like the etiquette rules though, people do need to be reminded to switch off from social media and enjoy the food and the experience with family and friends. The pizza looks decent!
Hannah says
I always feel weird eating non-local food on holidays, but then again, sometimes it has to be done! It’s such a shame that the drinks didn’t live up to standards. I’m a big NZ Sauv Blanc fan too, so totally get your disappointment! The Fettuccine Alla Carsica sounds delicious, but I think I would’ve gone for that pizza – the bubbly crust looks delicious.
Zoya says
Ah pizza! I’m also a local eater, but who doesn’t love pizza, right? I must say, I quite like the interior. It looks very relaxing. Pity about the food not coming out at the same time, though. But as you said, it is just part of the deal in Asia! I’ve literally never been to a place where the food came out at the same time, even though I’ve been living in Asia for 6 years!
Paula - Gone with the Wine says
This just made me hungry! I think pizza is one of those things you can’t go wrong with no matter where in the world you are at. There most likely always a nice pizza place somewhere. And for us who travel with kids it’s a nice break from the local food sometimes, even though we prefer the local most of the time.
Sam says
Phwoar. This post made me so hungry, I have turned into a terrible pizza snob since travelling more – but I think even my picky tastes would be right at home here!
Theresa says
I know what it’s like to crave Italian food and then be stunned by too many choices, although that pizza did look pretty good. I feel your pain about the wine; it’s often best to stick with what the locals are drinking.
Leah says
I, too, like to eat local food when I’m traveling, but sometimes I just need a break–a taste of the familiar. Plus, pizza is always a good idea! It’s nice to have a good option when I get to Palawan.
umiko says
The pizza looks yummy though the presentation of the fettucine looks weird. It’s like a Chinese noodle. It’s good to know that there’s always pizza in a popular destinations in Asia. If you can’t eat the local food, then you can go for it.
Christina says
We are always up for a good pizza! My husband says St. Louis style is the best but that pizza looked pretty good. I would not have guest a town in the Philippines to be known for their pizza. We don’t like to linger either and get out of the way as soon as we can especially if it is a popular restaurant.
Ami Bhat says
I suppose the long wait was worth it. The pizzas do look amazing, so much that right now I have started craving for one. The sweet potato chips are common in South India and in someways, I like them. Though these seem a little different. Glad you had a good time. Cheers
Allison Smith says
We didn’t have to wait to long in the end Ami. I love real sweet potato chips (that are actually made with sweet potatoes) just can’t imagine normal potatoes sprinkled with sugar would be good lol
Katie says
Phillipines has been in my bucket list for so long and I do love pizza! I will make sure to visit this place for the best pizza when we do go! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Chloe says
This looks divine! Pizza is always my go-to when I travel and need comfort food, but I always try to eat local as best I can too. But sometimes you just need comfort food. And the scenery of that place looks nice!
Jen says
Aww, I’m sad to hear that you didn’t find anything exciting to order from the local menu. I haven’t been to El Nido but it’s surprising that the options on food were ordinary because there are usually interesting choices when it comes to Filipino delicacies. Sisig for example! 🙂 Nonetheless, it’s good to know that you found a food/restaurant that you loved in El Nido. Pizza and pasta are always a good back-up!
Allison Smith says
It’s all good Jen. We didn’t starve and the Sisig just wasn’t doing it for me lol
Heidi says
Haha on that sweet potatoes were potato chips sprinkled with sugar. We had a similar experience with milkshakes in Morocco. They are shaken milk with flavor added. It really is so much fun to try the interpretation of foods from other places in a new place. It sounds like they had the pizza and pasta down in the Philippines and you had a good experience with it 🙂
Yukti says
I haven’t been to Palawan or Philippines yet, but reading your posts on Philippines tempts me to explore that area. I know the tradition of keeping footwear out of house/homes when entering the premises, but it is practiced in restaurant in new for me. It is good that Trattoria Altrove’s pizza and pasta has met your expectations and you have eaten well. Thanks for your genuine reviews!
Iuliana Marchian says
Pizza is one of my quick choices when I am hungry and have to quickly eat something. My favorite one is quattro formaggi, but I am always open to try new things. Trattoria Altrove El Nido is a good place to tag on the map in case I go to Palawan, Philipines. I am not sure I’d get along with the Asian food, so a pizza back-up plan is always a good idea.
Louise says
Yum – I love pizza! I always prefer to eat local when we travel, too, but sometimes you just get struck with a craving! I can’t believe they even import the cheese and tomatoes! Wow.
Thanks for sharing your nice little find 🙂
Punita Malhotra says
The pictures are evidence that the pizzas at this trattoria are fabulous. Though Italian food is so common all over the world, it is hard to find an authentic-tasting pizza and these look really good. I liked the barefoot tradition…makes so much sense to leave the germs outside.
Dada says
To be honest I didnt like much the Philippines cuisine except some tradition food. I once ordered spaghetti with tomatoes sauce but got spaghetti with ketchup. So I know how difficult is it to find good food in the Philippines so I am glad to hear that you found Trattoria Altrove in the Philippines where they serve great pizza! And I wouldnt be ashame eating pizza or hamburger on vacation as long as you try the local food.
Natalie says
We would most definitely try a restaurant like this one! Firstly, the photos are so wonderful – now I’m hungry! LOL! We travel with the kids and one of them just loves pizza. While we try to find the local fare, sometimes a real treat is something familiar. Removing your shoes is an interesting part of the experience, too. I know people in the states that remove shoes in the house for the same reason but this is the first I’ve heard for a restaurant. It makes sense though that the bottoms of shoes would be very germy.
Medha Verma says
I will probably not go looking for a pizza in El Nido (I am travelling there next month, yayy) because I want to try the local cuisine but I learned two very important lessons from your post – firstly, that ‘sweet potato fries’ are normal potato fries with sugar LOL. And also, that most Philippines restaurants are barefoot only. I had no idea, that’s good to know before I travel, thanks!
Hendrik says
I really like your approach to eat local food while travelling and usually I do the same. This gives a great opportunity to get in touch much deeper with culture and people. When it comes to Pizza I am usually picky since I really had some best pizzas in North Italy… but this here at least from what I see and read seems also pretty good! What I like here is that the toppings were generous, this makes a big part in a good pizza – the right combination of not too much and not too less. Glad to hear, that you found this place:)
Ada says
wow I wish I didn’t read that post before breakfast 🙂 This pizza looks amazing! I ve always try eat local while travelling but I can’t blame you for choosing something you know over something you don’t feel like eating. I remember when I was in Thailand for 2 weeks, and as much as I love Thai food, last three days we were finding ourself eating chicken wings and hamburgers in Phuket! I had no idea that some places in Palawan you must be barefoot, good to know! It seems like its not just beautiful but it also has great restaurants 🙂
Lisa says
I’ve not yet been to Palawan but I’ve heard so many great things about El Nido. This trattoria sounds like a good option; nothing beats a Napoli pizza! Shame about the underwhelming wine; probably best to stick to beer and cocktails!
neha says
I haven’t been to Palawan yet. But when i do, will certainly need to take some tips from you. Looks like initially you were not so happy with the kind of food you got to experience but this restaurant changed it. You enjoyed the pizza and the drinks look as lovely to me. Definitely worth giving a try
Carola says
Ha! Pizza is also my go-to when I just need a break from local fare (I have been exploring Asia for the past year…). The initial drinks debacle (and the wait) aside, you are describing my perfect pizza place: thin crust, just the right amount and blend of ingredients, lounge atmosphere.
Thanks for this candid review! Added to my Philippines list 🙂
Happy continued travels!
C