The best Filipino restaurants in Sydney

At the centre of every Filipino celebration is lechon, a spit-roasted whole suckling pig that’s equal parts crackling and tender flesh. The Cebu Island version is said to be the best, stuffed with aromatics like star anise, garlic, lemongrass and shallots, before slowly being roasted over charcoal for three hours. It's the star of the show at this casual eatery, which is now found in Blacktown.

‘Tita’ in Tagalog (the native language spoken in the Philippines) means aunt and this sunny café, located on Marrickville's main drag, pays homage to its owners’ late aunt, Tita Marlene. In the Philippines, a carinderia is a no-frills roadside café or food stall selling home-cooked Filipino fare for the working class. Tita Carinderia is a modern take on the OG with communal tables out front, bright yellow walls inside and sachets of Tang, Kopiko and Nestea behind the counter for a bit of kitsch. And after one visit it’s easy to see why people are flocking here. The vibe is homely, the food is tasty and generous, the service is friendly – just like visiting your favourite aunt.

For a true boodle fight experience, make your way to Lidcombe, across the road from the train station, where you’ll find Sydney’s boodle capital, Sizzling Fillo. For the uninitiated, a boodle fight is the practice of kamayan, or eating with your hands in Filipino – so don’t expect to see any cutlery if you opt for the boodle feast menu, because you won’t be needing it. Your table will be covered in fresh banana leaves, and the restaurant’s friendly staff will pile it high with everything from crispy pata and fried milkfish with salted egg to spring rolls, grilled prawns and veggies. Hungry yet?

What began as a casual eatery popular amongst western Sydney’s Filipino community, has since become a full service a la carte restaurant. This once-modest grocery store in Granville has taken over the shop next door. The menu offers up everything from barbecue pork skewers (a definite crowd-pleaser) to a classic crispy pata, a dish of deep-fried pork knuckle, perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The restaurant also invokes summer vibes year-round, with the faithful Filipino shaved-ice dessert, halo halo, playfully served up in a coconut, and topped with all the usual trimmings.

Business in front, party in the back, Panlasang Pinoy appears to be a humble grocery store when you first enter, but you will soon find that this restaurant-grocer brings a lot to the table. The sheer range of dishes available on the ever-changing menu is impressive, and includes Filo favourites like kare-kare, a dish made up of oxtail, eggplant and beans with a thick peanut gravy. Panlasang Pinoy has also gained a cult following for its barbecue offerings, from lemongrass-and-tomato-stuffed squid to chicken feet and pork intestines. If you're can't choose just one of these mouthwatering dishes, Panlasang Pinoy offer an all-you-can-eat buffet every day of the week from $30. Bargain. 

This casual takeaway and eat-in restaurant, located in the small Mount Druitt Village shopping mall, packs one heck of a punch. Mate Burger is a bricks-and-mortar home for the popular food truck that has been doing the Sydney rounds for a number of years. Expect hearty burgers and fries with a distinct Filipino twist. The Ensaymada Burger, the most popular dish, features a smashed beef patty, creamy Kraft cheese, and candied maple and sriracha bacon, in a sweet Filipino-style bun. There’s also some reinventions of Filipino mainstays, like the chicken adobo loaded fries. The menu is also always changing, with monthly burger specials and rice bowls, as well as a Filipino-style spaghetti and fried chicken dish, a nod to the family-favourite meal served at the beloved Filipino fast-food chain, Jollibee.

Mama Lor Restaurant & Bakery stands out for its barbecue dishes as well as a range of baked delights prepared in the restaurant’s in-house bakery. On the grill, options include the inihaw na pusit, a whole squid stuffed with onion and tomato, or the inihaw na liempo, a grilled marinated pork belly, served with house-made barbecue sauce. As for the baked goods, there’s the ube macapuno cake, a sweet purple yam confection with sweet shredded coconut, or the cheesecake flan made with cream cheese. They’ve also got many pre-packaged Filipino-style breads and pastries you can buy, just in case you get hungry again on the way home.

This café brings Filipino breakfast to typical Aussie café culture. On one hand, they serve popular brekky dishes such as a 'Big Breakfast', and sweet corn fritters, while on the other, they offer a class of Filipino breakfast dishes known as silog, containing sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg). Each of these are accompanied by a range of meat dishes, including tosilog (sweet cured chicken), and longsilog, a Filipino-style pork sausage. Come lunch time, you can choose from other hallmark Filipino dishes all of which are served with fried eggs and garlic fried rice. There's quality coffee here, too – so your caffeine fix is covered regardless of whether you’re after an Aussie or a Filipino meal. Or both.