Believe it or not, Boracay is home to a gastronomic secret that meanders away from the spotlight of the beach front. During rainy days and long nights with a bit of ennui or some unexpressed and inexplicable hugot moments (where you want to be in a chill place for some tête-à-tête or a much-deserved night cap), Los Indios Bravos Boracay Gastropub may just be the place for you.
Here, you may have a good drink and a possible chance encounter with beautiful strangers, what with your newly sunkissed skin and stories to tell in hushed tones within the wooden walls.
And as you half-whisper your stories, the walls literally tell you our country’s own story. Authentic 1901 photos from the period of the intelligent indios fill the place—the sepia stillness of our rich heritage plastered on their sturdy walls.
Like many treasured secrets, I wallowed whether I should expose this gem of a place. But it deserves to be discovered; more and more regulars are frequenting the place for a lot of reasons: the heritage, the good food, and the craft beer.
It’s along Road 1A and in the same building as the up and coming hipster hangout MNL famous for its rooftop with beer pongs and socials. Consequently, MNL is the sister hostel of 2nd Wind Boracay Bed and Breakfast.
Los Indios Bravos Boracay welcomes visitors hailing from different backgrounds, but one of the restaurant owners, Tantan Rosal, ensured that this place is very near the heart of the locals. It is not just about the pictures on the walls.
“The objective of the gastropub’s existence is to tell a story—that of our beautiful Philippine heritage. The story is written, not by ink on paper, but by the momentary heaven you can experience when your lips meet the rim of the glass with the handcrafted beer that dripped straight from the barrel. It’s all homegrown and world-class in one sip. For all newcomers, they have a generous sampling of original products from their local brewery.”
As you feel the liquid run through your throat, you can pair it up with freshly baked oysters and, their house special, the seafood platter that is good for 3 to 4 people. (Omnivores can also order hungarian sausage or pizza because it’s all available on the menu.) The menu items are created by no less than famous culinary bigwigs Norbert Gandler and Kenneth Cacho.
Even those who just want a good meal sans alcohol will still find reason to enjoy the place; I highly recommend their Lemon Iced Tea with Wheatgrass and honey. It’s an orgasmic type of non-alcoholic drink whose taste lingers long after you leave the island.
Los Indios Bravos Boracay is that place where you can stretch your legs underneath the wooden table, swing your head from side to side, take deep breaths, savor good food, and, as the night deepens, get wholly drunk with beauty and gastronomic delight.
And as you get drunk, the place remains as it is, not requiring too much effort to be astoundingly beautiful, which is precisely like the heritage that inspired the whole place.
It is what it is. Zero gimmicks. Just a glass of really good beer in your hand, enough to give you a good buzz before you sleep, coupled with genuinely good food. If you are more daring, you can certainly take the drinking up a notch. Either way, you have the memory of a gastropub in a lovely island that gives you enough light only if you recognize the brave native in you.
Los Indios Bravos Boracay
Website: www.indiosbravosboracay.com
Facebook: losindiosbravosboracay
indiosbravosboracay@gmail.com
Road 1-A Sitio Bolabog, Boracay Island
