About Punot
Punot is the Iloilo River Esplanade's reference modern-Filipino destination — the riverside-boardwalk restaurant on the Diversion-Road segment of the post-2012 city-government Esplanade redevelopment that has built the Iloilo-River-sunset-dinner reputation through the breathtaking-riverside-view positioning, the elevated-modern-Filipino menu, and the relaxing-ambience execution. The restaurant occupies a riverside-boardwalk pavilion with the indoor-air-conditioned dining room, the riverside-deck al-fresco patio (running the prime sunset-and-evening-river-watching service), and the open-display modern-Filipino-cooking-counter.
The menu is the elevated-Filipino canon with the Iloilo-river-and-Visayan-coastal seafood emphasis. The signatures are the lechon kawali (the deep-fried slow-cooked pork-belly slabs, the city's reference Filipino comfort-dish), the grilled blue-marlin (the Visayan-coastal sashimi-grade marlin grilled with the citrus-marinated mayonnaise-and-tomato-salsa), the kinilaw na tanigue (the Filipino ceviche with the Spanish-mackerel cured in coconut-vinegar-and-calamansi-and-bird's-eye-chilli), the seafood treasures pancit Molo wonton-soup-noodle (the heritage-Iloilo soup at the elevated-fine-dining presentation), and the appetizer-and-crisp-salad spread for the riverside-evening grazing format. A multi-course modern-Filipino dinner for two runs PHP 1,800-3,200 ($32-58).
The room is the Iloilo River Esplanade-sunset-dinner set-piece. The riverside-boardwalk-pavilion architecture, the breathtaking Iloilo-River-and-mangrove-and-Mt-Bulabog-skyline view, the post-2012 government-investment lit-promenade lighting, the Esplanade-evening-runner-and-walker-foot-traffic background, and the relaxing-modern-Filipino-fine-dining decor make Punot the city's reference-Esplanade-dinner answer. Capacity is around 150 across the indoor dining room and the riverside-deck patio.
Reservations matter for the weekend evenings and the Iloilo-River-sunset-dinner peak; three-to-five days ahead is enough. The restaurant accepts cards, the staff speak strong English, and the post-dinner four-kilometre Esplanade-boardwalk walk to the Lapuz waterfront is the conventional close to the evening.
Best Occasion Fit
As a first date — the Iloilo River Esplanade riverside-deck patio, the breathtaking sunset-view positioning, and the relaxing-modern-Filipino setting make Punot the city's reference first-date answer; the post-dinner four-kilometre Esplanade-boardwalk walk extends the date naturally. For birthdays the riverside-deck-patio celebration-dinner setting reads as making-the-Iloilo-effort. For solo dining the riverside-deck single-cover-by-the-river positioning makes the dinner properly contemplative.
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