A Laid-Back Boracay: Where to Stay, Eat, and Slow Down

Boracay is easy to associate with packed itineraries, water activities, nightlife, and long days spent moving from one attraction to another. But the island can also be enjoyed at a much slower pace.

For our trip, food became a big part of the experience. Instead of trying to fill every hour, we built our days around good meals, a sunset cruise, and enough time to simply enjoy Boracay. It made the trip feel less like checking places off a list and more like actually having a vacation.

If you are looking for a more relaxed Boracay experience, these are some of the places that made our stay worthwhile.

Feliz Hotel Boracay

Location: D’Mall of Boracay, Station 2, Malay, Aklan
Contact: (036) 288-3424 / 0995-026-5428

One of the easiest ways to have a laid-back Boracay trip is to stay somewhere that keeps everything within reach. Feliz Hotel Boracay worked well for this because it is located right in D’Mall, Station 2, with White Beach just a short walk away. The hotel itself describes its location as being at the heart of the D’Mall district, with restaurants and shops right outside.

That location made a difference for us. We did not have to plan our days around long rides just to get food or head to the beach. Restaurants, shops, and the beach were all close enough that we could simply step outside whenever we wanted.

The hotel itself also gave us a comfortable place to slow down between activities. Feliz has a rooftop pool, fitness center, and its own dining options, including La Plaza and Buenavista.

We also liked having La Plaza downstairs for meals. Its menu leans toward Spanish-inspired dishes, but two dishes stood out to us: the Oyster Rockefeller and fish and chips. We actually had the Oyster Rockefeller twice during our stay, which says enough about how much we enjoyed it.

La Plaza also becomes a livelier dinner spot in the evening, with acoustic music and fire dancers on select nights.

Meze Kitchen

Location: Road 1-A towards Bulabog Beach
Contact: 0920 971 3907

Meze Kitchen has always been a must-try when you’re visiting the island.

The restaurant takes a Mediterranean-inspired approach, with dishes designed for sharing. Its menu includes small plates and different options that make it easy to order several things for the table.

The Smoked Salmon Crudo was one of the first dishes we tried. It was light enough to start the meal without filling us up right away.

We also ordered the Meze 3, which comes with three choices of kebab. I liked this because we could try different kebabs in one order instead of choosing just one. We also had the Cheesy Mozzarella Wrap, which was more filling and easy to share.

The menu works well when you are eating with other people because you can order several dishes for the table. We ended up trying more than we probably would have if everyone had ordered their own main dish.

I would recommend Meze Kitchen if you want something different from the usual Boracay restaurant lineup. The food gives you more variety, especially if you like Mediterranean-inspired dishes and grilled meats.

Cafe Uno Boracay

Location: Station 1 Beachfront, Boracay Island, Aklan
Contact: @cafeunoboracay on instagram

Boracay is well known for its sunsets.

Cafe Uno Boracay is a rooftop restaurant and bar in Station 1, and we mainly went for the sunset. The rooftop gives you a clear view of the beach, so we timed our visit for late afternoon and stayed through sunset. It is one of those spots where you can have dinner and drinks while watching the sky change over the water.

The sunset is also accompanied by live entertainment. Cafe Uno has DJ sets and live performances, including drum or bongo performances, which become more noticeable as the evening goes on. That gives the place a more energetic feel after sunset compared with the quieter afternoon.

For food, we ordered the Chorizo Croquettes and Shrimp Scampi. The croquettes were a good pick for sharing, while the shrimp scampi worked well as a heavier dish alongside the drinks.

If you are planning to visit Cafe Uno, I would come before sunset rather than arriving after dark. You get the beachfront view, the sunset, dinner, and the evening performances in one stop. It also gives you more reason to stay instead of simply coming in for a quick meal.

MyBoracayGuide Sunset Cruise

Location: Boracay Island, Aklan
Contact: Contact details vary depending on the booking channel.

A sunset cruise was one of the activities we were happy to include because it did not require us to spend the whole day rushing from one attraction to another.

We booked the sunset cruise through MyBoracayGuide, which gave us a few hours on the water with activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, a water hammock, and mermaid tails for photos. Our experience also included a short massage and live acoustic music.

What made it work for us was the pace. You can participate in the activities when you feel like it, then simply stay on the boat and enjoy the sunset.

It also did not feel like a party cruise. There was live acoustic music, but the overall experience was much more suited to people who wanted to spend a few hours on the water without turning the afternoon into a big event.

For anyone visiting Boracay who wants an activity without packing the day too tightly, this is an easy one to add.

Aria Cucina Italiana

Location: Beachfront, D’Mall of Boracay, Malay, Aklan
Contact: 0998 482 8490

Aria has been around Boracay since 2003, and it is easy to see why people keep coming back. It is right on the beachfront at D’Mall, so you get the sea and the restaurant in one place. Their current menu focuses on Italian dishes, including wood-fired pizza, pasta, seafood, and other Italian classics.

We started with the Frito Calamari, which comes with a herbed mayonnaise dip. It was a good starter to share before the pizza came out.

For the pizza, we went with Salame Milano and Quattro Formaggi half-and-half. The Salame Milano has salami and mozzarella, while the Quattro Formaggi comes with four cheeses: pecorino, feta, parmesan, and mozzarella.

I liked doing the pizza this way because we got two completely different flavors in one order. The Salame Milano had the saltier, meatier side of things, while the Quattro Formaggi was much richer and cheesier.

We also liked having the option to sit by the beach while eating. If you come around sunset, the view adds a lot to dinner, but I would still recommend Aria mainly for the food. The wood-fired pizzas are the thing I would come back for, especially when sharing with a group.

Zuzu Ramen

Location: Island Home, across Aqua Hotel, Bulabog Back Road, Malay, Aklan
Contact: 0927 646 7696

After spending days around the beach, seafood, and tropical drinks, sometimes you just want a hot bowl of ramen.

What I liked about Zuzu Ramen right away was the menu. They keep it very minimal, with just three ramen dishes: Shoyu, Tantanmen, and Tonkotsu.

The Tantanmen comes with spicy marinated ground pork, pechay, leeks, and egg. The Tonkotsu is made with a slow-simmered pork bone broth, chashu, egg, leeks, and kikurage, while the Shoyu gives you the lighter soy-based option.

I actually like that they do not try to do too much. If you come here, you are coming for ramen, and you can choose between three bowls without having to go through a long menu.

It is also a good place to remember if you get a late-night ramen craving. Zuzu stays open late, with current listings showing evening service extending toward midnight, so it is an option when you want something hot after dinner or after spending the night around Boracay.

The Bulabog location also takes you away from the busier Station 2 area. After a full day around White Beach, getting a bowl of ramen on the other side of the island made for a nice change.