While I have written a lot about Baguio, for some reason I have not yet given a standalone piece to Marosan Restaurant and View Deck. Now this is frankly a crying shame because it is one of the best and most quirky restaurants in not just Baguio, but perhaps the Philippines itself.
Why is this, you ask? Well the reasons are many, as I shall detail, but principal among them are these. They have a fabulous view of La Trinidad Valley hence the view deck, a massive hand you can stand on, as well as an increasingly large selection of cartoon characters for ambience. Oh and they have decent food and drinks too.
Table of Contents
What the Marosan Restaurant and View Deck Is
I personally discovered this gem about four years back when they had hardly expanded, had no big hand, and were for the most part just a normal local restaurant. I liked it though so I kept bringing groups, as I guess others did too, which has seen a serious expansion.
When you first walk in you might think it is just another Filipino diner serving local classics. But over time the owners have added more floors, more kitsch, and more weird and wonderful décor, turning it into a multi-tiered experience that nobody really expected from a place on Lower Bonifacio Street. They did not set out to make a theme park, they just kept adding things that made people smile.
The place is run by a local family with deep Baguio roots. They still hang around the restaurant at random times, chatting with patrons, joking with staff, and making sure you know this is their restaurant. There is no corporate bullshit, no sterile vibe, it drips with personality. Over the years they have tolerated a bit of chaos, decorating the walls with signs, odd figurines, paintings of cartoon characters, and whatever else looked cool when they found it.
The community embraced it. Locals bring friends. Tourists show up for photos. Backpackers linger over mugs of coffee and cheap drinks. That strange evolution has made Marosan one of the most talked-about spots in Baguio that nobody writes about properly until now.
The Multilevel Experience
Marosan is not just a restaurant, it is a building with a vibe that changes as you climb it. The first floor is essentially the entrance and souvenir layer. Here you can buy snacks, small bites, drinks, and weird little trinkets. There is no formal gift shop, but every corner has something odd: postcards, toys, keychains, caps, and hand-painted signs. You can grab bottled sodas here, quick snacks, or just look at the weird stuff while waiting for people going up ahead of you.
The second floor is more restaurant-focused. Tables line windows with partial views of the valley, and here is where most of your Filipino lunch or dinner will happen. The food is straightforward and comforting rather than fancy: grilled and fried meats, rice dishes, soups, noodles, and the kind of food that fills your stomach and does not pretend to be gourmet. Service moves at a natural pace, just enough that you can enjoy your meal and not feel ignored.
The third floor is where the drinks are. This level has a basic bar with stools and a few tables that catch the breeze. You can get cold beers, bottles of Tanduay rum, or a simple Smirnoff Mule served in a glass. That is literally it. No craft cocktails, no flashy bartenders, just simple drinks you can enjoy while taking in the view above the city.
The fourth floor is where Marosan stops being just a restaurant and becomes an attraction. This is where they have placed the cartoon characters: Mickey, Minnie, Shrek, and an eclectic range of others. None of it is official merchandise, it is more like someone collected statues and decided to display them here. It is random, it is silly, and that is exactly the appeal. Towering over everything, right beside the viewing deck, is the Giant’s Hand, a sculpture big enough to climb on for photos. It is ridiculous and absurd in the best possible way.
The viewing deck itself gives one of the best panoramic sights without paying balloon money or hiking a trail. You look out over La Trinidad Valley, catch the zigzag of provincial roads, the patches of pine trees, and feel the sense of elevation that only places like Baguio can give. The breeze is fresh, the drinks go down easy, and even if the cartoon statues feel random, they do not ruin the view. They just make you laugh at the same time.
Click to see my Baguio Guide – which does indeed mention Marosan….
Eating at the Marosan Restaurant
OK, so you come here for how whacky the place is, but to be fair the food is decent. It is not Michelin star, it is not fusion nonsense, it is not overpriced Instagram bait. It is solid local food that fills your stomach and tastes like Baguio should. The service is competent. Portions are generous without being ridiculous, and the mix of local fare and some western bits means there is something for everyone. You can get grilled pork, fried chicken, tilapia, noodles, soups, sisig, omelettes, rice dishes, and desserts like halo halo, all reasonably priced and reliably good.
You are served Filipino classics, but on the top restaurant level they also offer some western options and a bar-style experience. You can order cold beers like San Miguel, a bottle of Tanduay, or a simple Smirnoff Mule while admiring the view over the valley.
Example items….
- Marosan’s Rice with Fried Chicken or Pork ‒ ₱250 PHP (about 4.25 USD)
- Shantung Soup large bowl ‒ ₱200 PHP (about 3.40 USD)
- Pork Sisig sizzling plate ‒ ₱250 PHP (about 4.25 USD)
- Egg Fooyong hearty plate ‒ ₱180 PHP (about 3.05 USD)
- Grilled Pork Belly ‒ ₱300 PHP (about 5.10 USD)
- Fried Tilapia plate ‒ ₱280 PHP (about 4.75 USD)
- Pancit Bihon plate ‒ ₱200 PHP (about 3.40 USD)
- Halo Halo dessert bowl ‒ ₱180 PHP (about 3.05 USD)
- Mango Shake large glass ‒ ₱140 PHP (about 2.40 USD)
- San Miguel Beer bottle ‒ ₱140 PHP (about 2.40 USD)
The Top Deck and Giantomania
This is why you come here. Initially it was just Shrek, a monument of him, but since then Mickey Mouse, Mrs. Shrek, and a whole heap of others have joined. The characters are random, mismatched, and silly, and that is exactly the appeal.
The Giant’s Hand is a massive sculpture big enough to stand on, the kind of thing people immediately use for photos. It looks absurd from a distance and even more absurd up close, but it is ridiculous fun. It is not art school minimalism, it is just huge and absurd and works perfectly for a place that has never taken itself seriously.
Is it tacky Maybe a little but it is fun. That combination of ridiculous statues, a huge hand to pose on, and a killer view makes Marosan one of those places where you take photos, watch everyone else take photos, and maybe take more photos because it is too stupid not to.
Where the Marosan Restaurant and View Deck
Marosan Restaurant and View Deck
Lower Bonifacio Street
Baguio City Philippines
Phone +63 74 442 3281
Facebook facebook.com/MarosanRestaurantBaguio
Hours 9 00 AM to 9 00 PM Daily
And you know what too! The owners are freaking nice as well! So much so that they even pictures of my group displayed on their cute little screen. Can’t say better than that.
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