A Morning at Villa Negro Cafe: Breakfast with a View

The five-hour trip from Manila to Lucena Dalahican Port plus the three-hour ferry ride from Lucena Dalahican Port to Marinduque’s Balanacan Port made us tired and hungry by the time we reached the island. 

We were willing to eat a simple breakfast of cup noodles and instant coffee at a random roadside eatery just to relieve our hunger before the tour of Marinduque began when our tour guide said they were bringing us to a special cafe.

A few minutes drive from Balanacan Port, we were brought to a somewhat hilltop and remote area in Mogpog when our tour guide then announced that we have arrived at the cafe. 

We dragged ourselves out of the van and went into the cafe. The entryway was simple and bare. This is probably just another typical cafe that serves typical Filipino breakfast— nothing special, I thought.

Then we went down some stairs and were brought to a patio. 

And suddenly there was a breathtaking view of a shoreline— the white sand a few meters below us and the sea’s transitioning color from aqua to deep blue was stretching out in the horizon in front us. It was a beautiful view on that sunny summer morning in May 2022. 

After a moment of appreciating the view, we were then seated by the server and handed the menu. We flipped through it; they served mostly Italian dishes at reasonable prices. And because it was breakfast I only ordered eggs, toasted bread, and coffee while my companions had English breakfast. The service was fast and our foods were served warm, with the servers’ warm smiles. The food we had tasted great for its kind. I wish I could say more about their Italian dishes but I’ll reserve that for another time. 

The stunning view, the warm and delicious breakfast, and the courteous and efficient service at Villa Negro Cafe indeed was special. It was a perfect way to start our tour of Marinduque.  

*This is not a paid post.