With the open sky above and the sound of birds chirping, Ver De feels like a hidden sanctuary in the middle of a forest.
I first went to Siargao in 2023. At the time actress Nadine Lustre had been based on the island for some time but was still a year away from opening her first restaurant, Ver De Siargao.
Earlier this year I decided to join a bunch of friends who had scheduled a trip for the middle of the year. I told myself I’d check out Nadine’s vegan joint on one condition: if I could find someone to vouch that the food is good even for meat-loving, non-vegetarians like me. I got it on the second day of my trip, from a friend who, like Nadine, had relocated to Siargao and put up his own dining place (Isla Panciteria).
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Three days later I finally made my way to Ver De. The place sits right in the middle of a dirt road that lies perpendicular to Tourism Road. It’s very accessible and less than 50 meters away from the busy main commercial street on the island and yet it feels very secluded.
The restaurant itself is not visible from the street. Two signages tell you you’ve arrived but you have to walk a concrete pathway flanked on both sides by lush, tall greenery to reach it. With the open sky above and the sound of birds chirping, the short walk feels like going to a hidden sanctuary in the middle of a forest. You haven’t even ordered yet and the experience is already quite verde.
A green space
There is obviously more greens in the Ver De Siargao dining area, and not just in the actual food. The half-open space is bounded by two wide concrete walls and capped with a high, sloping ceiling, also in concrete, that is supported by two pairs of thick diagonal steel posts.
It’s an unusual structure, painted in elegant deep fir that somehow manages to feel both modern and, thanks to the light-colored wooden furniture and lighting fixtures dangling from the ceiling, traditional at the same time. It also feels imposing and welcoming at once, like some kind of temple (that big Buddha bust wall art hanging in a corner might not be merely an accent for aesthetics but at the core of the creative concept for the place).
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In a way, Ver De Siargao is. Featuring an all-plant-based menu, the restaurant is a shrine that encourages an elevated, if not enlightened way of living, or at least eating—all-clean and all-healthy. You can indulge and have no worries or guilt.
And yes, the food is very good. Very rich, very flavorful, very textured. If you didn’t know Ver De was a vegan resto you probably would never think it was.
The menu
Ver De features a menu that’s just right—not long or confusing. Riceheads might spend a bit more time choosing something they think would satisfy their tummies, but they need not be so concerned. The servings are considerable. They’re even big enough to fill two not-so-hungry diners.
I call myself a strict non-vegetarian, so, I went to Ver De with some concern, if not trepidation. My friends went without knowing anything about it other than what I told them, that it’s a vegan restaurant owned by Nadine. We went away floored by the food and instant fans of the place.
It’s not a stretch at all to surmise that our first experience of Ver De echoed Nadine’s. She noted in an IG post in August 2024 right after her own branch started operations, “Our first meal at Ver De in Puerto Princesa in 2022 changed everything. We were so hooked that we just had to open Ver De in Siargao to share these incredible plant-based dishes with everyone. We practically eat here every day!“
We probably would too if we lived on the island. For sure, we will be back the next time we visit Siargao, Puerto Princesa, or El Nido.
Ver De Siargao is located at Purok 5, Kajali Resort, Siargao Island, General Luna.
