Alavar Seafood Restaurant is one of Zamboanga’s most famous food spots, so we made sure to try it for lunch.

Since there were only two of us, we went for their combo meals—Combo Meal #4 (shrimp rebosado, pork ribs, pork chop with rice) and Combo Meal #6 (chicken BBQ, grilled belly, buttered shrimps, rice, and green mango with bagoong).
Both meals were flavorful, generous in portions.

The restaurant has that classic Zamboanga charm and the staff were friendly and accommodating.

We weren’t able to try their house specialty Curacha (deep-sea crabs) this time since one large order (3 pcs) is ₱2,800 and an XL (2 pcs) is ₱3,000—but definitely saving that for our next visit when the budget allows.

Overall, a satisfying meal and a must-try stop when in Zamboanga City.

– Rhea Chua

We ate here for dinner. The place has a really rustic, spanish influence kind of vibe as with most of the sights in Zamboanga. The food was good. The seafood was expectedly fresh. The star of the show was definitely the Alavar sauce. So much so, that we ended up buying the sauce (yes they sell packs of it).
The wait time for the food was a bit long tho.

– Jed

The place has a very rustic, old-world charm that gives an authentic local vibe and makes the experience feel warm and relaxed. The food was good overall, but the highlight for me was the curacha crab with their signature Alavar sauce, which was rich, flavorful, and perfectly complemented the sweetness of the crab. Definitely a must-visit if you want to experience classic Zamboanga cuisine.

– Chino Yap