Arabela, Liliw - The Foodie Place to be in Liliw, Laguna
In the land of slippers in Liliw, Laguna, the Arabela restaurant is the foodie place to be in. Usually people visit Arabela before or after they visit the Pahiyas in Lucban. It is about 45 minutes away from Lucban via the Majayjay road. The low-ceiling restaurant is cute and patronized by even foreigners.
Named after their daugthers Ara and Bela, Bobby and Tonet Camello started the restaurant by just selling cakes and brownies. Tonet is the cook while Bobby just loves to eat. These days, they are known for Pasta, Pizza and their Salad inspired by Italianis. Tonet confessed that they don't really have a formal background on cooking but they are just passionate about the food.
Kesong Puti Pizza Large (P220). Mozzarella, onions, mushrooms, black olives, green bell peppers, native white cheese.
Seafood Salad (P100). House Salad of assorted garden field greens, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber & feta cheese with assorted seafood on top. The honey mustard sauce was creamy with the right taste that I was expecting. The seafoods were cooked with the right crunch. Loved it!
Seafood Marinara (P140). Mixed Seafood in Marinara sauce. This pasta was so good that it would put some of the Greenbelt 5 restaurants to shame. The pasta were cooked al dente, topped with tomato sauce mixed with the right sweetness.

Thanks to Jojie and gang for sharing this little foodie secret in Liliw, Laguna.
Bread Pudding (P50). The bestseller dessert in the house.
Arabela Menu
Pasta House Specialties | Soup, Salad, Fresh Salad | Seafood | Meat | Tacos and Bread | Baked Pasta and Other Pasta | Pizza | Fresh Fruit Shake | Coffee and Beverages | Cold Drinks | Hot Drinks
Bobby & Tonet Camello
Arabela Cakes, Pastries, Pasta, Pizza and Coffee
503 Rizal Street, Liliw, Laguna
Mobile Number: +63 917 204 1447, +63 927 386 0639.
Telephone: +63 49 5632495

Liliw also celebrates the feast of St. Isidro Labrador. By 2pm, most of the houses would start throwing slippers, suman or coins as a thanksgiving for all the harvest and blessings of the family. I got stuck in the middle of this tradition and it was good to see it first hand. But I would suggest that you leave before this starts because it could get out of control.

For 30 minutes, the crowd enjoyed the shower of coins and paper money by one generous family. The traffic literally stopped to give way to this thanksgiving tradition.
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.



you should also try chef mau restaurant in liliw. the owners of the place is the brother of chef mau of duo resto in serendra and I forgot his new resto in robinsons midtown. Chef mau is originally from liliw and his family runs a small kubo resto (it was renovated just this year)in liliw. nadaanan nyo siguro to on the way to liliw from lucban or from pagsanjan. Our favorite is the thai tilapia and their chicken cordon bleu. try to visit chef mau when you go back to liliw.
Posted by: rose | Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 10:28 PM
We go to Liliw to feast on shoes tee hee. A Liliw visit is also incomplete without visiting the town's church and eating at Arabela's. Tucked away in a little corner, the place has an unassuming ambience, much like the town. And the prices are so affordable and the food so good!
Posted by: tamsie | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 01:03 AM
....new tourists are looking for natural enviromental habitats and those 'now' known world famous liliw laguna's 'crystal clear' rivers lol....
Posted by: gmmahoney | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 01:39 AM
attention quezon city! manila city makati city! you should be doing the same liliw laguna traditions but every 6 months instead lol! each cities 'should' be the one 'eager' to give aways-throw paper money to willng crowds that would be a lot of fun if not overnight money spending hours-parties lol! oh and i will give my share of throwing at least fifty thousand pesos this christmas just for fun serious lol!
Posted by: cil | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 07:54 AM
this restaurant is awesome! dont forget to order the fudge for dessert and grab a pair (or many) of shoes in entrada, the best store in liliw
Posted by: foodgirl | Friday, May 23, 2008 at 10:19 PM
super love ko ang food ng arabela!
the best!
ang galing ng blog mo anton! i always visit your site!
Posted by: che macalalad | Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 12:10 PM
I was here yesterday and truly, this is a little foodie secret in Liliw!(secret no more, dami tao, di nauubusan hehe!!!)
Posted by: riza | Friday, May 30, 2008 at 03:45 PM
don't forget PALMERA's Restaurant when going to liliw, it serves sumptuous filipino (more on bicolano dishes) great ambiance too!! folcon bakeshop too, located at San Francisco, Calihan, San Pablo City.
Posted by: joan | Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 11:45 AM
I have been going to Liliw and Arabela for years. Mmmm ...
Posted by: Kim | Tuesday, June 03, 2008 at 02:42 PM
Palmera's restaurant is the same way to Casa San Pablo, before you enter the intersection (or the Y road, whatever, hehe!) it's on the right side, parallel to caltex gas station. Sorry, not htat good with road insructions. They serve filipino food, mostly, bicolano dishes, try their crispy tilapia and their camias shake, if it is in season.:)Thanks for the reply, we're a fan of your blog, we have gone to some of the places you've been to. proud to be from San Pablo since you have good reviews on our places.We have some more hidden restos.:) happy eating!
Posted by: joan | Wednesday, June 04, 2008 at 08:06 AM
joan, can u share kung ano pa yung mga ibang hidden restos sa san pablo? for me, ang the best sa san pablo is kusina salud! runner-up ang coco palace restaurant, kaso hindi consistent.
Posted by: mel | Friday, June 13, 2008 at 08:23 AM
^ agree ako na masarap ang chinese food sa coco palace resto, super banas nga lang dun! based sa akin opinyon,. that palmera's quality of food and service had declined when it renovated their place. gumanda nga ang lugar pero sa tingin ko napabayaan nila imaintain yung sarap ng food nila. i'm also from san pablo too. ang pinaka paborito ko ay kusina salud. ang bago ko rin nadiscover ay yung folcon's coffee shop. sarap ng food at cakes ( yema cake at carmael cake!). maganda din yun ambiance ng place at daming magazine na mababasa at lahat bago. kaso hindi okay ang quality ng cold coffee drink nila. hehehe. masarap din cakes nung bago na cafe'. cafe' soledad
Posted by: jana | Friday, June 13, 2008 at 03:05 PM
we have a lil' vacation house along luna street and spent the whole first week of june '08 in liliw. had the chance to try arabela's famous pizza through the proddings of my wife and kids and they simply love it!!! i am now back to my posting here overseas and we'll make sure to stop by the place again when I go back to p.i. next year (summer)
Posted by: eoj | Monday, June 23, 2008 at 08:43 PM
just visited arabela yesterday with my family... sarap ng food! love the seafood marinara! we'll surely come back again. sana lang, lakihan nila yung place nila.
Posted by: mel | Monday, September 29, 2008 at 08:08 AM
yeah! just visited lng knina...:) for our report in culinary(commercial cooking) at san pablo colleges we picked arabela for our report on monday^^we actually interviewed kua bobby to asked some questions about our report:) and we taste the diff. pasta...yummylicious talaga lalo n br0wnies nila..we'll pagpatok sa panglasa..binabalik-balikan..kea bblik tlg kmi:) sana lng magbranch n sila sa san pablo.. yesterday nmn, we visited the PALMERA...uhm, nice yung place lalo sa mga gustong mgpropose pwede n din dun:) at may live band p dun^^
Posted by: rocel | Friday, July 02, 2010 at 10:29 PM
Where is Palmera Rocel?
Posted by: Anton Diaz | Saturday, July 03, 2010 at 07:08 AM
@ Maharlika Hi-Way, San Rafael, San Pablo City, Laguna
near at medical hospital po^_^
Posted by: rocel | Monday, July 05, 2010 at 09:14 AM
This is a great restaurant with very reasonable price fare, I would recommend it to my friends too.
Quoting you: "This pasta was so good that it would put some of the Greenbelt 5 restaurants to shame." I just have to agree, not even mentioning the price :D
Posted by: Josh | Sunday, July 25, 2010 at 11:09 PM
Does anybody know when Arabella opens? And time? We went one sunday here and it was closed.
Posted by: Vic Mayor | Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 09:05 AM
I went in Liliw also and i found it Macoy's Food Choice.We try pork tapsilog. the meat is really tender and the taste is really natural. its No preservative. parang dito lang ako nakakita ng natural food.Hopefully mag lagay pa sila ibang menu. and simple lang ang concept ng ambiance but really comfortable.
Posted by: jm | Friday, February 18, 2011 at 10:46 PM
They are open from 11:30am - 8:00pm. They'll be open the whole month this May but normally closed Monday.
Posted by: tito_tibo | Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 11:06 AM
The ambiance in this restaurant is really different. It gives me an awesome feeling while enjoying their delicious food. Arabela is a must-visit restaurant in Liliw, Laguna. It's really good. The Best!
Posted by: patricia | Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 03:51 PM
astig nga d2... unexecpected resto in Liliw talaga...last saturday ko lng ito napuntahan...hanep!
Posted by: iam | Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 11:21 PM
ooops//...wrong spelling pala hehe...di maedit he2
Posted by: iam | Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Love the place! been preparing to have like that here in Bataan :)
Posted by: Sher_Len | Thursday, February 09, 2012 at 04:14 PM
Must try ang seafood marinara nila and brownies... sarap!
Posted by: penfires | Monday, April 30, 2012 at 11:59 AM
Hi, i just wanna ask kung gano katagal ang drive/byahe grom manila to Liliw? Id like to visit and see the place..also if from Calauan to Liliw? Id like to see thinnkasi yung Isdaan Laguna. Thanks so much!
Posted by: Cleng | Monday, July 09, 2012 at 01:25 AM