Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna in Baguio - Food Review

Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna in Baguio - Food Review

The pandemic was phenomenal. Imagine how it put almost everything to halt and left us stuck in (hopefully) the comfort of our homes. It left us heavily relying on takeouts and delivery apps just to explore something new to eat, but at some point it became too saturated. Now I know I might be leveraging on the pandemic as an excuse, but this somehow explains why I wasn't able to post much in this blog (plus with some occasional cabin fever on the side). However, as borders start to open up even more, I'm picking this as a sign to resurrect from my hiatus, and I realized that this post about Lemon and Olives is a great way to break that off.

Lemon and Olives is perhaps the top restaurant I tried when we went in Baguio a couple of months back (i.e. December 2021). They serve one of the best lamb chops across the country, and they serve other authentic Greek cuisine. In this blog post, I'd be sharing more about the restaurant and the food they serve.

Lemon and Olives in Baguio City

Prior to visiting Baguio, my friends and I were already catching some rave about how good Lemon and Olives is. We were so intrigued by this which is why all of us agreed to put this on our list of must-visit restaurants. In preparation for a potential queue, we decided to go there as early as about 10:30 am. However, since Lemon and Olives serves breakfast, all of the seats that had the best view were all occupied. The good news is, we were first in queue.

I personally suggest that you also do the same, and arrive there as early as possible, just so you can get the best seats. Arriving there at around 11:30 am may still allow you to be seated, but that will be far off from the balcony already leaving you the sight of just the interior. 

Interior of Lemon and Olives in Baguio City

Anyway, just before we head on to the area which has a great scenic view, let's check out the interior of Lemon and Olives which is giving us a cabin-like appeal. With its wooden elements, the ambiance is very cozy, making it conducive for a great family or barkada dining.

Cabin-like ambiance of Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna, Baguio

Lemon and Olives has a huge seating capacity. It has two floors that are operational, and I'm guessing that you can actually rent the place for some function or celebrations. Not a bad idea, actually.

It's important to note however that during our visit (perhaps because it was still during pandemic), only the top floor is open for dining. 

Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna, Logo

I've stalled long enough to have some element of suspense, but we are now about to see the hottest spot inside the restaurant. The photo below shows you the balcony area of Lemon and Olives which has a great scenic view of Baguio.

As a person who tried dining in this area and also otherwise, I'd say that truly there is a difference. The ambiance pulls exponentially the dining experience, plus you get better lighting for your photos (except of course when you go there for dinner). Clearly, it can only sit a few guests, so imagine all the people clamoring for these precious spots. 

Balcony of Lemon and Olives in Baguio City

Alright, now that we've acquainted ourselves with the interior, let's move on some of the dishes found here in Lemon and Olives. 

Let's begin with some appetizers first, shall we? Note that those that are enclosed in quotes are descriptions from the menu.

Greek Salad of Lemon and Olives

A fresh bed of lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and onions drizzled with all the Mediterranean trappings of feta cheese, imported olive oil and Greek olives

The Greek Salad (P300) offered some fresh greens which was really superb in quality. However, I'm not sure whether it was just me not being used to this kind of salad, but I found this too basic. 

Poikilia of Lemon and Olives, Baguio City

The Parthenon of Greek appetizers! This is a plate of assorted appetizers such as Greek village sausage, spicy soutzouki sausage, saganaki cheese, tzatziki dip and pita bread

The basic-ness of the Greek Salad was exceedingly compensated with this Poikilia (P330), an assortment of Greek appetizers. The spicy soutzouki was indeed playfully spicy giving us a sense of adventure. What I loved the most from this plate was the saganaki cheese, which was bursting with immense goodness. A must-try

Lemon & Olive's Lamb Chops - Must Try!

Signature charcoal grilled lamb dish infused with selected Greek herbs to bring the fresh taste of the Mediterranean. Served with a bowl of Greek salad

The Lemon & Olive's Lamb Chops (P2,230 good for 4) is the superstar. This for me elevated my dining experience here in the restaurant. Price may look steep, but this is considerably reasonable compared to similar restaurant here in the Metro. The char-grill was perfection, and the meat was rightly spiced with a balance pull and push of flavors. Undoubtedly, this is something you should never miss! 

Beef Gyro of Lemon and Olives

A pocket of flavor in a pita bread. Juicy slices of meat tucked away in a freshly baked pita bread with onions, tomatoes, and fries doused with tzatziki sauce

The Beef Gyro (P160) sits somehow on the fence. I just love the affordability of the dish, but I'm not wowed by the overall experience. There was something not right with the dish - might be the texture (i.e. pita bread was somehow tough and rough). It was not bad, definitely, but I was just expecting a little more from it. I'd still order it the next time though just to re-validate. 


Structured layers of potato, eggplant and ground beef, topped with a generous amount of bechamel sauce

I just love how well-balanced the experience was. Each time we were tasting something slightly below expectations, we were then wowed by the following dish. Such was the case for this Moussaka (P280). It was just exploding with well-coordinated flavors and textures. It also came in an optimum temperature which made it even more lovable. A must-try! 

Baklava Cheesecake of Lemon and Olives

A fusion of the classic Greek dessert and the creamy and dense New York Cheesecake

We are done with the main dishes, and we are now heading for some desserts. Unfortunately, during our first visit, they ran out of stock for the Classic Backlava, so we opted for the Baklava Cheesecake (P170) instead. Although sweeter than it should, the cheesecake had this creamy savory goodness from the cheese, and made more exciting with the rough yet flaky texture of the baklava as the base. 

Frozen Greek Yogurt of Lemon and Olives

If you want something considerably lighter, you may opt for the Frozen Yogurt Demeter (P150). There were other two choices for the yogurt which has different toppings, but this comes with baklava crumble on top, so it still gives you this classic goodness. However, more than the baklava, it was the yogurt that I fell in love with. It was just velvety smooth and has a perfect blend of sweetness and sourness. It is also an effective palate cleanser, I'd say. 


Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna - Overall Ratings and Summary

Note: The ratings reflect my collective personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Ambiance: ★★★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Price/Value: ★★★★
Budget: approx. P600 each (may go as high as P800 if you are ordering lamb chops) for a sharing type of experience with a group of at least four (4)
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 3 || Date of latest visit - July 10, 2022

Lemon and Olives was truly an exceptional dining experience given the wonderful ambiance along with amazing lamb chops. Service was fine, but has the tendency to be explicably slow during peak hours. Should that happen, the excellence of the dishes will very much compensate for it. Top recommendations include the lamb chops, the moussaka and the poikilia

Throughout my stay in Baguio I was able to explore probably about 10 different restaurants, and this stood out to be exceptional. This is clearly a personal favorite, to a point wherein I returned back here just a few days after. Anyway, see it for yourself and do let me know what you think. 

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Lemon and Olives Greek Taverna
Location: 26 Outlook Dr S, Baguio, 2600 Benguet
Service Charge: 5% before VAT

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