Binondo is the world's oldest Chinatown; next to it are Escolta, Manila's old business district, and Quiapo with its steel basilica. The Chinatown walk, the churches and Escolta come from my list of saved places. I added the Wai Ying, LanZhou LaMien, Sincerity and New Po Heng canteens, the Eng Bee Tin bakery and The Den coffee shop on the advice of travel guides and blogs, and checked them on Google: still open, rated 4.2 or higher. Every description is put together from Google Maps reviews; I'll add my own notes after the trip.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 100 ₱ ≈ $1.60.
In short
- Eating in Chinatown: dim sum and roast duck at Wai Ying, hand-pulled noodles at LanZhou LaMien, fried chicken at Sincerity, fresh lumpia at New Po Heng and hopia at Eng Bee Tin, all close to Binondo Church.
- Where to start: Chinatown Walk, the pedestrian part of Binondo around Ongpin with its Chinese food stalls.
- Two churches: Binondo Church, founded by the Dominicans in 1596, and the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian in Quiapo, the only all-steel church in Asia.
- Old Manila before the towers: Escolta Street, with local brands at HUB | Make Lab and The Den coffee shop at the back of it.
Binondo, Escolta and Quiapo
Chinatown Walk
Binondo · Chinatown walking street
Google Maps · Binondo
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 130+): the pedestrian stretch of Binondo, one of the oldest Chinatowns in the world, with Chinese food stalls and seats to sit down and eat. Around Ongpin there are dumplings, noodles, bakeries selling hopia and shops with things you won't find elsewhere. Locals find it safe. The downsides: crowded, noisy and not very clean.
Binondo Church
Binondo · church · Tue–Sun 8:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:30, closed Mon
Google Maps · Facebook · Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 3,500+): a granite church founded by Dominicans in 1596 for the Chinese-Filipino community, with a 16th-century bell tower. It's dedicated to the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz. Inside it's calm even with Ongpin buzzing outside, a good stop before eating your way through Chinatown. It's a working church: dress decently and leave the food outside.
Wai Ying Fast Food
Binondo · Cantonese dim sum · up to 500 ₱ (≈$8) · daily 7:30–22:00
Google Maps · 810 Benavidez St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 2,800+): a no-frills canteen people have been coming to for dim sum for years. The orders are hakaw, siu mai, steamed spare ribs, radish cake and roast duck rice, and the duck gets the most praise. Prices are still low. The downsides: drinks are pricey, and one guest was unhappy with both the food and the cleanliness.
LanZhou LaMien
Binondo · hand-pulled noodles & dumplings · up to 500 ₱ (≈$8) · daily 10:00–21:00
Google Maps · website · Lucky Chinatown Mall, Reina Regente St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 320+): a simple spot in Lucky Chinatown Mall where noodles are pulled by hand. Reviewers praise the sinigang pulled noodles (the sour Filipino soup done the Chinese way), kan pan la mien, wontons, xiao long bao and fried dumplings. Portions are huge, and they'll split one between two for free. It's almost always full.
Sincerity Restaurant
Binondo · Chinese-Filipino · 500–1,000 ₱ (≈$8–16) · Mon–Thu 8:30–19:00, Fri–Sat 8:30–20:00, Sun 8:30–14:00
Google Maps · Facebook · 519 Quintin Paredes
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 1,100+): an old family restaurant in Binondo, known for its fried chicken with very crunchy skin and its oyster cake. Big portions: half a chicken feeds three. Opinions split: for some it tastes of childhood, others find the chicken a bit dry and the dishes nothing special.
New Po Heng Lumpia House
Binondo · fresh lumpia · up to 500 ₱ (≈$8) · Mon–Sat 8:30–19:00, Sun 8:30–18:00
Google Maps · Facebook · 621 Carvajal St, down the alley
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 530+): an old shop in a quiet Carvajal alley rolling fresh lumpia, a big filled roll in a wrapper with the house sauce, about 120 ₱ (≈$2) each. Eat it there rather than taking it away; the misua and pancit get praise too. Downsides: one guest was let down by the pork maki soup, and service can be inattentive.
Eng Bee Tin
Binondo · Chinese bakery · up to 500 ₱ (≈$8) · daily 7:00–22:00
Google Maps · website · 628 Ongpin St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 1,200+): the flagship of Binondo's famous bakery, where people stock up on hopia (filled pastries) and tikoy in every flavour. Reviewers like the steamed buns and the fried ube sesame balls; the restaurant on the second floor has a shorter queue. The line outside can take about fifteen minutes but moves fast, so bring an umbrella against the sun.
Escolta Street
Binondo · historic street
Google Maps · Escolta St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 60+): a street laid out in 1594 and Manila's old business centre; long before Makati's skyscrapers, the city's tallest buildings stood here. About eight old Art Deco buildings survive, but many are worn. It's a great street for photography, and parts of it are sometimes closed for markets. Go with a walking tour to get the history.
HUB | Make Lab
Escolta · creative space & local brands · Mon–Thu 10:00–18:00, Fri–Sun 10:00–19:00
Google Maps · Facebook · First United Building, 413 Escolta St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 130+): small shops of local makers and brands in an old building on Escolta: stickers, stationery, T-shirts, vintage, a photo booth and a flower pop-up. The Den coffee shop is hidden inside. Some found there isn't much to it and people come for one photo, so don't make a special trip; drop in if you're on Escolta anyway.
The Den
Escolta · coffee shop · up to 500 ₱ (≈$8) · Mon–Thu 10:00–18:00, Fri–Sun 10:00–19:00
Google Maps · website · HUB Make Lab, 413 Escolta St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 240+): a coffee shop at the back of HUB | Make Lab, reached past the shops, a barbershop and a photo booth. Careful lighting, heavy wooden tables and no street windows. Reviewers praise the flat white, the brown sugar latte and the house Manila Sunset. The room is big but fills up quickly.
Minor Basilica of San Sebastian
Quiapo · Gothic steel basilica · Tue–Sat 9:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, Sun 9:00–12:00, closed Mon
Google Maps · Facebook · Pasaje del Carmen St
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 1,400+): an 1891 Gothic basilica with two towers, the only all-steel church in Asia; its parts were made in Belgium and bolted together in Manila. Up close you can see the rivets and steel arches; inside there's stained glass and a painted ceiling, corroded in places. The outside is often covered in restoration scaffolding.
One last thing
Come to Binondo hungry and early: Eng Bee Tin opens at 7:00 and Wai Ying at 7:30, while the HUB | Make Lab shops and The Den only open at 10:00. Don't plan this walk for a Monday: Binondo Church and San Sebastian are closed that day, and Binondo Church also shuts for lunch from 12:00 to 13:30. Intramuros is close by, so old Manila fits into one day.
More on Manila: Intramuros and Ermita, Makati and BGC.