Masferre Country Inn

We arrived in Sagada around 7pm and had dinner here. It’s easy to get to, near the town proper, and seemed to be a regular stop for tourists. Our Spaghetti Bolognese tasted more like sweet Filipino Spaghetti. We also ordered Salad and All Cheese Pizza. The portions weren’t large, and it felt a bit pricey. Service took a while, but the staff did accommodate our requests to remove specific ingredients because of dietary restrictions :) I’d still recommend trying it for the experience. Maybe their accommodations are great too, I might explore those next time.

The service was slow, and the staff desk was nearly always empty, so getting help took a while. The young dining attendants seemed distracted and served without a smile. The quickest, friendliest service came during booking and when we texted their mobile number. Texting also helped get us out of trouble when heavy rain nearly trapped us farther down the road, and arranging massages was just a text away. We got a spacious room with ensuite t&b and our own balcony. The view was mostly neighbors’ roofs, though there was some greenery in the distance. The room had two double (or queen?)-sized beds with one of the smoothest bedsheets I’ve slept on, plus lots of room for our things and a dresser with a mirror for smaller bags. There was no a/c or fan, and the night breeze was meant to keep things comfortable, but this year’s summer heat reached Sagada too, and my companion sometimes woke up sweating. The bathroom was a reasonable size, but the shower head was bad. They provided a pail and bucket, so we stored water for easier use. The heater was inconsistent, working sometimes and failing most of the time. Luckily the weather wasn’t too cold, so the water was manageable. Breakfast was included, with five set options. On day two I got only one boiled egg instead of the two from the previous morning. The young server boy didn’t know why, but said there was a different cook, so servings seem to depend on who’s cooking. Breakfast was okay, but stock was tight, and your first choice might be unavailable, so it helps to have a second and third option. The fruit was consistently juicy and sweet. I also smelled a pansit dish served to another diner, tried it, and it tasted as good as it smelled. I used to hear that Masferre was known for Photography and a restaurant serving delicious food, and that dining there was for special occasions and meant you had money. I’d heard the inn was expensive and had shared toilet issues. This visit, it was our second choice because St. Joseph was full. Since we could afford it now, it felt good to manage that. I’m not sure if the shared toilet issue remains, as our room had its own bathroom. It’s a little sad seeing Masferre’s facade shift from a log cabin look to a more modern, sharp one. Inside, though, there’s still a rustic dining atmosphere and a great menu, especially at dinner. The location is right in the middle of the city center, and that should keep bringing visitors to Sagada. The staff and service could use a little polishing.

After a long hike on Marlboro Hills, we were exhausted and hungry, so we came for breakfast expecting a decent meal. The place looks nice, and the menu suggests a proper international breakfast, but about half the menu, basically all the international options, was unavailable. The waiter only told us after we’d sat down and started resting. If we’d known at the entrance, we would have gone elsewhere. We ordered three kinds of omelet and got three nearly identical plates. Two went back, but the replacements were still bad. They tasted cheap, greasy, and unpleasant, with awful cheese. The coffee was honestly some of the worst we’ve had. For somewhere far from cheap and constantly recommended as one of the best, the experience was shockingly bad. It was disappointing and badly managed, and absolutely not worth the hype. It nearly ruined the mood after an otherwise beautiful hike.

The food was very, very bad, and pricey too. We ordered three steaks, two well-done and one medium rare. The well-done ones were so tough it felt like you could chew them for centuries. The medium-rare steak seemed straight from the freezer and was full of frozen blood. Very, very disappointing.