Lakeview Le Jardin now offers cozy cabins in upland Cebu City!

*Lakeview Le Jardin is a scenic garden restaurant along the Cebu Transcentral Highway in Tabunan, Cebu City that now offers overnight accommodation.*

Cebu Transcentral Highway, a winding road that traverses the central highlands of Cebu island, offers a quick escape from the bustling metro. The 33-kilometer road links Cebu City to Balamban along the western coast. With lush mountain views, cool weather, and foggy atmosphere, relaxing attractions like gardens and cafés can be reached within an hour’s drive from Metro Cebu.

Many locals informally (but misleadingly) refer to the entire highland area as “Busay”, derived from the name of a popular mountain barangay, but the highway actually traverses several villages. Among the most popular places to visit along this mountain road, best toured by private car, are Tops Lookout (Barangay Malubog), Temple of Leah (Barangay Busay), and Sirao Flower Gardens (Barangay Sirao).

Among the newer highland establishments, my family’s favorite since it opened in 2021 is Lakeview Le Jardin – a rustic restaurant set amidst vibrant gardens in Barangay Tabunan, near the border with Balamban. I previously recommended this exceptional establishment on my list of must-visit restaurants along the Cebu Transcentral Highway.

The latest addition to the mountainside property are cozy garden cabins where guests may now overnight in and spend more time exploring the gardens and the surrounding area. You many also bring your fur babies with you since Lakeview is pet-friendly; they can stay with you in the cabins for a minimal nightly fee. Among the nearby attractions are Tabunan Forest (a birding hotspot where you can spot island-endemic birds like black shama and Cebu boobook), Buwakan ni Alejandra, and Adventure Cafe & Zipline.

*The scenic patio shared by Siloy and Tikling Cabins.*

*The cabins have a cozy ambiance with their stone walls and wood finishings.*

Amenities

Lakeview Le Jardin has three private cabins, named after native birds, set amidst the gardens, a short walk away from the restaurant. My family, together with our dog Ocean, stayed at the Siloy and Tikling cabins, which shares a common patio overlooking the terraced garden, surrounding valley, and the faraway Malubog Lake that gave the property its name.

The cabins offered a warm and cozy ambience, thanks to the wood and stone finishings. It had whimsy accents like a robot-like bird sculpture fashioned from scrap metal and ceramic figurines embedded in the stone walls. Set in the middle of the property, the cabins have direct access to the gardens. The patio, however, is cordoned off from the walkways to ensure privacy from walk-in guests exploring the gardens.

*Homemade Angus Corned Beef – a signature breakfast dish!*

Dining Options

Overlooking the gardens, Lakeview Le Jardin‘s restaurant has a good selection of elevated comfort food and drinks on their menu, which includes soups and starters, all-day breakfast plates, burgers, sandwiches, pizza and pasta.

Plated breakfast was included in the accommodations; guests may choose from a selection of gourmet silog meals, French toast, pancakes, and Continental breakfast. Their best-selling breakfast plate is the Homemade Angus Corned Beef, made with slow-cooked beef brisket, simmered in herbs and spices.

Located right next to Lakeview is another pet-friendly roadside cafe called Charlie’s Cup with open-air patios and lookout decks that lend a playful, treehouse-inspired environment.

Room Rates

Accommodations start at ₱3,400 (weekdays)/₱4,000 (weekends and holidays) per night at the Siloy Cabin, good for two persons, inclusive of plated breakfast. The other two guest rooms are the adjacent Tikling Cabin (₱4,000/₱4,800) and the larger Tikarol Cabin (₱5,500/₱6,000), which features a private swimming pool. Cats and dogs are allowed to stay in the cabins for a nightly fee of ₱500 per pet, with a maximum of two pets per room.

*Pets – like our dog Ocean – are welcome to stay in the cabins!*

How to Get There

A private car is the best way to travel up Cebu Transcentral Highway and get to Lakeview Le Jardin. For public transportation, take a shared van, locally called “v-hire”, bound for Balamban or Tuburan that passes by the Cebu Transcentral Highway, from either IT Park (across Ayala Malls Central Bloc) or Cebu Business Park (Ayala Center Cebu). Tell the driver to drop you off Lakeview Le Jardin, right before Charlie’s Cup Cafe. Note: if vans don’t fill up with passengers at Ayala Center, passengers are transferred to IT Park free of charge.