The Cliff, Busay: Cebu City From the Rail, Day to Night
The Cliff is a restaurant built down the face of a ridge in Busay, and the city is the main course. Multi-level decks with glass rails look straight down on Cebu City, out to Mactan and the two old bridges, and south to the CCLEX span. The food is Thai and Filipino at mall prices. Go for the hour before sunset, book it, and stay until the lights come on.
Highlands de Busay, Busay, Cebu City · Photographed June 2024 · Checked October 27, 2026
What you see from the deck
The frame is wide. In the middle sits the city grid and the port, then the reclaimed edge and the sea. To the left, Mactan and the two older bridges across the channel. To the right, on a clear day, the long white line of CCLEX. Below the rail it is all forest and ridges, which is why the place feels farther from the city than the 20 to 30 minute drive.
The Cliff · Highlands de Busay
Pick your hour
Same deck, three different views. Tap a time slot.
Afternoon · 2 to 5 PM
Afternoon
The haze is thinnest early. The city fills the middle of the frame, the reclaimed edge and the sea behind it, and on a clear day the CCLEX span to the south. Fewest people of the three slots.
Sunset · 5 to 6:30 PM
Sunset
The slot everyone books. The sky over the strait goes orange and the city starts to switch on below. In June 2024 the moon was already up before the sun was down.
Night · After 6:30 PM
Night
The hills go black and the city becomes the light source: grid of lamps, the two Mactan bridges, the port. The deck lights are low enough that the view still wins.
Schematic, not to scale. Based on frames shot from the deck in June 2024. Checked October 27, 2026.
The best time to go
Sunset is the reason most tables are booked, and the busiest stretch runs from about 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The afternoon is quieter and the air is clearest early. Night is the most underrated slot: the hills go black, the city becomes a carpet of lamps, and the bridges show up as two lit lines across the channel.
What to order, and what it cost
The menu leans Thai, with Filipino and grill dishes alongside. On the menu photographed in June 2024, chicken mains ran ₱349, pork backribs and the tomahawk porkchop ₱399, and seafood dishes ₱499. The SIAM steamed seafood curry served in a whole coconut was ₱499, crispy pata ₱699, and the steaks topped out at ₱2,299 for a USDA Angus ribeye. Fried rice was ₱199 to ₱229. A 2025 roundup put the spend at about ₱400 to ₱700 a head. Expect prices to have moved since.
Hours, booking and getting there
- Hours. Listings disagree. One set has Tuesday to Thursday from 2 PM and Friday to Sunday from 11 AM, closing at 10 PM; another has weekday opening at 1:30 PM. Mondays have been listed as closed. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page the day you go.
- Booking. Book for sunset on weekends. Walk-ins work in the afternoon.
- By car or Grab. Up the hill from JY Square through Busay, about 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. The road is steep and narrow near the top.
- By shuttle. The Tops shuttle from the IT Park terminal runs up to Tops Lookout, about two minutes’ drive from The Cliff. There is no regular jeepney to the door.
Nearby in Busay
The Cliff sits on the same ridge as Tops Lookout, the obvious pairing if you arrive early. Temple of Leah and Sirao Garden are on the other Busay road, and La Parisienne Sky is the other dinner-with-a-view option up here.
From up here the old name for Cebu City makes sense: it is the only city in the frame. The Queen City tee carries it.
Suroy Wear · Island Series
Queen City of the South.
For the city you can see whole from one ridge in Busay. Made in Cebu. ₱999.
Wear the story
For how The Cliff compares with the other hilltop and rooftop tables in the city, see restaurants with a view in Cebu.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance fee at The Cliff in Busay?
No entrance fee has been reported. You pay for what you order.
How much does a meal at The Cliff cost?
On the June 2024 menu, mains ran ₱349 to ₱499, crispy pata ₱699 and steaks up to ₱2,299. A 2025 estimate put the spend at about ₱400 to ₱700 per person.
What time should I arrive for sunset?
Book a table for about 5 PM. Sunset in Cebu falls between about 5:20 and 6:10 PM depending on the month.
Can you see CCLEX from The Cliff?
Yes, on a clear day, to the south of the city. The Mactan bridges are visible across the channel.
How do I get to The Cliff from Cebu City?
By car or Grab up through Busay from JY Square, about 20 to 30 minutes. The Tops shuttle from IT Park gets you to the same ridge.
