There’s a garden in Baguio that feels like it bloomed out of a canvas — and if you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s time you did. 113 Wagner Café isn’t exactly a secret anymore. Since the pandemic, this charming nook has quietly served up lunch and dinner to both locals and lucky tourists who’ve stumbled upon it. But recently, it gave us a whole new reason to fall in love all over again: brunch.
Let me take you back a little. When owner Techie Maravillas Pantaleon decided to open up a portion of her family home and turn it into a garden café, she didn’t just open a restaurant — she curated an experience. One that feels part dreamy greenhouse, part fine art gallery, and all heart. Imagine Claude Monet’s “The Luncheon” from 1873 — yes, the one with dappled sunlight, rich foliage, and a beautifully laid-out table. Now imagine being inside that painting. That’s what brunch at 113 Wagner feels like.
It’s not just the flowers doing the talking here. Let’s feast — not just on the aesthetic, but on the food itself, because each dish is thoughtfully crafted, plated like a still life, and bursting with flavors that surprise and comfort all at once.
The Skillet Pancake: A Brunch Showstopper
At 113 Wagner Café, the skillet pancake is more than a dish—it’s a quiet spectacle. Served straight from the pan, it arrives with golden, crispy edges and a pillowy center. Rustic, warm, and a little dramatic, it’s the kind of plate that draws a pause before the first bite. Cooking it in a heavy skillet creates that perfect contrast: crisp on the outside, tender inside—like a hug with a crunchy shell.
Brunch trivia for your next table talk: Did you know the beloved skillet pancake traces its roots to early 1900s Seattle? A cozy café there reimagined the German pfannkuchen by baking it in a cast iron pan, which gave it that signature puffed-up flourish. The name “Dutch baby” was actually a happy accident—born from a child’s mispronunciation of “Deutsch” (German). A century later, this golden, fluffy classic still has us swooning.
The Brunch Menu, 113 Wagner’s New Highlight
Let’s start with Agahan (₱2250, good for two), a brunch set that opens with homemade yogurt topped with mangoes, pinipig, and cashew polvoron — a crunchy, creamy Filipino nod that felt like sunshine in a bowl. It’s followed by a hearty plate of Australian rib-eye garlic tapa, Baguio longganisa, savory scrambled eggs, and basmati garlic rice. Then comes the showstopper: an ube-cream custard skillet pancake, gloriously topped with cheese and cereals. Sweet, savory, nostalgic.
Feeling a little more continental? Go for Hearty Mornings (₱1850). The mini sourdough loaf with Strawberry chili jam and cinnamon butter alone is worth writing poetry about. But wait, there’s more: homemade bacon (it is so thick and meaty, I kid you not), homemade breakfast sausage with hot honey, baked beans with mozzarella, shimeji mushrooms, French beans, and — picture this with me — Strawberries and Cream skillet pancake.
And if you like your brunch a little lighter or less heavy on red meat, there’s Gourmet Delight (₱1850). Granola and honey-topped yogurt from Abra, a proper salmon eggs benedict, a skillet pancake with Mortadella and mixed greens (hello, balsamic vinaigrette dreams), and oven-baked kaya toasties with cheese. Like a picnic in Italy but dressed in Baguio air.
My personal preference: if I dine there again with some friends, my top picks would be Agahan and Gourmet Delight. One set is good for two people (but depends on the appetite!), so if you have a bigger appetite, go ahead, by all means, order all sets! Lol!
Chef Rudolph Cabuay orchestrates the flavors. Landscape artist Kiko Villalba designed the dreamscape. And Techie — the woman behind it all — has created a place that lets us slow down and savor.
So go. Book a table. Linger. Eat slowly. Pretend you’re in a painting.
113 Wagner Café is open Thursday to Tuesday, 9:00–11:00 or 11:30–13:30. Brunch sets are all good for two. But really, they’re made for sharing — not just the food, but the moment!
By Reservation only, do contact 113 Wagner throught their social media pages.
📍 113 Wagner Road, Military Cut-off, Baguio City
📸 @113wagnercafe | facebook.com/113wagnercafe | instagram.com/113wagnercafe
