Maginhawa Street in the Teachers Village neighbourhood is the best place in Quezon City to eat well and cheaply. The street and its side alleys are lined with independent restaurants, themed cafes, craft beer spots, and dessert places, most of them small and owner-operated. The price point is low — this is student and young professional territory, not tourist territory.
The food is eclectic: Filipino home cooking alongside Japanese ramen, Korean barbecue, pizza, and international concepts that don't quite fit any category. The themed cafes are a Manila specialty — expect everything from cat cafes to retro video game bars. It can feel a bit overwhelming on first contact, but there are genuinely good places here if you wander for a bit.
Maginhawa is busiest in the evenings and on weekends. The neighbourhood around it, Teachers Village, is pleasant to walk — quiet residential streets with occasional murals and small shops. The Katipunan area nearby, near the Ateneo and La Salle campuses, has a similar restaurant density and complements a visit to UP Diliman.