An appealing alternative to the perpetually crowded Starbucks stores in the area or when a refined…read moreselection of coffee is needed to keep you motivated when plowing through the seemingly endless work. Local beans from key coffee regions in the Philippines are available, always a good feature. Our friend loves this place and for several reasons. It's one of the few cafes to actually have parking slots, which is convenient. The quiet ambiance and freshly brewed coffee are both ideal for working. We had Ice Caramel Macchiato - a 2 shot espresso in a glass of cold milk, a refreshing drink with a awakening effect. Also had the Belgian Chocolate gelato, a basic flavour.. Their tranquil surroundings is perfect for working and thinking, hopefully not thinking of working. HIGHLIGHTS Good Coffee Stable WiFi Quiet Ambiance Abundant Power Outlets Parking

I really like Afters in Tomas Morato. I had very productive days there too. So the past few weeks I…read morewas in Katipunan, I went to Afters to be productive also. I love their Gelato Shakes! You choose any flavor of their yummy gelato and they make it into a shake for you. My favorite flavor is their Dark Magic - dark chocolate with mint! The drinks are okay. I usually go for their tea, Italian Soda, or an Iced Americano. When it comes to price, they are more or less at par with the big coffee shops. The good thing with spending in Afters is you support a local brand. The food is generally good. I do find the dishes a bit pricey given that they're in Katipunan, with mostly students as their target market. The only thing that has consistently disappointed me in Afters are their cookies. They're always.... hard. I do wish Afters offered lighter snacks. Something you can easily munch on when you don't want a full meal. Service is always good whenever I'm there. The baristas are nice and friendly too. They do have power outlets around the cafe. Internet is limitted as you get a code from them and depends on your bill too.

I conversed with their barista regarding their claims of being organic, which seems to be half…read morebaked with the only certain portions of the ingredients are truly organic. Organic Green Tea powder, regular milk and cream. I don't mind it too much since the end result is great. The Green Tea smoothie is amazing and has the right texture and sweetness. This goes above Costa coffee's Frostino, which we had last Sunday. The green tea is well defined and mixed to a consistency that's unobtrusive, meaning not too much powder you'd feel it everywhere kind of feeling. The interior is spacious, design modern, furniture comfortable, especially if you get the lounge chairs. The view at the balcony is amazing, but doesn't offer a great ambiance due the constant beeping of the cars and fresh pollution from the cars on idle due to lava like traffic.

I've been a loyal customer of Blenz Coffee in SM Megamall for a long time now. I like the area…read morewhere the coffeeshop is located for its usually quiet ambience. For some reason, only a few people hang out in that part of the mall's The Atrium area. Every time I order my drink, I'd talk with the barista at the counter. At one time, I even suggested that they open a café in Salcedo Village in Makati. Well, I'm happy to say that they finally heeded my call and opened up a store in my area. I really hadn't noticed it until I visited the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel at the Banco de Oro Corporate Building on HV de la Costa Street. At first glance, the coffee shop looked tiny because only the counter could be seen when one peeks through the shop's door. But there's actually a big sitting room at the back, separated by a wall. I estimate that around twenty people can fit comfortably inside the café. The best news is the fact that the place opens at 6:00am and closes at 2:00am every day during weekends. Though, it's a bummer that they're closed on weekends. My favorite, as always, is Blenz's Green Tea Matcha Latte but I can settle for Café Mocha using Dark Chocolate. The last time I visited the place, I had a latte and I tried the Salted Caramel Cheesecake. They were, as expected, good to my taste.

I have a friend and she likes green tea. She likes to have green tea in the morning, green tea cake…read morefor dessert, green tea latte as her coffee and green tea biscuits for a snack. I am not obsessed with green tea as much as her. But I like to appreciate green tea every now and then, especially the good kind. Kozui is a coffee shop that apparently specializes in green tea products. But when I'm here, I always go for their Black Sesame frappucino-like drink. While I haven't quiet tried to sample their food items, I did try most of their dessert line-up, including their mocha balls, green tea ice cream and tiramisu. It's said that Kozui is owned by the same team from one of my favorite milk tea places located in San Juan called Tea Tap. So only if they're able to bring to Kozui my favorite Rose Milk Tea from Tea Tap, they will definitely find themselves one more loyal customer.

Kozui is definitely a matcha heaven for me. I fell in love with their teas that are stored in…read morecanisters especially the Jasmine Green Tea and their Geinmacha Tea and guess what? They're so affordable compared to other tea places. They sell their tea for around 150 to less than 200 compared to the others that sell it for at least 500 pesos per canister of the same size. The place is nice for quiet intimate conversations, studying or even writing your next novel. The music isn't too loud so that you could focus on whatever it is that you're working on. I just wish that they could expand their space in their next branch and hopefully, somewhere in Pasig. I've yet to try their green tea ice cream and their food selection which I heard were really really good. I also wanna hoard their other flavors as I've only tried two of them so far.

After a good meal at 12/10, you will want something light and sweet. Restock is a good palate…read morecleanser. Literally just a hop away from the trendy izakaya, Restock is a true breath of fresh air aka a true non-mainstream spot (aka, a true hipster haven). From their location to their DIY Kinfolk-y decor to their indie merchandise to the publications they offer (Cereal, Kinfolk - of course) to - you guessed it - artisanal coffee, this place is, in all honesty, a good respite from the usual hustle and bustle (and stress!) of the city. Almost feels like hanging out at a friend's artsy flat. Order a cup, get a chocolate chip cookie, find your spot, own a copy of their latest issue of Cereal and get ready to stay in your bubble of calm (time to let the 12/10 food digest!).

When the hipster gods descended from their grand (but sustainable) kingdom (Otherwise known as QC),…read morethey set their sights on Makati. The gods decreed that this city of glass and steel needs a coffee shop, where people can have coffee they can't understand while marveling at artwork they don't understand. In true hipster fashion, they decided that they will put up this coffee shop in a location that is slightly inconvenient for mere mortals to visit (Which makes it perfect for the hipster legion). This coffee shop is now known as Restock. Okay, kidding aside, Restock is a fun, lively, cozy coffee shop located in Guijo street in San Antonio, Makati. The place is, without a doubt, flying the hipster aesthetic to the nth level as it's decidedly third wave, and by the fact that they sell artwork and limited stock items. It is a fun place to get some writing done, to hang out with friends, and just to marvel at all the Instagram-worthy spots in the coffee shop. The fact it's right beside 12/10 just ups Restock's hipster cred. The coffee's fantastic, too. Don't worry, the very well-educated, painfully cool staff will help you should their coffee menu confuse you. Either that or just order a Long White. Never fails.

Another gem in Katipunan! Many of those who pass by the area (by foot or car) will notice this cute…read moredessert place right beside the Ateneo grade school gate. I once dropped by to get their red velvet cupcake out of craving's sake, and I was awed instantly with their desserts on display. I'm glad my lab mate suggested here to have lunch on one Saturday. I finally got to dine in and it was a success! We even played the board game "Mismo!" here and instantly we had one of the best lunches ever. I was surprised at their menu offer with unlimited rice and free dessert (we got red velvet brownie each), and the meals are about 120PHP (good deal!). They also have coffee and shakes that are sure to complement their dessert menu. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They are able to help us with our requests like borrowing the board game that was displayed on their cupboard near the counter (hehe). I will surely visit their place again and probably try out their colorful and mouthwatering macarons, and read a book or study in their restaurant :)

Use to be Rosemaries, this place is now called Macarose. They serve desserts and savory foods that…read morewill make your tummy want more. Going in this restaurant, you can tell by the vibe that it has a hippie decorations and furnitures. On their walls are also artwork of their products, especially their desserts. Their meals are made to order. We came in pretty early, so for the server to tell us which is available was very nice of them. I tried their sizzling steak which was covered in their meat gravy. It had a scoop of peas and carrots. I added egg cause egg makes everything better. Although it would have been nice for them to cook it without a aring, (it would have been more authentic and taste better), it still tasted delicious. We also ordered the Burger steak. Again it was covered in their delicious gravy and a side of rice. Desserts ofcourse was part of the picture in our meal. Besides the carrot cake that we tried, we got a free mango cake dessert. Three layers of goodness. Buttom to top, it was sponge, mango creme, and a meringue on top. The sweetness was balanced with the deliciousness of the sponge cake. The smell of the mango was just nostalgic that you would want to order more of this cake. The carrot cake on the other hand has a thick creamcheese frosting. It was good but it was not my favorite.

I've got two words for you Double Ds--of the PG kind that is. The Double Ds or the Double Donuts…read moreare the sole reason why I'm here writing this review. Because, who in their right mind would ever think of stacking two fried pieces of dough on top of each other and serve them? The donuts look seemingly harmless in the beginning but its when you dig into it that makes a world of a difference. Though they are topped with just about everything you can imagine (chocolate, popcorn, blueberries, etc.) some donuts are also filled with chocolate or cream. It's a sweet lover's delight, and if you're watching your sugar count, you can forget it here. Their Double Ds are the best thing since Croughnuts.

I owe Dolcelatte many thanks, because they have saved me some trouble of getting a Mother's Day…read morepresent for my girlfriend's mom. I knew she loved desserts, and I decided to get a croughnut from Dolcelatte. For the uninitiated and inexperienced, a croughnut is a hybrid croissant-doughnut. You would just have to order one, and decide for yourself why everyone is raving about this. I ordered two of them, and when I greeted her with the cronuts in hand, she seemed to have forgotten all the other gifts that she received from her kids. She indulged in the mixture of the sweet flavor and the soft, flaky texture of the cronut, and thanked me graciously. Mission accomplished. For those who were excited by the idea of the cronut, a new trend is being set by Dolcelatte, and it's called the double doughnut. I have no idea why anyone would think putting a doughnut on top of another is a good idea, but you'd have to break my hands before I'd give you a taste of the wonderful texture that comes with this creation.

I'd been eyeing this cafe ever since the banners went up their then-being-renovated space in the…read moreFashion Hall. I missed their grand opening but at least the cafe was there for every one to enjoy! This is one of those places where I would like to stay for hours, ordering food after food after food (or maybe even drink), and just paint with my watercolors. They really have good fixtures and the lighting in there is great, so snap away! The highlight of my stay: I got to taste their famous Chococro. Well they're just basically tiny croissants BUT they're tiny and flaky and soft and I don't know. I really love it. It only costs Php 55 apiece. Some basic Chococro flavors are only there for a limited time, though. During our visit, my boyfriend got the chocolate almond (which I never got to taste because ugh allergies), and I think I got the matcha one. I can't remember because I gobbled mine in one bite.

Love the ambience. Perfect place to wait while your gf or bf goes shopping while u rest and relax w…read moreWiFi