A quick guide for homebrewers and 3rd wave coffee enthusiasts.
The first time I was introduced to specialty or 3rd wave coffee my mind was intrigued, confused, and blown away. It took me a while to appreciate and get the art of 3rd wave coffee. The amount of passion I saw from people in the coffee industry was enormous. My respect for them grew more and more as I learn and practice the craft. It’s a great thing that Philippines are embracing local cafes and roasters.
Here is a list of 10 specialty coffee and roasters in Metro Manila:
COVID 19 – Due to the current situation with the pandemic, store hours and deliveries may differ from listed. We advise to check with the establishments before heading over.
1. Chapter Coffee Roastery & Café
The passion, dedication and hospitality they show for the overall craft gained highest respect and admiration I have. Ironically, their story begun with and ending. The owner’s passion from the previous coffee shop didn’t die and decide to turn a new page by opening Chapter Coffee Roastery & Café.
What better way to open the door for people and know specialty coffee without going to a café? Chapter is primarily a coffee roasting company and they now offer coffee catering for events, a great idea to bring that cup of flavors without going to café’s vicinity.
“…to serve a single purpose, to connect people by providing a space that welcomes conversations fueled by great food and coffee.” – Chapter Coffee Roastery & Cafe
2. Yardtstick Coffee
The heart of Metro Manila’s business district is a gem that’s known to many. Yardstick is not your typical coffee shop and roaster. It offers a variety of workshops and sells top-of-the-line coffee equipment. They are also well-known for producing barista champions. There would surely be a representative when there is a competition. Yardstick’s reputation in the coffee industry is phenomenal because of these things.
“We believe that everyone deserves a delicious cup of coffee. All of our actions and words are driven by our constant desire to raise and set the bar for coffee professionals, enthusiasts, and drinkers. We believe in continually pushing the envelope in order to share what we find really amazing about Specialty Coffee.” – Yardstick
3. EDSA Beverage Design Group
EDSA doesn’t only showcase the coffee, but other beverage products as well. Their team develops and creates beverages using only the best and freshest ingredients in the market. Products released go through rigorous testing before they are released for customer’s consumption.
What I love about them is the unique, creative, and down-to-earth personality of their team. The vast knowledge and creativity that they have will always be shared with an open heart.
“Our vision is to be the leading expert for specialty beverages in the Philippines, by continuously innovating, developing and sharing our world class beverage product and service.” – EDSA BDG
4. Crema & Cream Coffee Roasters
In the heart of the North, Crema & Cream serves unwavering standards on food and their well-curated coffee. I can clearly remember how I improved my Aeropress techniques when I started my 3rd wave journey, it was a sad reality for me when the time came that I had to explore my horizon. It’s hard to say which one is a must-try until now since all of the is completely unique.
What keeps them on thriving? A simple, yet powerful belief: “We are passionate about what we do” – Crema & Cream
5. Habitual Coffee
A good habit that needs to be practice is to have a good cup of coffee. I’m glad that Habitual expanded in different areas in Metro Manila. This didn’t hinder them from sharing to us their goodies and they only serve the highest grade of coffee in the Philippines to their consumers.
Everybody wants the best, and I doubt that they would fail us.
6. Craft Coffee Revolution
The pioneer of 3rd wave coffee in the Philippines!
The perfect revolution in this era! Coffee revolution. What is the purpose that I see in this? There are handful of reasons that is worth sharing, but I would like to share what they said:
“Our vision is to encourage more people to love coffee and help them improve their craft through our beverages. While our mission is; To continuously improve our coffee blends through the passion and the art of our baristas in order to create a positive impact in our community. By sharing this passion, we aim to motivate and encourage people to love and appreciate whatever craft they’ve chosen.”– Craft Coffee Revolution
7. El Kapitan Coffee
They were daydreaming. They dreamed. Then a milestone was made.
A dream 11 years ago turned into a reality. Surprisingly, the relationship they had with coffee became symbiotic. They were so immersed in the process and returned the love.
Fast-forward, they achieved their dream and now paying it forward by giving the best possible coffee, service and even art. If you include their other collections like loveceramic and origami then it would definitely be a total package of aesthetics and good taste.
8. Commune
Commune was born out of a love for coffee and conversations. Its owner, Rosario Juan, is a coffee aficionado and a social media strategist whose long-time dream was to open a café. Fast-forward, the passionate and hardworking Ros made her dream a reality. This is a place where you could enjoy good coffee and a growing community. They hold great pride in sourcing local beans around the Philippines.
“Ros envisions Commune to be a champion of Philippine coffee and a hub that will cultivate collaboration within and among various communities. After all, the word “commune” means to talk over or discuss. But it may well mean a place where you can have great coffee.” – Commune
9. Plain Sight Coffee
The story of how a dream started doesn’t need to be complicated. The founder was introduced to one of the pioneers of specialty country, Craft Coffee Workshop. This established a ground where a cup can be more than your 3-in-1 or retail coffee. Soon, they began to roast in small batches, but as clients and demand grew into having their own space at Mandala Park.
Plain Sight has always wanted to keep things simple by sticking to one core idea: serve great coffee. It doesn’t end with this though; their innovation with Barrel Aged Coffee took another step on the coffee world.
10. EACH: Exchange Alley Coffee House
As I’ve read and experience, their mission was simple and clear: Source delicious coffee and serve it the best way possible. Time proved that they fulfilled this mission.
The ambiance in this place is very cultured. There would always be a time where you can hear whispers of their coffee experience here and there. EACH provides you with more than just delicious coffee, but also with excellent food, service and overall ambiance.