Specialty Coffee Destinations in the Philippines: Blocleaf Café and Coffee Artea

There’s a dearth of specialty coffee shops in the Manila area, and we’ve sort of given up hope that more enterprising spirits would take a chance in any of the city’s districts to offer residents something other than franchise coffee chains and too twee/too noisy Korean cafés. However, two unique destinations have emerged to fill this gap.

Blocleaf Café: A Contemporary Oasis in Malate

Blocleaf Café is the Filipino specialty coffee shop Malate residents have long been waiting for. Around only 20 (or 25) sq.m. big, it’s bright and cozy, an oasis of light, calmness, and chill music in the midst of Malate district’s chaos. It’s very accessible too, located right beside the Hop Inn Hotel along Del Pilar Street, just a block away from Roxas Boulevard.

The café is the first food and beverage business for the people behind the team, each of whom comes to the table with their respective expertise: Vince Africa and Reymart Cerin are the founders of the design group Public School Manila, while Bea Jalbuena and Beryll Hong know their way around tea and its rich variety. Regarding the design, Africa explains: “We were aiming for a contemporary look, with a hint of Asian.” Playing off on the natural light streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows are the pinewood furniture pieces that were designed by Public School in collaboration with Fabricca Manila. There are also plenty of indoor plants to keep the interiors feeling fresh, with ferns both potted and hanging creating the sensation of the outdoors creeping in.

While the appealing design of the place is the eye-catching factor, Blocleaf Café is proud to serve good coffee made from Philippine-grown beans and honest food that’s full of Filipino flavor. “We partnered with Kalsada Coffee in sourcing our coffee beans, because we believe and admire the work that they do with our local coffee farmers,” says Cerin. “We want to help in their effort to bring Philippine coffee to a bigger market.” Cerin notes that guests, in particular foreigners, have been pleasantly surprised by the fullness of flavors of Filipino brews, describing the local coffee as sweet with a natural sweetness.

Coffee Artea: An Artsy Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati

In the Poblacion area of Makati, I spotted newly opened establishments, like this cute coffee shop called Coffee Artea. Coffee Artea can be found along Fermina St. in Poblacion, Makati. It’s secluded from the bar scene but close enough.

Coffee Artea is a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, just a tiny space that holds a coffee bar and an area with a few rattan tables and chairs. The place has character and an artsy vibe, far from the minimalist aesthetics that most coffee shops go for these days. However, visitors should note that Coffee Artea has no Wifi and Coffee Artea has no electrical outlets, making it less ideal for remote work.

Regarding the drinks, the barista told me that they have their version of horchata and that it’s their bestseller. I took a sip and thought it was good; sweet and creamy, with a nice hint of cinnamon. As for the coffee, the Flat white was rich and smooth and quite bitter.

Menu and Pricing Information

Below is a comparative look at the menu items and pricing for these two establishments:

Whether it is the seasonal cakes at Blocleaf Café or the artsy vibe of Coffee Artea, both shops offer a unique experience for coffee lovers in Manila.