The pandemic has crippled a lot of businesses, especially the ones in the F&B industry. But now that the economy is slowly trying its best to recover, and restrictions are starting to ease out, establishments are opening their doors to accept dine-in customers again.
So, we started searching for some of the unique coffee shops that offer al fresco dining in the country. Find out if your neighborhood cafe was included in the list.
- Meet Me Cafe – Binangonan, Rizal
- Tagpuan Coffee Shop – Tigbe, Norzagaray
- Snug Cafe – Cainta, Rizal
- Cafetana – San Jose, Tarlac
- Kopi – San Fabian, Pangasinan
- Coffee Stop – Fairview, Quezon City
- Le Fleur Cafe – Fairview, Quezon City
- Depresso – Subic, Zambales
MEET ME CAFE
This mini, Korean inspired Cafe located in Binangonan Rizal, that just opened last March 6, 2021, has been receiving great reviews for its simple design, unique concept and good coffee. Given that we are all confined in our houses during this pandemic and that eating out was not an option at the time, the lock down sparked it’s owner, Ms. Riri Santos, to pursue her dream to open up her very own coffee shop, in spite of the obstacles and drawbacks that she has encountered along the way.
Inspired by a Kdrama series in Netflix; backed by years of hard work, experiences, and lessons learned while working in the coffee industry; and with the full support from friends and family, Meet Me Cafe finally came to life.
Meet Me Cafe considers themselves as a to-go café because of their limited space, but they can accommodate at least 4-10 people right outside their café window. Their minimalist designed al fresco dining area has wooden tables and chairs laid out systematically for their clients to enjoy their cup of coffee and hang out for a bit.
Meet Me Cafe offers handcrafted coffee, non-coffee beverages, and some pastries to pair with. Their best sellers are Dolce Spaña Latte, White Mocha, Caramel Macchiato and Choco Macadamia. They are open daily from 12nn to 9pm, and you can easy find them thru the Waze or Google app by typing “Mitomikafe”.
MEET ME CAFE
Metropolis ave. Pag-asa Binangonan, Rizal
FB | IG : @meetmecafe.ph
TAGPUAN COFFEE SHOP
Tagpuan Coffee Shop is said to be a safe haven away from toxicity that is nicely surrounded by a garden of flowers and nestled under big trees. As Christine de Vera would say, one of the owners of TAGPUAN, our coffee shop is your “pahinga sa nakakapagod na araw” (your rest after a tiring day). A getaway one might say, given that most of us are currently working from home, or are just overwhelmed in the office, one can just imagine the mental and emotional stress this brings… so TAGPUAN was built to be your
great escape to detoxify, de-stress, energize and recharge.
Tagpuan Coffee Shop just opened last May 15,2021 in Norzagaray. The owners turned their front yard garden into a coffee shop offering a rustic and homey space where people can chill, relax and get together with friends and family. “Uy tara sa Tagpuan!”, easy to remember isn’t it? Thus the name.
Tagpuan offers cold brew coffee base drinks and Christine’s mother-in-law’s specialty, beef molo. They have a couple of seats available for al fresco dining, that is certifiedchild-friendly. Order pick-ups and deliveries are also available. Tagpuan Coffee Shop is open Tuesdays to Fridays 9am to 7pm; and Saturday-Sunday from 9am-8pm.
TAGPUAN COFFEE SHOP
Kaypiskal st. Tigbe, Norzagaray
Facebook: @TagpuanCoffeeShop
Instagram: @TagpuanCoffeeShop051521
SNUG CAFE
Snug Cafe is a family owned business located at Cainta, Rizal that aims to be the go-to neighborhood coffee nook where you can relax and enjoy comfortably. Ms. Charlene Ferrer and her mother spearheaded the business and are very much hands-on with its daily operations. They were heavily inspired by how other Asian countries embraced the concept wherein residential streets are filled with small businesses; such as cafes, flower and art shops; thus the passion to be able to have it in their own neighborhood initiated them to make Snug Cafe a reality.
“Snug” means comfortable, warm, and cozy; for which a concept this coffee shop religiously embodies. Snug Cafe strives to feature locally & ethically sourced Sagada Arabica Single Origin coffee beans in their effort to support fellow small businesses in the country.
Snug Cafe was envisioned to be primarily an online business, and was officially launched online last August 10, 2021. Eventually, a family member saw the potential in their business and gave them the boost and financial support needed to set up a physical Café. Since their slogan was “Your neighborhood coffee nook”, they transformed their garage into a Café keeping it close to home that officially opened to the public on September 5, 2021.
Snug Cafe offers espresso-based drinks for an affordable price. They will be launching non-coffee and tea drinks soon. Snacks such as bread/buns and cookies, which they call “munchies”, are also available that perfectly pairs with their coffee. Snug Cafe only uses top-quality ingredients, without cutting corners or affecting the quality of their products. They will be setting up booth cafés with those who express interest to franchise. You can easily find them via Waze or Google Map by simply typing in “Snug Café and Home Decor”. Closest landmark is FEU Roosevelt College along Sumulong Highway, across Puregold Sumulong. They are open Monday to Saturday from 9AM to 10PM.
SNUG CAFE
47 Narra Street, Fin-Asia Homes Subdivision, Cainta, Rizal
FB: Snug Café
IG: @snugcafeph
Website: snugcafe.beepit.com
CAFETANA
CafetanaPH, a coffee shop with a breath-taking view is situated within the RDC Nature Farm and Campsite in Tarlac. They have been selling coffee grounds and coffee equipment since September 2020 to the farm’s campers. CafetanaPH was built and run by Dhen Mark Dela Cruz and Celine Aliana Dungca, who aims to preserve and remain true to goal of the farm, not only by serving the visitors, but by providing livelihood to the Aeta community in the sitio.
The name Cafetana was derived from the Kapampangan word “Kape Tana” which translates to “kape tayo” or “Let’s have coffee”. For some time, visitors have been asking if there were any food or beverages available in the farm, that’s when CafetanaPH stepped up and started serving brewed coffee and pastries to accommodate the needs of the campers.
The construction of their coffee shop was put into action with the help of their families and their neighboring Aetas. Building every inch of it, from the windows, to the counters, including the rooftop with their bare hands. The coffee shop itself officially opened last July 2021, is described to be simple, local, native and straightforward as it can be – to stay true to their tagline “Baag’s first katutubo coffee shop” – that goes from the design of the coffee shop, to the manual coffee brewing process.
CafetanaPH also adheres to the goal of the farm. Thus, they make sure to provide livelihood to the Aeta community and continue to source locally to support local businesses. Their coffee grounds are sourced from the Cordilleras, Tsokolate tableya from Bohol, and tampipi boxes for their packaging comes from the weavers in Laguna.
CafetanaPH is a bit hard to find as they are still not visible to online maps, so they suggest to get in touch with their social media pages for directions. They are only open and operational every Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 6pm.
CafetanaPH
RDC Nature Farm and Campsite, Sitio Baag, San Jose, Tarlac
Facebook and Instagram: @CafetanaPH
KOPI
KOPI, is a cozy little neighborhood coffee shop located in San Fabian, Pangasinan, that just opened its doors to the public last May 8, 2021. It was a dream project that kept this husband and wife team, Semone and Willie Nabong Jr., on their toes and worked so hard for, to make this business a success.
The word “KOPI” was derived from the Singaporean word meaning “coffee” and the Japanese characters in their logo, was said to mean “shop”. They named it KOPI to keep it simple, and for people to automatically recognize that coffee is their main product. There are only a couple of coffee shops available in their area so this couple decided to bring their passion and love for coffee to their neighborhood. Working together, dedicating their time and effort tirelessly, and with all their heart; as they work hand-in-hand to keep their relationship and business afloat.
KOPI offers a homey yet rustic al fresco dining experience where young and old are welcome. But given the limitations and compliance to the community guidelines, they can only allow at least 10 people to dine-in at a time. KOPI offers coffee and non-coffee options. They suggest for you to try their best sellers such as the Kopi Mocha, Kopi Caramel and White Kopi. Which goes well with their Campfire S’mores cookies and Classic Belgian chocolate Cookies that they source from their local bakery. They also have Ice Blends and Lattes that is also a hit amongst their regulars for you to try. They are open from 12nn to 8pm for dine-in, take- outs, curb-side pick up and delivery.
KOPI
Cayanga, San Fabian, Pangasinan (along National Highway, across Caltex gasoline station)
FB | IG: @kopi.coffeeshop
COFFEE STOP
If you are feeling adventurous as Marvin Tuliao and Phen Rose Ador, check out their mobile coffee shop, COFFEE STOP. It all began when they started selling coffee at the back of their car in Bulacan since March 1, 2021. Working with what little they have, limited resources, no concrete plans or proper equipment, they bravely stepped out of their comfort zone and started buying the necessary coffee tools and ingredients that they will be needing for their business, not knowing on when, where or how to start.
But with years of experience as a barista at hand, and perseverance, this couple proceeded to pursue their dream and started to brave the streets of Bulacan, to do what they know best, coffee. Though the beginning has been shaky, one thing is clear, that COFFEE STOP was meant to be a mobile coffee shop.
In a short matter of time, COFFEE STOP was able to leave the back of the car, to its very own mobile cart.
COFFEE STOP offers a wide variety of hot and cold coffee ranging from 45 to 99 pesos per cup and pastries to pair it with. Some of their best sellers are Caramel, Chocolate, Coffee jelly, Coffee Matcha and White Chocolate Mocha. This mobile coffee shop can be seen around Paradise Farm every Friday, 6pm to 9pm; And on the
weekends, around Neopolitan Jogging Field from 5am to 10am, and in Paradise Farm from 1pm to 9pm. Customers can be seen hanging around this mobile coffee cart enjoying a casual chat with friends and family, sitting on foldable tables and chairs, while having coffee under the stars.
COFFEE STOP
Paradise Farm, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and Neopolitan Jogging Field, Fairview, Quezon City
FB | IG : @coffeestop2021
LE FLEUR CAFE
This small independent coffee shop located in Fairview, Quezon City, was established in September 12, 2018 by Ms. Sea Quiambao. Le Fleur Café, in French translates to “The Flower Café”. This unique and very instagramable coffee shop has served love and happiness to their guests over the years, as they are a favorite for small intimate parties and celebrations such as civil wedding, baptismal, birthday, baby showers and was even booked for a teleserye shoot by one of the biggest broadcasting network in the country.
The café offers original and unique pasta recipes, cakes, pastries, tea, fresh juices and milk tea. Their main product however, is coffee. Le Fleur Café has a signature blend coffee that they locally source from their own roaster in Batangas.
Le Fleur Café closed even before the imposition of the lockdown to assure the health and safety of their guests and staff. They however continue serving their customers by accepting online orders for delivery and pick up, providing clients promo codes and discounts along the way.
As they embrace the new normal, Le Fleur Café opened their doors once again as they started accepting vaccinated guests for indoor dine-in (around 12 people max) and the al fresco area (good for 4 pax) for the unvaccinated. They are open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 8pm. They are closed every Monday for their weekly cafe disinfection. Le fleur Café also caters and accepts exclusive use of their coffee shop for private photo shoot bookings.
LE FLEUR CAFE
19A G/F CHE-RISS Residence Building Rolex St., Fairview, Quezon City
FB / IG : @lefleurcafeph
WEBSITE: https://lefleurcafeph.linker.store/
DEPRESSO
Depresso Coffee started last October 2020 as an online shop selling Coffee Beans; featuring blends from Benguet and Batangas. But with a surprising interest and demand for coffee in Subic, Ronald Jay Soriano and Dianne Kaye Niño, owners of Depresso Coffee, decided to put a small pop-up store to cater to their growing and demanding market which opened up March of this year. There are limited seats and stools made from tree trumps Depresso – is the feeling you get when you’ve ran out of coffee; something that we coffee lovers can truly understand because we do need our daily cup of coffee! Good thing that this pop-up coffee stand is actually described and branded as “Depresso No More”, so running out of coffee will be a thing of the past.
Depresso Coffee offers premium blends of coffee beans, coffee accessories, gift packs, hot, iced and ice blended coffee beverages. Their Cafe Latte and Caramel Coffee are a must try. They also sell cakes, breads & pastries that are freshly baked in-house. They are open from 9am to 7pm, Mondays thru Saturdays.
DEPRESSO COFFEE
SUBIC TOWN, Burgos St., Baraca, Subic, Zambales ( Near Subic Public Market and Subic Municipal Hall)
FB: @depresso.subic