The Tea Rock in UP Town Center is one of those hideouts that's got it all for college students -…read moresockets, fast wifi, good food, and reasonably priced drinks. They've got great a great selection for tea drinks and unlike most stores their drinks really aren't too sweet unless you set the sugar level to 75% or 100%. At 50% sugar level, my drink actually tasted like tea, and the egg pudding sinker at the bottom was really yummy too. Their snacks are great too, and are great to split with friends. When I went there, they had a Beyonce playlist on; while it proved to be a bit distracting to our meeting, you couldn't really get mad at their choice of music because - Beyonce. The place was well-lit and filled with other people who didn't want to be disturbed also, so I definitely had a great, productive time there. Definitely going to suggest having another meeting there!

I was never into the milk tea trend but I was desperate for a place to stay in one impossibly hot…read moresummer afternoon that wasn't too crowded and had decent cold drinks. For some reason, all the other small cafes in UP Town had air-conditioning problems that time, except for Tea Rock. So I eagerly ducked in. Good thing they served a lot of things aside from milk tea. When you enter you're faced with this giant menu behind the counter. I decided on an iced cappuccino (trust me to get coffee at a milk tea place, sorry) but I was surprised when they asked for my "sugar level" and "pearl or crystal" preference. I'm no coffee-snob but why would you put that in coffee?? It's a tea place though so I guess that's just their thing. I got the lowest sugar level (10%) and pearl so it would have the most minimal "damage" to my coffee, but it actually wasn't bad at all! Plus the cappuccino looked real anyway. Food-wise, the bento boxes were huge so that was a highlight. The cuisine was Taiwanese but it was much of a mix already. They had lots of bento choices, rice bowls, short orders, and even pastas & sandwiches. I don't think I'd ever encountered any other tea place with this extensive a menu!

Backyard Coffee is a treat for coffee lovers like me. They offer single origin coffee beans and I…read morelove them! After eating out with my friends, we tried different drinks that they offer. My friends ordered Iced Mocha, Iced Black, Cold Brew, Strawberry Frappe and Ube cake. As for me and my posh friend, I ordered Sumatra while he ordered Civet coffee. Love the beans that they are using even for their regular coffee drinks. But let me describe my order. I love Sumatra because it is not that bold and not that bitter. It's a little sweet, a bit acidic and fruity in flavor. So if you are in San Juan area and looking for a different cafe or different drink of coffee, checkout Backyard Coffee and try their single origin coffee beans.

On my seemingly endless conquest of Metro Manila coffeeshops, I blindly followed my friend to this…read morecoffeeshop in San Juan the day before our exam week starts. I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. Located above the Rustan's Supermarket on P. Guevarra, the café is quiet compared to the busy street below and gets tons of natural light from the building's all-glass facade. Great plus for me as it made the place have a very airy feel which went great with the painted concrete floors and industrial seating. The coffee was great too! I got their cold-brew coffee and it was a solid cup of cold-brew. Nothing out of the ordinary but it wasn't offensive. The price was great though! At least 30 pesos less than a comparable brew from one of the third wave stalwarts. They also have a lot of differently sourced beans to choose from, with even a Filipino Benguet option! So even though it might not have same pretentious or hipster vibes that we have come to expect from many of the other third wave purveyors here in Manila, I love how laidback this place is. You can definitely get a lot done here. Cash only!! There are ATMs downstairs though if you're in a pickle.

I like the vibe whenever I enter the coffee shop because this branch is mostly filled with students…read morewho study and meet up. Like any other branch, it has the perks of Swirl card holders (free wifi) and the usual coffee and food selections. It also has plugs for those who would like to work with laptops / gadgets, and a restroom within the cafe. Plus points because of its the convenient location (nearby an overpass from Ateneo, the Regis building driveway, trike terminal, etc). Minus points for the very limited free parking space (there are only about 3 or 4 in front of the shop), so the basement parking is an alternative. This is a great place to hang out all day, but avoid peak hours (late afternoon to evening) to get good seats. It's also best to carry earphones since it may not be quiet branch too. I would like to try out having breakfast here one time (I heard a lot of people from the gym hang out here in the morning).

I adore coffee, but I'm not one to drink it often, because I want the caffeine to still have a kick…read morewhenever I need to pull off an all-nighter. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) Katip has a wide selection though that includes teas and non-caffeinated drinks. I enjoy this branch particularly because it's right across Ateneo, and I can escape here for a more remote lunch and be back in school in time for my next class. I usually get the Moroccan Mint Tea when they have it; the minty flavors perk me right up. I usually stray away from here though during finals week - it's usually packed then with antsy, sleep deprived students who need all the space (and wifi) they can get. Otherwise, it's pleasant enough and lets you enjoy a pasta (the spicy tuna linguine is heavenly) The music is a hit or miss though; it's a tad inconsistent and sometimes loud.

Good: Nice ambiance…read more Not Good: Really really bad service. I don't want to get into all the details but basically... barista was not welcoming and was very rude. I ordered a Chai Tea Latte, paid for it. I was served... a green drink... a Matcha Latte. I asked about it. The answer I got was "ah! Wala kaming chai tea latte today. Narinig ko kasi matcha latte. Sorry." And he leaves for the back room. I sit there... trying to figure out what just happened. By myself. I feel bad. Very bad. I got excited to have a chai tea latte. I paid for a chai tea latte. I got a matcha latte instead. I try it anyway. What else was I going to do. The barista was gone. It was bitter, like matcha usually is. But a matcha latte isn't usually that bitter either. It was okay. I've posted on their FB. They've contacted me too. It's good to see there's an effort on their end to make things better. The person I chatted with has apologized for my experience and has made an effort to make it up to me. Hopefully their service does get better. Hopefully no one will ever have to start their day the way I started mine today.

Whenever I need to grab a cup of coffee that isn't the commercial kind, I run to Third Cup Cafe. I…read morealso like that on my previous visits, it's never too noisy or filled with college students hanging out or studying. My favorite drink at Third Cup Cafe is the Mochachino. It has the right caffeine punch to keep me awake in the afternoon (to be honest, after lunch carb sleepiness is counterproductive!) The drink itself isn't too sweet and the blend of chocolate and coffee is just right. The cafe's interiors are also very conducive for studying and working. Although sockets for laptops are a bit hard to come by, it's either you seat yourself by the window or on the couches so you can have access to the socket. Also, WiFi is free, but you'll have to like them on Facebook first to be able to access it. Overall, I really like Third Cup Cafe. It's not too expensive and the coffee is really good. The ambiance is also nice for a quick chat with a friend, or if you need to work or study, and if you want to go solo flight and just cozy up with a book.

The Hideout Café. You could take its name seriously and let it be your little nook right in the…read moremiddle of the Maginhawa - Malingap food crowd, away from its hustle and bustle. It's quiet and reserved and has the coffee shop vibe without the elitism (char). Hideout serves coffee, deserts, sandwiches, pasta, and breakfast food. Apparently, they got the shop's name from a bible verse. And they play Christian rock songs inside. Do what you will with that information. PROS: Interiors are well-lit and nicely furnished. The wall graffiti is an interesting, intricate piece to look at while you wait for your food; The food is made with effort and presentation. It tastes fresh and well-cooked; Their bread is crisp outside and soft inside; As per my friend's input, Mr. Owner is not too bad on the eyes as well (yeah, I'm putting that on PROS). CONS: Your food takes a while to be served; Not the place to go all-out busog; Not as spacious as I expected from the outside. TL;DR: Regardless of religious affiliation, The Hideout Café is a good relaxing spot to rest your soul with good food.

Once upon a time there was a lonely street called Sct. Gandia. It was a remote and humble street…read moreunlike its bigger brother, the loud and brash Tomas Morato Avenue. Sct. Gandia wanted to be just like its older sibling, but wanted to do it his way. He always was the more bookish type, and wanted to showcase this to the world. So the street gave birth to a café, and Sct. Gandia called it Tweedlebook. And what a café it was! A café filled with knowledge, brimming with wisdom, chock full of the willingness to learn and the sophistication of great beverages and healthy literature. Ceilings adorned with the names of famous writers, from Tolkien to Orwell. A wall of books, novels, magazines and jars of tea. And to top it all off, a wall affectionately called Platform 9 ¾ hiding a staircase that leads to a wine cellar underneath. This was to be a place for people to imbibe, both in drinks (coffee and beer and scotch and wine) and in knowledge. And so Sct. Gandia became so much more. And customers far and wide lived happily ever after.

I don't really venture out of my comfort zone that is Makati that much but the rare times that I…read moredo, Quezon City never fails to surprise. The city's grid layout is a map of treasures waiting to be uncovered. Drive around aimlessly and you're bound to see something that will make you realize how cooped up you are in your own bubble of Manila. One of my recent favorite QC finds is Tweedle Book Café. Unassumingly wedged within the Scout compound, seeing it for the first time felt like opening the first few pages of a book that has always been lying around, its cover nothing appealing but then when you start reading, you cant seem to put down. I saw a glimpse of the converted garage and I wanted to keep going in, until I was in the main area surrounded by well-stocked bookshelves, walls that paid homage to the literary world's best, and wooden communal tables laid out minimally. And then just like a book that reveals secrets with every page turned, the place revealed itself to me some more: oooh a secret basement area! With wine and scotch fresh for our picking -- and, of course, picked! Paired with their amazing carrot cake (that also goes so well with their selection of TWG teas!), good conversation (that may or may not have involved Sartre and Kant), just the right amount of light, Tweedle Book Café felt like a fresh break from my usual café lifestyle. Definitely one for the books!

I first learned about DITO: Bahay ng Sining when I was helping out one of my best friends for her…read moreband's second music video. They were doing a cover of an OPM classic and we used DITO as one of our major locations. Upon seeing DITO, I was certainly impressed by its set-up. Half of it was a mini-theatre, complete with stage and built-in spotlights. They had monoblocks chairs, benches, beanbags and an audio mixer for the plays that were staged here. Apparently, the owner of DITO is an award-winning playwright from Ateneo. He wanted a place to stage his own plays so he decided to build one with the help of his parents. A lot of other plays have been staged here and SPIT has also done a show here. Right beside the theatre is the café part of DITO. They don't have an extensive menu but they have a couple of rice meals, pastas and sandwiches. The café also serves coffee and I have to say its one of the best I've had. It wasn't a latte or a frappucino - it was just straight up Kapeng Barako, and it was delicious. They also serve local beers and other cocktails, which comes in handy right after the play. At the back end of the café, you will see couches and a huge shelf full of books and a ton of board games. This gives customers a chance to just really hang out at DITO with their friends, even if they're not into theatre arts. That doesn't stop there. DITO's walls are furnished with some up-and-coming local artists' works. All those that are displayed are being sold so feel free to look around and check out what you like enough to purchase. If nothing urges you to buy, then just take a hipster photo with those pieces as background. DITO: Bahay ng Sining is a pretty cool place to hang out. If I lived near Marikina or easily had access to this place, I'd probably become a regular. I can just sit back, read and have a cup of coffee, and burn the hours away. It's definitely one hipster spot you "non-hipsters" will absolutely enjoy.

As a southerner, I was a bit uncomfortable going into the bowels of Marikina for an impromptu…read moreperformance, which a friend invited me to. But after actually visiting the place, I wouldn't mind going again! Dito is found on the second floor of a two-storey building. The stairway going up is decorated with artworks, including the chandelier and a huge mural on the wall. There were no windows at all, so I was surprised when I saw the interior: a large dining area with enough room for a tech booth, a small stage with basic lighting. There are artworks for sale on the walls and there were shelves with ample reading material. My favorite part of the restaurant: a part of the large bookshelf at the back of the restaurant with books and boardgames slides backward to reveal another room! Well, actually, it's the dressing room for the performers, but still! Secret doors are awesome! :D The dressing room - which is complete with a mirror with stage lights, chairs, and just enough space to warm up a bit - also comes with its own storage area (for costumes, props, etc.) and its own private bathroom. As a performer, I'm soooo thankful for this! Their menu isn't large, just some basic pasta, sandwiches, and appetizers, and beers. I ordered their bacon, egg and mozzarella tarts. Yum. It's got bacon, I don't need to explain anything. Dito has regular events and seems to be a good venue for young, aspiring artists and avant-garde performances. A couple of friends and I did contemporary dance improvisation here, followed by some spoken word, folk dance, and a Japanese koto accompanied by acoustic guitar. I haven't heard of any other place that does events like these, so it's definitely worth more visits!

The place is well-lit, aesthetically appealing and relaxing. It's a great place to be productive…read more One improvement they could do is prepare better drinks and have more choices for food, then I would give them a 5-star rating. All in all, I really come here for the internet since not many coffee shops have a fast and reliable one. If you're doing research or not to download a bunch of resources, this should be your go-to place. Best time to go here to do that would be in the morning to the early afternoon since then place is not yet crowded and you would not be sharing the internet with lots of other customers. Pros: -FAST INTERNET (no time limit) -Place is peaceful and relaxing, they play christian music -Not very crowded -Aesthetically pleasing interior -Temperature is just right -Comfort room is clean -Suitable for productivity -They have enough sockets Cons: -Drinks are not superb but are not bad either -Only have few choices for food (they have cake and some other pastries) -May not be suitable for group discussions -Not suitable for big groups of friends Other details: -You can get here via car, Uber, or Grab; You can also ride a tricycle from Philcoa or Krus Na Ligas

Cool and invitingly quiet...it must be the music, the artwork, and the books offered for reading…read more(one can also buy). Great relaxing vibe.