Old school cinephiles, rejoice! The days of VHS and VCD rentals is far from over. Sitting along P…read more Burgos in Makati is a video shop offering floor-to-ceiling stacks of old (there's that word again) VHS and VCD movies for rent. When I discovered 2020, I felt like Indiana Jones finding the Ark of the Covenant. Or Harry Potter getting his Firebolt racing broom. But I digress. My point is, I was simply blown away after seeing many of my favorite titles in their VHS format. I couldn't hide my excitement, I had to talk with the shopkeepers and asked them how their system works. For VCDs, a deposit of PHP 50.00 is required before you can rent a movie for PHP 20.00. Meanwhile, they ask a PHP 300.00 deposit for VHS tapes which you can then rent out for PHP 30.00 each. The number of days that a title can be brought home depends on the rarity and age of the movie. Indeed, it's not too late to experience our favorite movies the way they were meant to be - grainy and not overly sharp. The shop also offers photocopy service and prepaid mobile phone reloads.

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.

Excellent food. Impeccable service. Ambience suited to the most important and romantic occasions…read more Amazing place worthy of visiting for all foreigners and locals alike, at least once for every Manila visit.

Would not go back here…read more Poorly trained staff. We ordered Tournedo Rossini in Madeira Sauce: Seems they didn't know how to thaw meat properly - the steak is very dry and with no flavor this can only happen if the meat is thawed submerged in water (yuck!!) The steak is unseasoned (take note, it's UNSEASONED NOT UNDERSEASONED!!) and has a bitter taste to it - you can taste the bitterness of the unclean pan where they were cooked (yuck!) The madeira sauce, looks and tastes like gravy! so sweet and has no madeira flavor into it. They should have called it Tournedo Rossini with Chicken Gravy!! The tenderloin is improperly butchered! it looks like a little kid sliced into it before it was cooked! They shouldn't have asked for steak doneness if they can't do it properly! We ordered 5 rossinis, 4 medium and 1 well done - Lo and behold, all our steaks are Well done, very dry, with a yucky flavor!! Where does Cafe Ysabel find their cooks? I can't call them chefs since it would be a disgrace to professional chefs when they can't cook a simple steak properly!! We also ordered pasta, they were served COLD!! WTF! We were there for more than 30 minutes before we were given the bread with the balsamic vinaigrette - and take note they wouldn't have given it if I did not demanded for it 5 times!! The appetizer was served after 1 hour!!! Considering we just ordered a serving of gambas (though tasty, i think it was tasty because we were STARVING by the time it was serverd) - and as always - THE FOOD WAS SERVED COLD!!! WTF!!! After an hour and a half, the pasta that we ordered was finally served COLD!! it was underseasoned ( I think they ran out of salt in their kitchen). We ordered the Prawns thermidor - OMG! It was so pricey at 600+ for 3pcs of medium sized prawns!! Yes, it's still underseasoned. We paid all in all 12,000 pesos for a very unappetizing, disappointing, waste of money meal here. The steaks were so bad, we did not finish any of them - SUCH A WASTE OF MONEY!! I WILL NOT RETURN HERE - AND I ADVISE EVERYONE TO REFRAIN FROM EATING HERE : Untrained and unfriendly waiters, Untrained Cooks, and Unappetizing waste of money food!!

I have been to many coffee shops in the Metro but this was one of those that have a unique take on…read moreit. The Warrior Poet is located in Cubao Expo otherwise known as Cubao X. This was the area formerly known to be a great place to buy different kinds of shoes with good quality and value for money. Now it is known as a venue for the arts. We saw this space while doing a bit of walking around and thought that it looked like such an inviting and relaxing place to sit and talk for a bit. The place showcased different paintings that were really attractive and for an art junkie like me, I definitely enjoyed analyzing them. The coffee was great too! It was a cold brew. I got mine iced and spiced! A bit of cinnamon was added and it definitely made the coffee better, in my opinion. It was the first time I had my coffee "spiced" and I found it really good. Other than paintings and murals, they also had a blue booklet on the table we sat in. It contained a number of poems written in Tagalog. What is a place called The Warrior Poet without poems right? I found this spot very cool because you don't see much places like this in Manila. I also heard that they also hosted small events of poem reading and appreciation which definitely gave me another reason to come back. Not only was the place cool, but the owner and Warrior Poet himself was! Noel Santos was friendly and had a little chat with us. He was very inviting and filled us in with what happens in both his shop and the whole Cubao X itself! I would recommend those who love art, poems and basically anyone who want something different to come check this place out! You'll definitely love it! Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/TheWarriorPoetArtCafe Instagram: @letstellyourstory Twitter: @TheWPAC

I was hanging around Cubao Expo during a flea market and vintage sale weekend, and since I couldn't…read morefind anything worth buying, and since I was tired from rummaging around the dusty and moth-eaten shelves, I decided to check out the only place that seemed quiet enough to do my e-mails. I sat inside The Warrior Poet Art Cafe and was instantly welcomed by the bubbly owner and his friends (who all introduced themselves, but goodness me, I can't remember their names). I was looking around and checking out the artwork for a while, then I decided to get the spiced tablea hot chocolate. I was very happy with the spiced chocolate, as it was really creamy and rich: exactly how I would like a cup of hot chocolate to be. The owner kept me entertained and they were showing me how to fold origami cranes. I like the artworks so much that I promised the owner that I would come back to buy one of the paintings. Well, call me a liar because I haven't been back. Ha ha! But seriously, i think you should check this out the next time you are in the area, even just to chat with the owner.

So this place is a nice little hub for coffee lovers near Promenade. I have been to their Broadway…read morebranch which is a bit bigger than this is. They have a nice place for working or studying. Their available beans weren't as much as I hoped for (there were 3 choices). I had the Ethiopian Konga which tasted nutty and sweetish, good as I had expected. My colleague had iced mocha and she appreciated the "strong" espresso kick it had but felt it could have been more milkier or sweeter as to her preference. I think the prices were a bit higher than usual but it's worth it anyway. The staff were accommodating. They have other things in their menu such as sandwiches and pastas. They have cakes too. This is a must try for those looking for third wave coffee in Manila. :)

My favourite place to study/drink coffee. I order the Iced Mocha usually. It is great and has the…read moreright amount of chocolate :) What i like about this Craft is the music...they play william singe, jadine songs, old school songs and more! I am usually here studying and have been posted here for long hours...many many times. I like it when its not busy but I am also happy to see that they get good business...even though it gets noisy but its ok! It gets cold so be sure to bring a light sweater/jacket...their AC is goin strong. They are still in "soft opening" mode. So i hope to see their menu expand with the pastas that they have at their New Manila location. Their staff is great! They are kind and always greet you when you walk in and say "bye" when you walk out. They also don't mind if you bring outside food in. I have ordered their grilled cheese. It's nothing special and includes chips. I have yet to try the cakes at this location. Overall, I love this place to study and get my caffeine in. :)) I hope you enjoy it too!

Cool looking coffee place that also sells all kinds of interesting crafts. See, feel, touch, or…read morejust fine surrounded by fanciful objects from the imagination of local artists! Great event space too

Such a charming place! From the beautiful trees and spacious parking lot, the lovely simple…read morebungalow architecture, the welcoming interiors. There's lots of eye candy to be had and by that I mean the cool knick knacks you can find in the store. I'm not sure if the wire faux taxidermy is for sale, but do wish I had space for that in my place. What else... saw some nifty clocks and animal figures, fun stationery and funky dolls. There's just so much cuteness inside. The cafe area is pretty sweet. They have the Herman miller eames / modernica style baby blue chairs which are somewhat cushy. There's lots of spaces for a big party. So don't sweat it if you're worried about finding a chair to park on. The coffee was ok. They use a nespresso pod, if you're into that. The tea was also good. It's something you might have at home, like strawberry kiwi which I just had at my sister's place. But nice to know they have it! We tried the ff: Spaghetti meatballs- ok Beef brisket sandwich- lotsa melty cheese on a buttery slice which was sinfully good Niçoise salad- ok Beef w rice and onion rings- ok Chocolate cake- whoa! Red velvet cheesecake- ooh! I'd go back for those brisket sandwiches if I want to eat guiltily and treat myself. I'd probably hang out here again for a chitchat w friends and order a cake and coffee/tea. I would also come out here to look for cute gifts. Overall, nice quiet spot at addition hills.

Super crowded amongst the hustle and bustle of Greenhills Mall, but definitely worth trying! It's…read morealready hard enough to find a Tim Hortons outside of Canada, so I was surprised to even find one in the Philippines. I got the iced latte in a 16oz. It was strong with espresso but sweet enough to last me the whole day! Definitely a great pick-me-up in the middle of shopping!

We were excited to check out this Canadian place in the Philippines. However, the workers are very…read moreunpleasant. It felt that I was pulling teeth just to get extra napkins and sugar for our coffee. I would understand if it was busy, but there was only a handful of customers in the restaurant with no one in line.

Café 1771 has undergone quite a number of changes since it first opened in El Pueblo many moons…read moreago. What once was known as classic Chateau 1771 has now evolved into the more modern Café 1771 and I for one welcome that change with open arms as the most important thing remains: their food is still killer. I come to 1771 whenever I want go somewhere nice as I truly believe that one's surroundings have the power to affect their mood and attitude. The interior is very elegant and easy on the eyes and the service is excellent as well. Some of my favorites on the menu are French toast with bacon, kesong puti fried in butter, salbacho pizza, lime butter prawns, and cocotte lamb shoulder chops.

Café 1771, which was formerly known as Chateau 1771, has taken a modern look and I definitely…read moreembrace this new ambiance. I celebrated my 29th birthday here over a simple lunch with a friend. The place looks like a page out of a home magazine with their interiors having a fancy vibe to it. I ordered their Lemon Chicken and Rice on the side and was satisfied by the flavor, as it wasn't too sour and a bit sweet for my taste. I ended my lunch with their slice of Valrhona Chocolate cake that is good for two people with a sweet tooth. As we were about to leave it started to rain really hard and since parking was a few steps away and we didn't have any umbrella, one of the servers volunteered to walk us to our parking slot and use his umbrella. Plus points for great customer service absolutely.