I've been coming to Habitual Coffee for years now, and it still feels like my little secret hideout…read morein the city. Walked in last weekend during a crazy downpour, dripping wet, and the barista just smiled, handed me a towel to dry off, and asked what I felt like without any rush. Ended up with their single-origin pour-over--Ethiopian this time--and it was bright, juicy, and perfectly balanced, like every sip reminded me why I fell in love with coffee in the first place. Sat by the window watching the rain hammer Pasong Tamo, worked on my laptop for hours with zero pressure to leave. The space is still that perfect mix of raw concrete and warm light, never too crowded, always calm. Staff remembered my usual order even though it's been months since I last dropped by. Five stars, easily--still one of the most consistently great coffee experiences in Manila.

There is a lot of third wave coffee in Manila. This is a huge win for us coffee lovers, but it also…read moreups the ante for the purveyors of the coffee as well. Fortunately, Habitual Coffee holds its own. Situated on a super industrial part of Pasong Tamo (though gentrification is very real and will probably make its way here very soon), it's kind of out of the way compared to most third wave coffee spots. This is a good thing though! I've never had a problem finding a seat there. The set up is great too. Very industrial. I like the large amount of natural light and sparse feeling of the place. There's a lot of exposed concrete and metal, making the place very Instagram worthy. There are also outlets, wifi, and pretty large tables so getting some work done here is definitely possible. I just wish the seats were more supportive. The coffee is amazing! I believe Yardstick sourced a lot of their coffee while I was there. Their mocha and Americano are great. Not too bitter. The only downside I have is the clientele was a little snooty. The staff, however, was great.

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.

We stayed at the beautiful Aruga by Rockwell in Makati and were pleasantly surprised by how great…read morethe Aruga Cafe was! It's this little cafe found at the lobby of the hotel that comes with the stay: they had great food and impeccable service! The workers were very friendly and entertained my brothers and I in our endeavor to speak more Tagalog to them (our Tagalog is very choppy haha). They were very understanding and attentive throughout our whole breakfast stay! One tip I could give is to arrive there sooner rather than later for breakfast if you want their Beef Tapsilog. We got there around 9ish (they open at 7) and I wanted to order it but they were unfortunately already out by that time we got there. I ended up ordering their Japanese Gyudon and it was pretty good! The meat was slightly under-seasoned but as a whole with the ginger and rice it was a pretty good dish! They were also kind enough to put the egg on the side for me given my allergy too which is great! Overall a great breakfast experience with great service and good food!!

When we stayed at Aruga Rockwell, we opted the breakfast option with our stay…read more You get for pick one main breakfast entree and then access to their buffet options- which change daily. The first day I had the pork longanisa with garlic fried rice and a sunny side up egg. The breakfast buffet area had assorted breads and jams, two hot plate items (usually vegetarian) dessert, cereal, salad and fresh fruit. The second day I had their chicken adobe with garlic rice and a sunny side egg. Both meals were delicious and the sides were great as wells. The pricing I think is on par with breakfasts you would normally experience in the US and Canada. Approx $20 CAD a person or $800pp. They dont have prices on their menu so this is an estimate :) The service was exceptional. I felt very welcomed by the staff and they were always super helpful. I would recommend staying in this hotel and try their food!

We live in One Rockwell and it's really convenient to just come down to get a quick bite. My…read moreexperience is the menu is pretty good but they do not go out of their way to make some changes or add something. Ex: to put the sauce on the side or add toast to the meal. The server had to ask the kitchen for any specific request

We stopped by eight coffee bar after Rockwell Weekend Market. My Germany coffee was fine but my…read morefriend's Irish coffee has really weird taste.

We had a family-friends reunion. The food was excellent, mindful of the peanut allergy, Service was…read moregreat and respectful and the ambiance lent itself to dancing. Yes - unassuming on the outside but cozy inside.

Titas of Manila, unite! I chanced upon Happy Garden Cafe…read morewhile they were on soft opening one sunny weekday afternoon. I had some time to spare and it seemed a like a quaint place to wait it out. I came in surprised at how pretty everything is! They really ran with a full-on garden theme. So much so that you can buy gardening materials there. Being run by Bizu, it is no surprise that they would have some of the best cakes and food. Although, I find the meals quite pricey, their ingredients are super fresh and top-notch. It's a nice place to bring your mom for her birthday!

Review is for a takeaway coffee visit. The venti brewed coffee was strong. I would prefer slightly…read morehotter but tasted good with adding some oat milk, which they will charge you for. Efficient service and professional. I wouldn't call it friendly but professional. Nice to have a Starbucks open at 6 am by Rockwell Center when I need a morning coffee.

AMBIENCE It felt nice to be slightly away from the mall; it…read moremade me feel their branch was more peaceful. More seats were available on the second floor, but during our evening visit, it was still pretty full. We were fortunate to get seats downstairs after awhile. BEVERAGE Wishing Star Dark Mocha Frappuccino was good but I didn't really get my money's worth. It's basically a pretty and well-decorated Dark Mocha Frappucino. The green tea whipped cream and the cereal stars seemed to contribute more to presentation rather than flavor. For this season, I think I'm all set with Toffeenut and Peppermint Mocha. Bringing back the Gingerbread would put stars in my eyes! SERVICE I tried to be witty with our barista order-taker about my order but she seemed to take it differently. It's okay, though. I'm all game for frankness. Different strokes for different folks.

When I am in Manila and craving for classic & comfort food, this is the place I go to. Love their…read moredinuguan & puto , bangus belly etc. It is always busy here. The older generation (like me) loves to eat and hang out here. Service is okay.

This Via Mare location was a short walk from our condo in Rockwell. It was busy for lunch but we…read moregot seated in around 10 minutes Eventhough there were a few open tables. Seating inside was tighter than I expected. Staff seemed a bit overwhelmed as it was hard to get their attention to order and later to close out our check. We started with fresh lumpia ubod with hearts of palm and ground pork. It was a sweet dish. The sisig was good as the pork cheeks were cooked crisp and the liver sauce was quite nice. It was one of the better sisigs I've eaten recently. Given we liked the food just on the fence about returning due to the service.

Chimichurri was ok. I would not order again. The sliders were 1,000% better; way more flavorfulread more

BLUF: By far, this is the friendliest Coffee Bean I've been to...then again, this is the…read morePhilippines and are well known for their hospitality! Combine this with free WiFi, I'm a happy camper. Just finished walking all Robinson Galleria floors here in Ortigas and taking a break. Pretty relaxing place, I'm only one of 5 customers and lots of clean tables to choose from.