DOWNTIME
WATERING HOLE
181
Located in that nexus
of honky-tonk bars and
upscale eateries, a well-lit
café stands out for their
java and filling home-style
meals and pastries.
words
ANNA GAMBOA
M
oving from busy
Salcedo Village to the
outskirts of Bel-air,
where there’s no such
thing as the “average neighborhood
patron”―Commune Café is within
stumbling distance of several bars
of varying quality (and price points)
as well as trendy restaurants almost
bordering on the hipster variety.
With partner Ros Juan at the helm
(and often on hand to entertain
regulars), the coffee is strong enough
to wake the dead, but crafted so well
caffeine aficionados come back for
more third-wave coffee shop fare
like flat whites, long blacks, and
cold extracted/pressed brews.
The sweets and pastries pair
very well with the hot/cold drinks
offered on the menu and those who
are lactose-intolerant can request
for soy substitutes in their drink.
Customers too lazy to move from
the café in search of wine can
order by the glass or bottle—yes,
they think of everything here, and
in fact an adjoining Pinoy-themed
sister restaurant is just next door in
case those hunger pangs demand
more filling fare or portions.
For those in the mood for a food
crawl around the Poblacion area,
Commune is the perfect meeting
spot, before hieing off to have
grilled chicken, Mexican or Thai
bite-sized food portions, Korean
bar chow—and walking it all off
by going back to the café to wind
down the day with a good brew.
Commune is located at 36
Polaris cor. Durban Sts, Poblacion,
Makati City. Email them at
havecoffee@commune.ph or call
+632 2756324 or +639198595848.
July - August 2016 | adobo magazine