For many, a trip to Baguio City isn’t complete without indulging in a cup of coffee. And that could be anywhere from a humble roadside shack to a veranda overlooking magnificent pine trees and mountains. Baguio’s perpetually cool climate makes for daily coffee weather, and the region’s vast coffee fields of arabica beans show why people there are especially passionate about it.
READ: A foodie’s guide to Baguio City’s best-kept secrets
This has resulted in a distinct and vibrant coffee shop culture in Baguio — from quaint and kitschy coffee and reading nooks to a legion of baristas working on specialty brews and stylish cafés fit for the ‘gram (or the ‘Tok, if you must).
While not a definitive list of all of Baguio City’s coffee shops, this guide provides an overview of the very best it has to offer. Whether you enjoy a V60 pourover or a foamy frappe, there’s something for every kind of coffee lover in Baguio City.
Third-wave coffee shops
Rebel Bakehouse
New to the scene is Rebel Bakehouse, who first started as a cloud pastry bakery, but has now opened its own bakehouse and café along Naguilian Road. This shop is a must for every foodie: aside from their to-die-for pastries, they have also teamed up with Hatch Coffee for their specialty coffee program.
Rebel Bakehouse is at Km 3, Irisan, Naguilian Road, Baguio City. Visit their Instagram page.
Hot Cat Specialty Coffee
Just below Mt. Cloud Book Shop across Brent International School is Hot Cat Specialty Coffee. It’s a warm and welcoming shack where customers can enjoy local specialty coffee from the nearby towns of Itogon and Atok, among others, roasted by the guys at El Union and Kalsada Coffee. Surrounded by pine trees and the crisp Baguio air, this shop has fostered a tight-knit community among its loyal customers. Watch out for its occasional pop-ups with Chef Waya of Gypsy, another gem in the city.
1 Yangco Road, Corner Brent Road, Baguio City, Philippines. Check them out on Facebook.
Hatch Coffee
A relatively new yet valuable addition to Baguio’s coffee scene is Hatch Coffee. Tucked inside a quiet subdivision road, its unassuming location opens up to a sprawling garden and a coffee shop that has taken up residence in a charming colonial home. Hatch Coffee is within the larger Easter Home compound, which has its own bed-and-breakfast. Aside from their lattes and dirty horchata, they’re known for their burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches too.
135 Easter Road cor 1 road, Manzanillo, Baguio City. Check them out on Instagram.
Peakcup Coffee
Another new coffee player is Peakcup Coffee, which opened in 2021. While the inside may be cozy with minimalist-industrial interiors, they make mean cups with specialty beans by local roasters, including YKW (of EDSA BDG) and local specialty roastery Halfroom Coffee. They also have ample parking space and a view of the mountains.
Aspiras-Palispis Highway, Baguio City. Check them out them on Facebook.
Brew & Alchemy
If you find yourself along busy Session Road, just above the Porta Vaga Mall Annex, you’ll be able to find Brew & Alchemy, which is Halfroom Coffee’s roasting partner. Don’t underestimate its size, though — their coffee capacity bursts at the seams of its tiny footprint, with pourovers, espresso, and cold brew, in addition to serving baked goods from their microbakery and other meals.
4th Floor Porta Vaga Mall Annex,Session Road, Baguio City. Visit them on Facebook.
Kapetirya by BCAA
Operated with the Department of Trade and Industry, Kapetirya by the Barista & Coffee Academy of Asia (BCAA) has turned advocacy for Philippine specialty coffee into something of an art — their intimate space is home to several beans originating from all around the Philippines. Aside from those from the Cordillera region, you can also try brews from coffee-rich areas in Mindanao such as Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat — going deep into single-origin farms and micro-lots.
Crafts and Productivity Center, Upper Session Road, Baguio City. Visit them on Facebook.
Nest Coffee Roasters
If you want to slow down with a manual brew of some of the Cordillera region’s best beans, the people from the now-closed Cafe Yagam have opened anew with Nest Coffee Roasters, located at co-working space and food hub Calle Uno (where Highland Smokehouse is also located). Aside from beans, they also sell coffee accessories and knick-knacks such as enamel mugs and tiny stickers.
Calle Uno, 3 Escoda St., Corner Naguilian Road, Quezon Hill, Baguio. Visit them on Instagram.
K-Coffee Shops
Seollem Cafe
A favorite of the Instagram-loving set, K-Drama fans will get a kick out of Seollem Cafe, which brings a slice of Seoul to Baguio City (makes sense, as the city has a sizable community of Korean students and families living there). Filled with trendy aesthetic elements, they also offer a Korean-inspired menu including the misugaru (multi-grain) latte, black sesame latte, and even the pandemic-famous dalgona latte inspired by Squid Game.
74 Del Nacia Apartments, Camp 7, Baguio City. Check them out on Instagram.
Foam Coffee
Sunny, stylish, and minimalist — that’s Foam Coffee in a nutshell. Coffee lovers who love aesthetically pleasing cafés won’t be disappointed with this one — from its sleek ampitheater-style seating and Japandi-inspired chairs, to colorful non-dairy lattes and artisanal doughnuts.
Upper G/F Travelite Hotel, Shuntug Street, Baguio City. Visit them on Instagram.
Bookworm Cafés
Marauder’s Brew
From the name alone, Marauder’s Brew is one of those “if you know, you know” places. Potterheads, bookworms, and game geeks can find their own corner in the City of Pines in this place featuring quirky interiors and shelves of books and board games diners can get lost in. Aside from sliders and pasta, they have some bewitching brews like the Blue Moon “Loony” Latte, a gorgeous midnight-inspired drink — and what’s a Harry Potter-themed cafe without Butterbeer?
47 Montinola Subd., Kisad Road, Baguio City. Visit them on Facebook.
R&B Cafe Library
R&B, which stands for Read & Brew, is another café located at Porta Vaga above Session Road. Located on the roof deck, it’s high enough to get you away from the hustle and bustle of the busy avenue while giving you a good vantage point of the downtown area. This cafe library has intimate, rustic interiors, a wide menu, and an extensive selection of books you can browse to your heart’s content. While the café offers mains, sandwiches, and all-day breakfast, they also have coffee, milkshakes, and fruit smoothies.
Roof deck of Porta Vaga Mall, Session Road, Baguio City. Visit them on Facebook.
Artsy Coffee Shops
Igorot Charm Café
Close to the reconstructed Cordillera village and art hub Tam-Awan Village is Igorot Charm Café, a humble place filled with cultural artifacts and local products. It also promotes local cultural practices such as Kalinga’s batok tattoo. Aside from Benguet coffee, the café also serves Chilean empanadas, chili sauces, and other dishes featuring Cordillera’s freshest ingredients.
370 Pinsao Proper Tam-awan, Baguio. Visit them on Facebook.
Café Sabel
There are few better ways to finish an artistic day out than heading to a coffee shop after a trip to a museum. Located at the bottom-most floor of BenCab Museum, an art and ethnography museum by the National Artist of the same name, Café Sabel is a natural final stop after touring the three storeys of its galleries. The café opens out onto to a duck pond and an organic farm, where its signature blend, BenCab’s brew, is sourced from.
BenCab Museum, Km. 6 Asin Rd, Tuba, 2603 Benguet
Leandro’s Bistro
Located in the streetside art village of Ili-Likha by National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik is Leandro’s Bistro, one of the many charming independent businesses snaking through this Alice in Wonderland-esque rabbit hole. While mainly limited to an espresso-based menu, they do offer cold brew and strawberry milk — made from the very fruit Baguio is famous for. Their cheesecake is also a must-try.
Ili-Likha Artist Village, 32 Assumption Rd, Baguio
Cafés with a Great View
Arca’s Yard
In recent years, Arca’s Yard has been a favorite of many Baguio goers, thanks to its charming location — a rustic three-story American home on the mountainside. Aside from its quaint and homey interiors, the view from its balcony has inspired many a romantic moment (and social media photos). Try Arca’s Docto Pie Ala Mode, sweet potato pie topped with ice cream.
777 Tiptop City Limits, Ambuklao Road, Baguio City. Check them out on Facebook.
Tan-aw sa Alang
Yet another charming café on the outskirts of Baguio is Tan-aw sa Alang (tan-aw being a local term that means “overlooking”). Tan-aw sa Alang is a coffee shop that truly leans into its heritage, from its roof shaped like an indigenous rice granary to its coffee sizes: bassit (small), dakkel (medium), and dakdakkel (large). The balcony, built with local wood, also opens up to a view of the mountains.
Farm to Cup
In the neighboring town of La Trinidad, you’ll find Farm to Cup, an al fresco and DIY brew bar nestled among pine trees. Yes, DIY, as in there are no baristas here — you are your own barista. Located in a section of the Philippine Nazarene College, where the rest of the property has been turned into a coffee farm, you can choose from the variety of beans and brewing methods they have available and let the staff guide and educate you throughout the process.
Philippine Nazarene College, Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet. Check them out on Facebook.
Lolo Cancio’s
About an hour and a half away from Baguio in the town of Bokod, Benguet is Lolo Cancio’s, a no-frills restaurant and café that has its pristine nature view as its main draw. They serve “simple, homecooked meals,” in their words, so visitors are encouraged to manage their expectations — but the trip is well worth it for the sights alone if you have the time to make the trip.
Inidian, Ambuclao, Bokod, Benguet. Visit them on Facebook.
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