The vibrant Metro brunch scene is back and very much alive! Groups of friends, families, and co-workers are meeting face to face again over good food and good drinks! We scoured through the Metro to find cafe + restaurants with good food, good vibes and insta-worthy experiences to capture together with the #AbsolutelyStylishandPowerful OPPO A77s!
If you’re up for #brunch dates with the amigas & amigos soon, we discovered 3 spots worthy of a visit:
1. PANCO: Pandesal + Coffee
Location: 110 Don Carlos Palanca, Legazpi Village, Makati
Operating Hours: M-W, Sa-Su: 7AM-9PM; Th-F: 7AM-10PM
PANCO offers more than just the usual pastry & coffee pairings. The ambiance matches the vibrant personality of the young professionals working and living in the CBD area of Makati, this café is a one stop shop for good food and good coffee. There is no in-between. They have a full-on food menu with Filipino faves like inasal, caldereta and longganisa that you can choose to be served in Melbourne Style – sandwich or Manila style – with rice! We tried out their best-sellers: housemade tinapa, breakfast brisket, and Panco’s special inasal! For the drinks, we had tiramisu latte, citrus brew, and ube pinipig.
Good to note that for the working crowd who arrive in Makati extra early for their shifts, PANCO opens as early as 7 in the morning! Since the area is exposed to both residential and offices, they have available sockets for people who want to work or lounge in the cafe. PANCO understands that their clientele needs something quick, filling and fresh considering 1-hour lunch breaks, so good to know that they serve real hot meals in a jiffy!
PANCO COOL TIP: They offer merchandise perfect as memorabilia of your brunch date or reunion in PANCO. The owner’s personal fave is the bottle carrier. It’s perfect for those who are always on-the-go. It can fit the usual milk tea cups too! They have their signature PANCO aprons and brand shirts for sale as well.
2. Latitude: Bean and Bar
Location: 1851 Pilar Hidalgo Lim, Malate, Manila
Operating Hours: Mon (11am-7pm) coffee only; Tues-Sun (11am-11pm) cocktails will be available.
This place is quite a charming one – a hidden gem of sorts. Tucked in the quaint city of Manila, Latitude Bean + Bar offers a cozy, quiet and safe space for coffee breaks, work dates and brunch meet-ups.
The concept of cafe and lounge mixed together, in their terms “bean-and-bar” is in line with Latitude’s effort to connect with the community in their area. The newly renovated “bean-and-bar” offers an array of drinks that fits your every mood. Great for brunch, lunch, merienda and dinner hangouts, where you can have coffee and cocktails, meals and pastries, all in one place.
We tried out two coffee-based drinks. First was the Cinnamon Oat Latte (P210) which is best taken hot – perhaps pair this with a Kougin Amann as your breakfast set? The second coffee drink was the Malate (P175), which is Latitude’s take on the Spanish Latte and is best iced. Fun fact: Malate is named after the area where Latitude is located – Malate, Manila.
For the non-coffee drinking crowd they have options too! Try the Matcha Yuzu Soda (P170), an iced drink with a different twist to the matcha-dessert drink that we’re used to. It’s not too sweet, but offers not just an instagrammable photo moment, but a fizzy refreshing experience. The second non-coffee drink is the Dusk-Till Dawn, a strawberry lemonade mocktail. Pair your drinks up with their meals, pastries and waffles!
Latitude Bean + Bar Tip: And to all the homebrewers out there! Latitude Bean + Bar also has beans for you to take home so you can bring the Latitude experience with you.
3. Esmeralda Kitchen
Location: 43 Mayon St, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City
Operating Hours: Bakery & Deli: Tue-Sun 8AM- closing time same with restaurant
Restaurant: Tue-Thu 11AM – 9PM; FRI-SUN 11am – 10pm
At the border of Manila City and Quezon City – lies Esmeralda Kitchen. Located in a residential area near Dapitan, this Deli-Restaurant is the next best “kept” secret waiting to be known.
Esmeralda Kitchen is a modern take (and mash-up) of a Filipino Restaurant Bakery and Deli altogether. One of the many dishes that struck us was the Burong Mustasa Fried Rice. As for the ambiance, Esmeralda has the vibe that’s very apt for crowds such as balikbayans, celebrations and big family reunions. Because of this, their dishes have family-style servings that are good for at least 2 to 3 people.
Although listed as merienda items and main menu items, dishes that are a must-try for brunch are the following: Esmeralda Arroz Caldo, Tokwa’t longanisa, Baked ham, and Vegetable fritter surprise. Of course! How can we forget the classic Crispy Bangus? Everything tastes like warm hugs from home and very much prepared with love due to the rich flavor each dish has!
As for the drinks, the must-try is their freshly squeezed Citrus honey juice. It’s very refreshing – and pairs well with the “ma-sarsa” and deep-fried items in the menu. A perfect combination if you ask us. Also, don’t miss out on their local in-house coffee and hot chocolate.
Esmeralda Kitchen Pro tip: Don’t skip the deli for frozen ulam and baked goodies to take home! You have to have the spanish bread and cheese rolls, you just have to!
For big groups and occasions, all three stops accept reservations for private events.
- Esmeralda Kitchen has a 60-seating capacity at the second floor, and a 40 seating capacity at the first floor.
- For private events in PANCO, the clients are allowed to bring their own alcohol without a corkage fee since PANCO doesn’t offer alcohol and cocktails in their menu as of writing.
- As for Latitude, they accept events for intimate groups. If you’d be needing a space for workshops and the like, you may reserve areas at their co-working hub upstairs called SPACE 1851 co-working hub.
PRO BUNCH TIP: Regardless if it’s a brunch date or brunch meeting, one of the things you have to have is your phone! We geared up our brunch spot discovery day with the ever reliable OPPO A77s. Show off your “eye for art” with aesthetic cafe videos, scrumptious food photos and location shots!
Share brightly-lit selfies and groufies ready to gather up likes and hearts on your social media platforms! Capture different brunch scenes, coffee reels and relive moments with people you love.
Having an easy to use phone like the OPPO A77s is worth every buck for a value-for-money smartphone. Pluuus, did you see the Sunset Orange version? This phone matches your brunch aesthetic effortlessly! It has OPPO’s signature Fiberglass-Leather Design for that stylish eye-candy that matches your brunch OOTDs & flatlays!
The OPPO A77s has a 50MP, AI Main Camera for crisp & clear shots and captures beautiful dramatic shots effortlessly with its Bokeh Depth Camera feature and Bokeh Flare Portrait mode! So, no problem getting the perfect brunch photos, aesthetic interior shots and well-lit barkada groufies!
Also, for the busy bees like us, get no delays for a jam packed day because the OPPO A77s has 5000mAh long-lasting battery to be with you from day till night! It also has 33W SUPERVOOC advanced charging technology that supercharges your phone even before you finish drinking your coffee! Quick charging + long-lasting battery!
Literally, everything you need without breaking the bank. Break your fast, not your wallets.
So, now that you know where the next go-to brunch places are — Message your friends, book those dates and don’t forget to tag us on your #brunch date posts! Enjoy!
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