Mornings in Poblacion: Charming Cafés With A+ Iced Coffee to Match

(SPOT.ph) Have you ever wondered what Poblacion is like in the morning—before the streets are drowned out in neon lights and loud music? If you’re part of the generation that calls this neighborhood “Pob,” much to the older generation’s dismay, then know that there’s a whole other side to discover, beyond crafted cocktails and ice-cold pints of beer. In daylight, Poblacion is the polar opposite: Relaxed, slow-paced, and best savored with a cup of coffee.

Hard to believe, right? For SPOT.ph's monthly cover featuring Poblacion, we have a local’s a.m. to p.m. itinerary—which, of course, includes that much-needed coffee run. In this list, we give you more caffeine options, zooming in on the best iced lattes you can find in the neighborhood’s old, new, and under-the-radar coffee shops.

Also read:
A Resident's Guide to Poblacion
This Church Is a Marker of Poblacion's Centuries-Old Heritage

The best coffee shops in Poblacion for your iced coffee fix:

Bolo Coffee Club

Latte price: P140
Ambiance: Bolo Coffee Club is great if you want alone time and love people-watching.

Bolo, a Hong Kong-inspired café-bar, continues to impress us with all the beverages that come from their counter, from the cocktails (special mention to the earthy, buzzy Forbidden Tea), to the more-tea-than-sweet-milk Hong Kong-style milk tea, and, yes, the latte. 

Bolo's coffee uses a blend of Arabica and Robusta for its drinks, and while the latte has milk in it, the café's version leans more on the nutty notes. It is the kind that you nurse, not the type you'd want to take huge sips of... unless you want to palpitate. So go take a seat by the window and spend a good hour or two alone with your thoughts and The Bolo Bao (P150) for that crumbly, sweet pineapple-like crust  served with a lot of butter.

Bolo Coffee Club is at Unit 201 General Luna Building, Poblacion, Makati City. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. until late from Friday to Saturday.

Commune

Latte price: P165
Ambiance: Relaxed, unpretentious, no-nonsense. Nothing to distract you from the good coffee and food.

Commune, which has called Poblacion home for more than a decade now, needs no introduction to anyone who frequents the neighborhood—heck, you might even know their resident cats, Mirage and Mocha. They launched 10th-anniversary merchandise featuring the two feline fellas and their advocacy and pride in sourcing local coffee beans for their brews.

The coffee shop uses a blend of Arabica and Robusta. While it does pack a strong punch, the amount of milk (and even the ice!) balances and neutralizes the coffee's acidity. As photojournalist Jilson Tiu commented upon taking that magical first sip of their iced latte during our coffee crawl, "You really can't go wrong with Commune." And you know what? He's right. 

Commune is at 36 Polaris Street, Poblacion, Makati City. Open from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., from Monday to Thursday; 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. from Friday to Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Sunday.

Good Sh*t Coffee

Latte price: P120
Ambiance: Good Sh*t Coffee looks like a place where meet-cutes often happen.

Yes, it is intentionally spelled "Sh*t." So, of course, we had to ask what the asterisk hides, to which they replied, "It depends." Older customers—perhaps more conservative—tend to replace the asterisk with the letter O, but those younger give it that PG-13 meaning. But between you and me, it doesn't matter as long as the coffee is good. It clearly says so in the name.

Good Sh*t Coffee uses a Brazilian-Colombian blend for their black, white, and flavored coffee. The latte, which falls under the latter, is nutty, chocolatey, and just a tinge milky. They also have freshly baked pastries displayed, like the Guava Cheese Roll (P120) and Turonutella (P150), which are good sh*t too.

Good Sh*t Coffee is at 5872 Enriquez Street, Poblacion, Makati. Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday to Thursday, and 6 a.m. to 12 m.n. from Friday and Saturday.

Assembly Hall

Latte price: P120
Ambiance: We don't know if this was a deliberate choice but Assembly Hall is a great place for remote work.

One of the newer coffee shops to enter the scene is Assembly Hall, a hidden cafe on the second floor of the HMA 773 building along J.P. Rizal. Once you get past a flight of stairs and its emerald green wooden door, you'll enter one of the most spacious coffee shops we've seen in a looong time. Plus points for the good amount of natural sunlight, plenty of mirrors for selfies, and all the sockets everywhere so you can work outside the confinement of the office.

Assembly Hall uses Plain Sight's Weekender beans, with origins from Brazil and Costa Rica that lends some fruity, wine, and acidic notes to their coffee. We get that we all have coffee preferences, so if you like your latte heavy on milk, then this should be right up your alley. 

Assembly Hall is at 2/F HMA 773 Building, 773 JP Rizal Avenue, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City. Open 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Sunday.

Lunes Everyday Dining

Latte price: P130
Ambiance: Vintage chic. Best place to catch up with your amigas and amigos.

For the Rockwell crowd in need of a change of scenery, a 10-minute walk from their posh urban enclave takes them to Lunes Everyday Dining. On a Monday afternoon, we found the place packed with people catching up, so do as the Romans do and invite friends over to spill some scorching hot tea over a glass of ice-cold coffee.

Lunes Everyday Dining keeps its coffee menu simple with only five classic drinks, all using a blend of 80% Brazilian and 20% El Salvadorian beans. Their latte, although on the fruitier side, is quite strong, so you might want to ask for sugar syrup on the side. We did notice that their latte stands out as there's a thin layer of cream on top and a consistent frothiness to the drink, which we liked.

Lunes Everyday Dining also has Dear Adam / Sweet Lucy,  a café-in-the-morning, bar-at-night on the second floor. The space is dimly lit, so if you like coffee shops with that certain mood, you can transfer there.

Lunes Everyday Dining is at 6060 R Palma, Makati. Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., from Monday to Sunday.

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