LOOK: A Café Just Opened Inside National Museum of Fine Arts

(SPOT.ph) Uwian na, may nanalo na. Is there anything more chic and dramatic than sipping your latte inside an art museum? Is there any other experience that could elevate coffee time than enjoying your brew among the works of great Filipino artists, with Juan Luna’s Spoliarium hanging just steps away?

If you’re picturing yourself in that setting now, you could step out of your daydreaming and just head to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila. Papakape, which also has outposts in Fort Santiago in Intramuros and in Palanan, Makati, just opened a café on the 4th Floor, at the Benigno Aquino Jr. Foyer.

It’s a beautiful spot to chill after you check out some of the galleries (there are 29) and exhibitions (the Art Deco exhibit is still ongoing); the skylight, chandeliers and vintage furniture only help prettify the space even more. They also have a seating area at the nearby Senate Hall where you can ogle the majestic Botong Francisco murals down below. The museum structure used to be the Old Legislative Building and was designed by Ralph Harrington, Antonio Mañalac and Juan Arellano. Completed in 1926, it was severely damaged during the war and was rebuilt in 1949.

Papakape, meanwhile, was founded by the father and son team of Manu and Rex Reyes who opened their first store in Makati during the pandemic, just in front of their home and laundromat. They became famous for their ginger-flavored coffee and tea drinks. At the National Museum, Papakape serves their standard drinks like Americano (P160), Coconut Latte (P200), and Coco-Cappuccino (P200), but they also have “signatures” like the Ice Buko Americano, Mango Cream Coffee, Polvoron Dinosaur, Cerveza Negra Float and Frozen Bayabas (all priced at P220 each). They also have pour overs featuring various beans from different parts of the Philippines.

"We opened in time for the celebration of International Museum Day," Manu Reyes tells Spot.ph. "Visitors found it a welcome surprise that a coffee shop is now available inside the National Museum. This is the effort of the National Museum Administration to better serve guests and elevate the visitor experience." For a while there was also a Papakape at Rizal Park but it has since closed, so the opportunity to be in another city landmark was an opportunity the Reyeses didn't let pass. "Papakape is privileged to share our creative Filipino coffee signatures to another premier cultural and historical space." Reyes just has one request: for guests to observe proper museum etiquette when enjoying their coffee within the premises.

Papakape is at the 4th Floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts in P. Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila. Open Tuesdays to Sundays and only during museum hours, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance to the museum is free. Papakape is also at Fort Santiago in Intramuros (daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Palanan, Makati (8-11 a.m. and 4-8 p.m.). Visit their Instagram here.