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You Can’t Miss the Breads and Pastries at This Specialty Grocery
When at Joel's Place, a trip to The Baker is a must.
Published on Jun 4, 2025
(SPOT.ph) There are plenty of reasons to love Joel’s Place—their range of specialty grocery finds is hard to beat, and their grab-and-go items make daily lunch decisions a breeze. Impressive, too, is their selection of fresh and frozen foods that you can even have them cook in-store (!). But if you’re like us and the thought of rustic loaves, flaky croissants, and decorative desserts makes you feel some typa way, then what you really can’t miss at the grocerant is their bakery, aptly called The Baker.
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Pop by The Baker for great-quality, reasonably priced bakes of all kinds. Image courtesy of Joel's Place.
The Baker at Joel's Place
You can’t miss it. Immediately noticeable is a set of glass cases, from which cakes and pastries in a spectrum of colors peek through. Beside that, there are hand and pot pies, their egg wash-brushed shells all gleaming and golden-brown. Atop the glass are straw baskets holding baguette loaves, and platters of perfectly lined viennoiserie classics. Behind the counter are more shelves, holding crusty, country-style loaves; assorted packs of rolls; packaged panettone; bite-sized bakes; and more.
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The Baker has, well, bakes for all occasions—for snacking on, for nibbling on alongside coffee, for use in sandwiches, and more. Photo by Patricia Baes.
These treats are all made fresh daily by their in-house artisanal bakery, Joel’s Place tells SPOT.ph. (They call The Baker their "little laboratory of flavor and comfort.") “From loaves and cakes to our signature savory cronadas, everything is handcrafted from scratch each morning. It’s a hands-on approach that reflects our founders’ vision: where good food meets great taste, starting right at the oven.” It doesn’t hurt that they’re reasonably priced for the quality, with solo-serve pieces for as low as P29 and loaves at around P100.
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Baguette galore. Photo by Patricia Baes.
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Assorted rolls and sliced loaves. Photo by Patricia Baes.
You’ll definitely find familiar staples—they’ve got Baguettes (available in plain, P100; Whole Wheat, P95; Whole Wheat and Dried Fruit, P115; and Sesame, P105), Sourdough (try the plain, P109; Multigrain, P120; or Whole Wheat, P120); and a very good Batard (P109) for your tartine and sandwich needs. Joel’s Place also makes buttery Brioche (P130/pack) for the best French toast; an aromatic Rosemary Focaccia (P150) you’ll want to dip into good olive oil; tiny Pain au Chocolat (P39) that are just the right amount of indulgent; and Danish Pastries (try Blueberry, P59; Mixed Berries, P79; Mushroom with Cream, P79; and Sausage Roll, P79) to go with your morning coffee.
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They've got savory pot pies, too. Photo by Patricia Baes.
Cake loaves, like the Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Rhum Butter Glaze (P180) and Blueberry Lemon with Streusel (P189), make for quick, easy companions to afternoon tea. Even Internet trendsetters like the Cruffin find representation on their shelves, coming filled Custard (P65) and Passion Fruit (P65). There, too, are more niche and sophisticated treats that are more unique to their selection, some with elements from Filipino other cuisines: Lamb Marsala Empanada (P79), Roasted Sesame Simit (P30), and mini cake bites in flavors like Strawberry Basil (P59), Coffee and Chocolate (P55), and Lychee & Raspberry (P89).
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It's hard not to feel like a kid in a candy store when viewing the pastry display. Photo by Patricia Baes.
These treats have become a hit with shoppers, and rightfully so. "Our baked goods have quickly become a favorite part of the Joel’s Place experience. Customers love the spontaneity—grabbing a warm cronada with their coffee before shopping, or picking up a baguette after browsing the wine section," says Joel's Place. They tell us about one guest who would bring a box of their cronadas to her office every Monday (she calls it their "official start-of-the-week pick-me-up"). Yet another customer came in just to try our cream puffs, ordering one of each—and returning the very next day with her mom and sisters, too.
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A loaf of seeded sourdough the author purchased sometime back. Photo by Patricia Baes.
The secret to their baked goods perhaps goes back to their starting point of using great-quality ingredients, consistent with the Joel’s philosophy. “We take an ingredient-forward, thoughtful approach to everything we bake,” they tell us. In practice, this means clean ingredients, no unnecessary preservatives, and “a balance of indulgence and quality—our menu blends global inspiration with local favorites.” The grand idea goes beyond the bake: “We aim to tell stories through taste."
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Photo courtesy of Joel's Place.
Joel’s Place opened in 2024, describing itself as a “lifestyle food concept”—and a happy place for those who appreciate good food they are, alright. In essence Joel's is a grocerant, a hybrid of sorts of a grocery and restaurant, combining the wide range of items of the former with the cook-to-order and availability of grab-and-go treats of the latter. They stock a selection of fresh produce from local farms; prepared salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and other ready-to-eat snacks and meals; deli items like cheese and charcuterie; dairy products and other refrigerated items; and dry goods: candies, snacks, jarred and bottled items, pantry goods, and other sundries from the Philippines and other parts of the world. There are currently two branches open: one at Glorietta 4 and one at Proscenium Rockwell, both in Makati.
Joel's Place is at G/F The Proscenium Retail Row at The Proscenium Residences, Estrella, Rockwell Center, Makati City; and G/F Glorietta 4, Ayala Avenue, Makati City. For more information, check out Joel's Place's website.
For Trish, food is as much a source of pleasure and fuel as it is an outlet for creativity; a medium by which stories can be passed on; and a way to connect with others.
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