Congratulations, Spotter! You've Found The Secret Spot
It's this place AND a special drink. The best part? It's delicious and it's for you.
Published on Jun 4, 2026
(SPOT.ph) If you're reading this, you've probably followed the breadcrumbs leading from our socials post. Go to the Philippine Coffee Expo 2026, we said. Then go to the Escolta Coffee Company (ECC), Booth S6, and ask about the Secret Spot, we said. Scan the QR code, the barista at the ECC booth probably said. Et voilà—you've unlocked a special Philippine Coffee Expo drink, brought to you by Escolta Coffee Company and Spot.ph, and you're exactly at the right spot to get it.
What's the Secret Spot Drink?
The TL;DR: the Secret Spot (P200 for a 250ml serving) is a special Philippine Coffee Expo drink inspired by the joy of discovering places that make a city feel a little more personal. It's a collaboration between the roast masters at Escolta Coffee Company and us coffee lovers at Spot.ph.
Spot.ph is your key to unlock the best in the city, and it has been our mission to discover hidden gems, celebrate local favorites, and explore places worth seeking out. It takes a lot of energy to go on all these adventures, and you can bet the Spot.ph team is fueled by coffee—which is why with Escolta Coffee Company, we've dreamed up Secret Spot, a drink that's inspired by the adventurous spirit bonding us and you, dear Spotter.
But what does the Secret Spot taste like?
Like the best spots in any city, this drink reveals itself in layers. Bright dalandan citrus leads the way, sparkling water keeps it lively and refreshing, and espresso made with ECC's San Roque, Bukidnon Premium Arabica brings depth, sweetness, and character. The citrus highlights the coffee’s natural brightness while the fizzle makes it easy to enjoy on a warm day.
It’s a drink inspired by exploration, curiosity, and sharing discoveries with others. The kind of thing you stumble upon, enjoy, and immediately want to tell a friend about. Just like a great secret spot.
About the Escolta Coffee Company
The Escolta Coffee Company is a love letter to both Philippine coffee and the historic Escolta street, where partner owners Gab Villegas, Maricar Ricardos, and Ivan Balmadrid came together to establish a company dedicated to studying, roasting, elevating, and raising awareness for Philippine coffee.
ECC opened in August 2022, but its inception was a long time coming. Gab felt that while his cafe in The First United Building, The Den, was thriving, there was more he could do for Philippine coffee. Since it opened in 2016, "The Den became a space for exploring the intersections of coffee and culture. Art shows, workshops, conversations, community. Coffee was always at the center, but so was everything else unfolding around it," he shares. And during the pandemic, a conversation with him and his longtime friends Maricar and Ivan —who are husband and wife and were already running Layag.ph, a coffee retail company with a social purpose—led to one realization: that Philippine coffee deserved more than it was getting.
Now, Escolta Coffee Company boasts a range of specialty Philippine coffee beans, and it also doubles as a cafe. In this quiet space on the ground floor of Burke Building, you'll find a working roastery from Mondays through Wednesdays, though drinks are still available for takeout and retail beans can be purchased. If you want to hang out, slow down, and simply enjoy a good cup of coffee brewed from exclusively Philippine beans, you can visit them on Thursdays through Sundays.
The Escolta Coffee Company serves espresso drinks and hand-brewed coffee, all from locally sourced beans they roast themselves. They source single-origin lots from across the country: from highland farms in Benguet, Mountain Province, and Nueva Vizcaya in the north, all the way south to Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, Negros Occidental, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and others in between. They also carry retail whole beans, drip bags, single-serve sachets, cascara tea, merchandise, and coffee-making tools for home brewers and small shops.
If you're interested in trying their drinks, go for the Magandang Araw, which is a taho-coffee creation, and the Escolta Fizz, which iis made with cascara, citrus, palm sugar, and soda water. Both drinks are inspired by the owners' love of Escolta; they're drinks that carry something of the neighborhood they're working hard to celebrate and elevate.