Tasyo Reading Cafe in Makati Is That Cozy, Quiet Reading Nook You've Been Yearning For

Tasyo Reading Cafe
5F Salcedo One Center, Legazpi Village, Makati City

Instagram: tasyo.readingcafe
Open from 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Tuesdays to Sundays

(SPOT.ph) A quiet corner in the heart of Makati—probably our best entry for one of those cities that never sleeps—sounds like a fantasy. Every other establishment is sure to house a gaggle of office workers debriefing the latest corporate fumble, or a contingent of titas whose adult children have the audacity to be gainfully employed instead of driving them around, or a barkada that's been gleefully beating the same dead horse for over a decade... and on a sensorial level, it's a lot.

Despite the noise we're supposedly used to in the city, slowing down and shutting out the world—even when you're working—is becoming an essential part not only of general productivity, but also that of mental well-being. It's no secret either that Team Spot is a champion of the library, whether of the traditional or cafe-adjacent variety. So of course we hit up Tasyo Reading Cafe as soon as the owners said we could.

It isn't often that the single loudest noise in a coffee shop actually comes from the espresso machine. Here among the clean lines and easy tones of Tasyo (so named for the famous character from Noli Me Tangere), the rules are laid out so uncompromisingly that customers generally shush themselves.

"I was expecting a lot more pushback at first, because admittedly the concept isn't for every mood," says co-owner Patricia Chong. "But people read the room and lower their voices without prompting. We're so pleasantly surprised."

Don't be too intimidated; 'quiet time' or 'library hours' aren't scheduled arbitrarily. Tuesdays through Fridays, Tasyo is a place for the remote worker who needs something just a few degrees short of a sensory deprivation tank to be productive. And weekends? Weekends are for chatting it up, as they should be.

Apart from the obvious—no loudspeakers, no tripods, keep your voice down—there are a few more things to note, though they're pretty simple. Place your order at the counter, and for a small additional fee (typically P30), you get a spot and a couple of hours to yourself, even as a solo customer. That means you can charge your gadgets for work, read, or while away the traffic in peace... and with some pretty good coffee to boot.

Research and development for this short but sweet menu had the team wandering into some simple principles: The beans are local, and responsibly sourced. "The collaboration with Curve serendipitously aligned with our values," says co-owner Rj Sotelo, "in that we want this place to contribute as much to the common good as it can."

For transparency's sake: We've been to Tasyo a few times since its soft opening, so we feel obligated to confirm that the coffee and even the non-coffee drinks are definitely up to snuff. The signature Pandesal (P230) coffee takes a very Filipino concept—dipping one's morning pandesal in their steaming cup of 3-in-1—and dials it up to a fun but super approachable 11, over ice. There's a malt quality to the bread they use that adds just enough texture to the pandesal foam, and it obviously benefits from the greatest flavor enhancer of all: nostalgia.

But if you don't need the fluff, the Mestizo (P220, iced) is a pared-down Spanish latte that hits the spot when you're running on fumes. Pair it with any of Tasyo's daily selection of panaderya classics.

The Ube Graham (P180) is a non-coffee concoction that feels like a light dessert, which means you don't have to rush home after an early dinner out if you've still got work to do. Finish that presentation at Tasyo, and down the not-too-rich, not-too-sweet, uber-balanced goodness like it's a reward. (Unless you're one of those heavily in-denial lactose-intolerants. Why you'd do that to yourself is beyond us.)

For those scorching workday afternoons, the Pasyon (P190) is an easy favorite among the teas. Tangy, floral, and not at all in-your-face, we can almost guarantee it's able to add a layer of fun to whatever you're working on.

While Tasyo houses some iconic titles and then some, you're free to bring your own book to read or small craft to work on. In fact, if you'd like to donate to the growing library, there's a community shelf in the heart of the space; you can't miss it, there are Attack on Titan figurines on it.

The bulletin board at the door is also open for any community announcements (think book clubs or intimate launches), and if you have a workshop you think would work perfectly here, they're open to pitches. They've already held a couple of talks themselves, asking big questions like, "Why should we be good?" which should wake you up about as well as any good cup of coffee can.

"We're looking to promote art, humanities, and the sciences," shares Sotelo, who is also a lecturer at St. Scholastica. "From the beginning, the vision was to take learning outside of the classroom and reframe it for the real world, bring it to the forefront."

So in case there was any confusion, at Tasyo, tranquil doesn't necessarily mean tame.

For inquiries and workshop pitches, get in touch through tasyoreadingcafe@gmail.com.