Top 5 Coffee Shops in Metro Manila (2026 Edition)
Coffee is the new milk tea, and we have the pandemic to partly blame for it. The dalgona coffee craze seemed to have awakened the coffee aficionados in many of us, myself included. Prior to the pandemic, I wasn’t a coffee enthusiast at all. In fact, I didn’t even enjoy its taste. But once I started experimenting with making coffee at home during that bleep in the timeline, my appreciation for it budded over time. Today, I can say with pride that I'm a coffee enthusiast.
Post-pandemic, coffee has become a sensation. Coffee shops sprang up all over, offering a wide array of options. With so many choices, the question arises: “Which ones are the good ones?”. Hence, in this blog post, I’ll share my personal top 5 favorites, but for simplicity we’ll limit the list to cafes in Metro Manila.
As a disclaimer, this ranking is based purely on my personal experience and opinion. I understand that everyone has different preferences when it comes to coffee, so feel free to share your thoughts as well. My primary criteria for determining my Top 5 is the coffee itself, which accounts for about 80% of my decision. The remaining 20% is based on the overall experience, including the aesthetics.
Last Update: August 25, 2026
1. Yardstick 🥇
The first cup of coffee that I remember enjoying for the first time was Yardstick, and surprisingly this cafe remains as my OG favorite. Admittedly, I almost forgot about Yardstick over the past few years. Initially, I was going to place it third on this list, but a recent visit rekindled my love for their coffee, reaffirming its top spot.
Drama aside, Yardstick stands out because they have mastered the art of coffee making. The beans they use are perfection, and they craft each drink with precision and consistency. Whenever I drink their coffee, it’s always as great as I remembered.
📍Recommended Branch/es: Yardstick has expanded to multiple locations already, but nothing beats drinking it in its home branch in Esteban, Makati (just purely iconic!). However, I do want to highlight the branch in Mall of Asia because they offer this unique Manila Latte, which is a combination of tangy citrus slushie and their ever-so reliable espresso.
☕What to order: Mocha, Sea Salt Latte, Manila Latte or anything that uses Golden Ticket
2. Candid 🥈
Photo on the right is my favorite coffee discovery for 2025, Dirty by Candid Coffee.
Candid is relatively new to the market, but I see a lot of potential in it. I got to try it coincidentally when I went to Makati back in 2022, and it captivated me in a heart beat. I love the aesthetic, and how the experience transmutes from visual to physical and eventually down to taste. They also make their espresso shots from freshly ground beans, which gives a jolting flavor to their coffee drinks.
Fast forward to 2026, Candid has grown just as I predicted, and so far across different branches Candid is consistently good so far. Bumping up now on 2nd spot.
📍Recommended Branch/es: The best branch I personally recommend is located in Robinsons Mall Ermita, Manila. Lacks the ambiance, but has one of the friendlier staff.
☕What to order: Dirty, hands down, this is my go-to order here (this is perfect for coffee enthusiast, hands down my favorite last year), Flat White, and Salted Caramel
3. Cafe Barbera 🥉
Cafe Barbera is a stunner as a new comer this 2026!
Cafe Barbera stole my heart right at the first sip. I had an americano, which is one of the best ways to test whether a cafe is nice or not, and it was simply amazing. The quality of the beans was evident, and they extracted it right to my liking. Immense body. Bold flavors. Rich aroma.
Funny enough, the cafe looks a bit retro, and I was actually judging it by its cover. This made me a little skeptical to try, but I'm glad that I did anyway. Plus, the vibe actually grew on me, and I got to appreciate it midway.
📍Recommended Branch/es: I'd recommend the one in Greenhills, since that's where I first discovered it. However, they just opened a branch in Glorietta, and I'm loving this one as well!
☕What to order: Iced Americano (I have yet to try other drinks here in this cafe, so that's it for now)
4. Baristart
Baristart has a huge potential to be top cafe - the selection is good!
Baristart is one of the newer cafes which have a strong concept and identity. It was solid enough to make me curious the moment I saw it from afar. I have to say, I really love their selection, and they have Hokkaido milk to go with your coffee. These are some of the things that make the experience unique here in Baristart.
The only detractor as to why this didn't rank higher than what I can give is that when we visited the branch, it was uncomfortably hot and humid. That severely affected the overall experience. Well, to be fair, it was summer at that time.
📍Recommended Branch/es: The one in Greenhills was what I tried so far, so I'd recommend that for now. I have yet to try the branch in BGC.
☕What to order: Iced Spanish Latte, Iced Americano and while you're there, try their donuts! I'm crazy about them, so soft and tasty!
5. Cooper’s Coffee Haus from Hai Chix
For a while, Cooper’s Coffee Haus held the top spot because it offered something truly unique. The “Brown Butter Latte” might not sound extraordinary, but the execution is near perfect. The buttery essence blends smoothly with just the right amount of sweetness from the brown sugar.
Looking back, I'm bumping down Cooper's out of personal preference. As my appreciation for coffee widens, I am starting to prefer more of those that are not frappe-ish drinks. While I feel Cooper's is still consistently good, it is no longer a go-to cafe for me.
📍Recommended Branch/es: They have several new branches now, but the one in Estancia Mall is my go-to one. I just love the curbside vibe.
☕What to order: Brown Butter Latte, Dirty Matcha, White Chocolate Mocha and more recently the Iced Ube Latte
Honorable Mentions as Previous Placers
Just so I can honor the predecessors that once belonged to the Top 5, I am carving this space for them. I'd also be sharing as to why they fell from the list.Exchange Alley Coffee House (EACH)
Exchange Alley quickly became a top contender when I tried their cappuccino the first time, and it was in fact the best cappuccino I had in my life for at time. I loved how rightly bittersweet the cocoa was, and how it just blended fantastically well with their freshly made espresso shots.
Exchange Alley has very few branches, and the only one I know is the one in Molito, Alabang.
☕What to order: Cappuccino
ℹ️Reason for exclusion: The reason why this eventually dropped from the list is because they may have problems with consistency. When I went back for subsequent visits, that magical taste did not replicate well. Thankfully, it somehow reappeared back during my latest visit.
Harlan and Holden’s Because Coffee
Prior to my discovery of Cooper’s and reunion with Yardstick, Because Coffee was my previous top 1. This is because they have unique flavors that wittily goes with interesting names such as “Thirsty Squirrel”. Unfortunately, they renamed all of their drinks beginning 2024, but anyway, the greatness of the coffee remains.
Because Coffee also has a great coffee base, and the espresso shot they use in every drink is suave with the right kick of flavors. This is further accentuated and/or modified by mixes infused depending on your order.
☕What to order: Peanut Butter Latte (previously called Thirsty Squirrel), Sea Salt Latte, and Butterscotch Latte
ℹ️Reason for exclusion: It became overly hyped, and along its expansion, it seemed to have lost a fraction of its identity. Simply put, it is no longer as good and unique as it used to be.
Pedal Coffee
Pedal Cafe is considerably a newcomer, and I got to discover it just this second half of last year. However, I instantly felt it was a smashing hit when I tried the Shot Taho (photo above). Although the taho by itself is just "okay", the infusion of the brown sugar and their espresso shot gives it such bold character that I crave almost every other week. You may want to half the arnibal as it may be too sweet, but regardless it was awesome. This novelty earned it position in this Top 5 for a time.
☕What to order: Shot Taho
ℹ️Reason for exclusion: It didn't have a good follow-through with the Shot Taho, and right before having a momentum, I feel like they are flatting out. I just feel like it needs to have a stronger sense of what it wants to go for, and have that reflect with their coffee selection. I feel it's becoming too basic and confused at the same time.
These are my personal picks, but do you want to check out the Top 5 coffee shops of others, particularly of Redditors? Check this article I wrote: 5 Best Coffee Shops in Metro Manila based on Reddit (read more)
Vote for which you think is the best coffee shop in Metro Manila. You may want to also bookmark this page, since this is a live poll.
Reader poll
Which one actually deserves the top spot?
My personal picks + Redditor's pick are combined below. Disagree? Add your own — if enough readers back it, it climbs the list.
Running Top 10
Care to share your own top 5? Which coffee shops on this list do you disagree with? Which ones will you be including instead? Let us know by commenting below. Thanks!
