Top 5 Coffee Shops in Metro Manila (2025 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.
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. Personal top picks: Mocha and Sea Salt Latte. For the beans, my personal favorite is the Golden Ticket.
Yardstick has expanded to multiple locations already, but nothing beats drinking it in its home branch in Makati. 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.
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, 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 2025, Candid has grown just as I predicted, and so far across different branches Candid is consistently good so far. Bumping up now on 3rd spot. Personal top picks: Dirty (this is perfect for coffee enthusiast, hands down my favorite this 2025), Flat White, and Salted Caramel
The best branch I personally recommend is located in Robinsons Mall Ermita, Manila.
3. 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. Personal top picks: Brown Butter Latte, Dirty Matcha, White Chocolate Mocha and more recently the Iced Ube Latte.
They have several new branches now, but the one in Estancia Mall is my go-to one.
4. 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.
Another reason why I like this coffee shop is because of the innovation in the ordering processing. You’ll start off selecting your order from an iPad, payment is also seamless. You just have to tap your card or scan the QR. Then, all you need to do is to wait for them to call out your order number. While it’s generally self-service, there will be someone to assist you just in case you need help. Personal top picks: Peanut Butter Latte (previously called Thirsty Squirrel), Sea Salt Latte, and Butterscotch Latte
5. Pedal Coffee
Pedal Cafe is considerably a newcomer this 2025, and I got to discover it just this second half of the 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 earns it position in this Top 5.
I highly recommend their Shot Taho, and since we're here, why not pair it up with their cookies. It's so good! Pedal Cafe has few branches for now, but the one I got to personally try is in Robinsons Mall Ermita.
Honorable Mention: 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. I loved how rightly bittersweet the cocoa was, and how it just blended fantastically well with their freshly made espresso shots. 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. This is why I still give this coffee shop an honorable mention. Personal top pick: Cappuccino
Exchange Alley has very few branches, and the only one I know is the one in Molito, Alabang.
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!
