Commune Café + Bar + Roaster

Commune is a café, bar and roaster in Poblacion, Makati, built around Philippine coffee. Its owner, Rosario Juan, has been involved in the country's coffee industry since 2003, and the café was set up to champion beans grown in the Philippines and to buy them directly from farmers. The café likes to point out that the country grows all four commercial coffee species: Arabica, Liberica, known locally as barako, Excelsa and Robusta.

The coffee menu reflects that focus. Earlier coverage noted beans from Benguet, Sagada and South Cotabato, a house Commune blend of Arabica and Robusta and a rotating choice of single origins, which can be brewed by French press, V60 or Chemex. If you have never tried barako, this is the place to do it, and the baristas can explain how each bean differs.

Food runs through the day. The menu covers salads and crostini, sandwiches, pasta, rice bowls and all-day breakfast, making it a dependable stop for a late breakfast or a casual lunch. In the evening the bar side takes over, which suits Poblacion, an area with many bars and restaurants within walking distance. The upstairs space, simply called UPSTAIRS, hosts parties, workshops and performances for 60 to 100 guests, and Commune also runs coffee classes under the name Coffee University.

The café opens from 8am daily and stays open later on Fridays and Saturdays, according to its website, so it works as a morning café and a late-evening meeting point. Mornings are the calmest time for working on a laptop or reading. Weekend evenings are livelier, particularly when events are on upstairs, so check its social channels if you want a quieter visit.

For a first visit, order the same bean two ways, for example as an espresso and through a pour-over, to see how the brewing method changes the flavour. If you plan to take beans home, ask the staff when they were roasted and how best to store them in a hot climate.

Commune sits on the corner of Polaris and Durban streets in Poblacion, a short taxi ride from the central Makati business district. Its own coffee truck, the Commute, also appears at events and pop-ups around the city. It suits coffee lovers curious about local beans, remote workers, and travellers who want a friendly base before a night out in Poblacion. Bags of Philippine beans make an easy, light gift to take home.