Coffee Shop Review: 8065 Coffee Manila, Philippines

Inconspicuous is the word. If you walk with eyes kept on the ground you would definitely miss it. Sure there is a big sign on the building but it’s on the second floor’s window. To see the coffee shop you need to get inside the building. Maybe it’s bad location or poor advertising, but to me the air of mystery adds to its charm. In my case, it heightened my curiosity, made me wonder what could be hiding inside that building. Last week I finally had the time to check it out and I gotta say I liked what I saw. Ladies and gents, I just found a new coffee shop to frequent and it happened to be in the same neighborhood where I live, the 8065 Coffee.

Just as I suspected, 8065 Coffee is owned by the same person(s) behind 8065 Bagnet. It is manned by two baristas, a guy (didn’t get his name) and this woman who was very nice and warm named Shayne.

When I went there I was literally the only customer around so I had no trouble taking pictures. I didn’t have much expectations as to the place’s interior so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it looks decent. Just like in 8065 Bagnet, they got creative when it comes to their displays; art drawings hanging on the walls, toys, mostly action figures exhibited on the right wall, books, and there’s even a guitar. According to Shayne, customers are free to use the guitar, toys, and books during their stay. Now ain’t that sweet?!

The cafe had a soft opening last December 2012, fairly new so they are still working on some kinks.The free WiFi is yet to be installed and the menu is yet to be improved. As of press time, the only food you can order are brownies, cake, sandwich, and pasta. Shayne said that soon, they will also serve food from 8065 Bagnet, which I think is a great idea.

As of press time, I’d been to the place twice. I was on a solo mission the first time and here’s what I ordered: Ham Panini (PHP 120) and Cafe Latte (PHP 60). The salad was a bit bland (it means it didn’t have a dressing), which makes me wonder if it was just there for display purposes. Anyhoo, I still think it was a good touch, as you can see in the picture below, it added drama to the presentation. The sandwich was a bit oily, nevertheless it tasted good.

For something that doesn’t cost a hundred bucks, the Cafe Latte was really good.

During my stay, I was able to meet Lala Nadal, sister of Alain Nadal, the owner of 8065 Bagnet and 8065 Coffee. We had a small talk and somewhere in our conversation I mentioned to her that she resembled Filipino singer, Kitchie Nadal. That’s when I confirmed my hunch that they are sisters. She said that they are planning to have an acoustic night every Friday where everyone is free to jam. Now that’s another swell idea, maybe I’d get to see Kitchie perform one of these days if this pushes through.

Before I left, I told Shayne that I’d definitely come back with some friends. It’d be a shame if this cafe doesn’t get discovered, I really think it’s a cool place to hang out. So when I went back I was armed with company, my officemates, Alchris, Joanne, and Martha. Here, we had a picture with this big blue stuffed toy named, Eighty. Yes, that’s how it’s named, after the name of the coffee shop.

Joanne had Cappuccino (PHP 60) but it looked just like the cafe latte that I ordered last time so I didn’t bother taking a picture. Alchris had Iced Chocolate (PHP 80), which I wasn’t able to try.

Martha and I ordered the same kind of drink, Iced Mocha (PHP 110). Though it wasn’t able to surpass the ones you could get from more popular coffee shops, I must say that it still passed to my liking. And hey, it was only 110 pesos, in a grande sized cup, so not bad at all.

With a little coaxing, I was able to share this Pesto Pasta (PHP 120) with Martha. It’s the only pesto pasta I’ve seen with cheese so it was like a cross between pesto and baked macaroni. I’ve had better pesto pasta but since I love cheese, this version still won my approval.

And the best thing we’ve ever had in the place (it was a unanimous decision), this sinfully good Chocolate Campfire Cake that only cost us 95 bucks. It’s bittersweet, has a generous amount of icing, and the cake has chocolate chips. If you ever get to try this cafe, you shouldn’t pass up the chance to try this cake. I swear to you, you will love it.

And you my dear readers, I encourage you to come check out the place yourselves. It’s not crowded, the place is quiet, it is manned by accommodating staff, and the prices of food and drinks are cheap (they taste good too), so what’s not to love?

 

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8065 Coffee
2/F Veca BLDG. Estrella St.
Corner Chino Roces Ave.
San Antonio Village, Makati
Business Hours: Monday – Saturday 11AM – 12AM

 

Update: 8065 Coffee can now be found along St. Paul St., San Antonio Village, Makati.