Look How Pretty This Soon-to-Open Café in Manila Is!

Modern-meets-old is perhaps the perfect way to describe the new Coffee Shop @ Bonifacio Shrine in Manila.

On a Facebook post dated 9 Aug 2020, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno showed some of the final touches added to the up-and-coming establishment near the Manila City Hall, which he said will open soon. “Malapit na po nating buksan. Abangan!” Moreno’s caption said, while highlighting the café’s lighting and air conditioning features.

Still missing a few equipment including chairs and tables, the café appears to have a spacious interior that’s furnished with brick walls, wall-to-ceiling glass windows, and intricate flooring. Outside, one will find a garden and a statue of Gregoria de Jesús, known as the Lakambini of the Katipunan and wife of Andrés Bonifacio.

Also read: The Most Instagram-Worthy Cafes in Metro Manila

Netizens also shared their thoughts on the Coffee Shop @ Bonifacio Shrine. “The place is an additional tourists’ attraction in the City of Manila. The City is in the course of upward trend fashion to keep [it] more attractive and progressing,” one user said.  Another called it “a place where you can relax and have a cup of coffee while watching the view of the dancing fountain.”

Others also commented what they soon hope to order in the said establishment to make it more localised. “Kapeng barako ang gamitin, ‘yung galing Batangas, Cavite, Davao, Mountain Province,” a certain Nina Garcia said. By serving an only-Pinoy menu, which should also have Filipino pastry, the café can help “support our farmers and our food industry,” another user said.

It is unclear exactly when the Coffee Shop @ Bonifacio Shrine will start operations given ongoing quarantine protocols. But looking at the reception of Filipinos coffee and café lovers online, it’s safe to say that it will be off to a good start when it finally does (while strictly observing health policies, we hope).

Featured image credit: Isko Moreno Domagoso | Official Facebook