Kapetolyo by SGD Coffee — Restaurant in Manila

This is the first time I tried this with my family and I got disappointed. I heard of this shop because of the former Mayor of Manila and they boast that they have the best foods that you will enjoy when you're in town, for starters I knew that it will be more expensive than the regular food/coffee shops but i never expected that THEY really are expensive(you'll understand why I said this) and don't deserve it. First, I ordered their Carbonara (ala carte) because I'm a fan of Carbonara, I also ordered chicken pesto for my wife and a SGD french toast that looked more like a croissant, and 3 lemonade. The pesto and the toast arrived first so my wife and kid ate first, my wife suddenly asked me to taste the food so I tried it, The pesto was super salty and the toast tasted like old bread that was so hard to chew, take note, we still have no drinks at that moment. Then my wife just continued eating it since it is very expensive for a small portion of salty Pesto and chewy as leather toast, then their lemonade arrives still missing one, she immediately took a sip and let my kid sip as well, but to her dismay, she told me it was bland, it's like she's drinking just a water infused with lemon and not an actual lemonade. After a while, my carbonara finally arrived with the last lemonade, When I finally tried my food, I was soo Pissed, imagine you're eating Carbonara that tastes like Fruit Salad instead of the Authentic Carbonara taste. The pasta was chewy, not aldente, I know for a fact that they did not use egg, Parmigiano Reggiano and pasta water which are the basic ingredients for making the cream of Carbonara, instead I knew they used a Sweetened Cream usually used for Fruit Salad. I expected for the food to be excellent because of the price but ended up disappointed to the point that i swore in my life that i will never ever go back to this place again, even if someone will treat me to eat there, I will still say Hell no!! I suggest if you want to eat good food that is way cheaper than them, go to SM Manila which is close to their location, there you can find a variety of food/coffee shops that are way better and...

Not worth the hype. The interior design is really good, BUT...I won't call it a café. Yes, it's good that they offer local coffee, but they only offer "whichever is on hand that day" as the staff said. When I went there, they only had ONE out of five or six varieties listed... literally no other option available. And I only got to know this once it was my turn at the counter, after several minutes of lining up. The staff had to explain this to every single person who came before me in the line! So if you're thinking of visiting Kapetolyo to try out a certain variety from what you've seen of their menu online, let me warn you that there is no assurance that it will be available. Kapetolyo should at least have a poster on their door informing people what kind of coffee is available that day.

Also, a hundred pesos is too expensive for what you get. There's only one serving size, and coffee is only served black (you can ask for creamer and sugar, but besides that, no other coffee drink available). They could've at least made up for it by upping the presentation, but the drink is served in a plain white paper cup with a brown cup sleeve. It feels like I could have just bought from local sources and brewed them myself. The pastries are average, not that much of a variety, but still more options than their coffee (again, this is supposed...

A refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Manila. Along with the park as its backdrop, its ambiance would totally give you that cozy vibe. They even have this loft that you can reserve for private meetings.

Flavor-wise, they prefer their coffees strong. Even supposedly the most subtle Flat White that they serve still has that strong coffee sting.

They have a good selection of pastries to complement their caffeine offerings. Some have interesting twists such as the Bibingka Cheese Cake. Unfortunately, some of their pastries are considered hit-and-miss.

They also serve some savory treats with a touch of coffee in it as well. You might like to give these a try.

The coffee crew is very friendly and accommodating. But just take note that they are under the CLEAN AS YOU GO setup. So, as much as they are hospitable, it's best that you clean your mess after eating.

Is it affordable? A small cup of coffee is equivalent to a tall glass of milk tea with extra toppings and salty cream in a well-known milk tea joint.

So if you like to visit a unique oasis that serves strong coffee and interesting treats plus supports local coffee growers, this is the...