Like coats and a tie, coffee and a good book go hand in hand. Sometimes you just need a soothing cup of joe to keep you company as you turn the pages and engross yourself in a compelling story—a premise The Library Café by Gourmet Farms happily fulfills now that the Laureate Library of the Ramon Magsaysay Center has opened to the public.
Operated by the folks behind Silang's Gourmet Farms, the Library Café opened in 2022, but occupied just one side of the historic Ramon Magsaysay Center that overlooked—yet didn't cross over—the actual library area with books and archives. And yup, you can order from their menu and dine there while you read.
You can opt to sit at the communal table at the center, though there are also individual armchairs by the shelves where you can hang out with minimal human interaction needed. It being a library, staying quiet is pretty much mandatory—consider them an oasis for the introverted and/or solitude-inclined. Need to work, or just prefer to browse the interwebs in a low-key space? They've also got wi-fi connection in the area; just be sure to keep your gadgets on silent mode, or to plug in your earphones or headphones.
The café's menu is compact yet ample, covering mostly coffee drinks (as you'd expect) as well as a number of light bites. You can't go wrong with their espresso-based drinks, which includes the likes of the Long Black (P125) and Spanish Latte (P175) both available hot and cold, and a classic Cortado (P145). They also serve pour overs of beans from Guji Ethiopia (P240), Huila Colombia (P230), Mt. Apo (P230), and so on; for the non-caffeine inclined, Gourmet Farms Herbal Tea is also available.
Fill up while you're at it with savory dishes like the Cobb Salad (P240), Blueberry Chicken Panini (P350), and rosemary-infused 101 Adobo (P235) complete with rice. It should go without saying, though, that you'll want to be (extra) mindful of keeping tidy and not dirtying any of their books and facilities.
The Laureate Library is a part of the The Magsaysay Laureate Library and Museum. It houses reference materials on the Magsaysay Laureates—i.e., awardees of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards honoring the "greatness of spirit" of those who've demonstrated service towards others in Asia.
The Library Café by Gourmet Farms is at Ramon Magsaysay Center, Roxas Boulevard corner Quintos Street, Manila. For more information, check out The Library Café by Gourmet Farms' Facebook page.
This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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