Lumawag: Kape Diaries’ 2019 Favorite Coffee Shops

 (Photo by Reuel John F. Lumawag)
(Photo by Reuel John F. Lumawag)

IT WAS not easy to choose my favorite coffee shops of 2019. I was deciding whether to come up with standard criteria or simply go with my gut.

After thinking about it, I eventually decided to just go with my gut. To simply put it, I love the coffee shops below because of the coffee, food, ambiance, and experience I get every time I visit.

Here are my favorite coffee shops in 2019:

Mugshots Wine and Coffee

Of my top three coffee shops, this is the one that I frequented the most because it is just a couple of blocks away from where I live.

I love how the coffee shop has grown since it opened in 2017. From being just a regular coffee shop, it has carved a special niche in the coffee scene in Davao City. In the last three years, it has developed a following from the young professionals and coffee lovers in Davao City.

It is amusing to know that every time I enter the coffee shop, I will know a couple of the customers after being introduced to them in one of my visits. Beauford Ma, the coffee shop’s owner, would introduce his customers to one another.

The coffee is great here with a constant supply of good coffee beans and Beauford experimenting with some of the beans he got. The variety of beans allows you to experience a different kind of coffee every time you come here for a cup of manually brewed coffee. Aside from the manually brewed coffee, I also like the Americano and Latte here.

While the menu for food is limited, the food here tastes great. My personal favorites are their Adobo pasta and Bacon Arrabbiata. They do not always make their desserts but they have Ana Banana’s banana bread on display. If you have not tried the banana loaves of Ana Banana, you are missing out. These loaves are delicious. Recently, they have been serving Lemon Olive Cake, which is very delicious.

Mugshots is located at the corner Tionko Ave. and Araullo St.

Purge Coffee Roasters

Despite how far the coffee shop is from my place, I would find ways to have coffee here. When I am within the Matina area and have time, I come here.

Since they opened in 2018, Purge Coffee Roasters has been consistently serving a wonderful cup of coffee. Though it had some hiccups in some aspects at the start of its operations, it has grown a lot. The food also has improved since my last visit.

What truly makes Purge Coffee Roasters special is the coffee experience. Every time I come here there is something new that I learn about coffee, whether it is from Joefel, who is the owner, or from his baristas whom he passed the knowledge to.

Speaking of the coffee, this one of the few places in Davao City where you can get a great cup of coffee. I just love the options of beans you get here — local and foreign. You get a different experience for each bean you choose. They also serve my favorite cold brew in the city.

Purge Coffee Roasters is located along Tulip Drive in Juna Subdivision.

Spark Coffee + Crafts

I love this place. Ever since it opened, it has carved a special place in my heart. It is always a joy to have a meal here or a cup of coffee.

It is so nice to see them grow out from the small location they have at Paseo Uno in Marfori St. to a much bigger space at the front of the same building.

The coffee here is pretty good. I love their Americano and Cappuccino. There are times I would drop by here just to order an Iced Americano.

Where Spark Coffee + Crafts shine is their food. Since they opened around two years ago, the food here has been consistently good. Some may have been phased out and others have been added but the quality and taste of it have always been great. The Spark Sandwich, Lasagna, Monte Cristo, and the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Waffles are their classic dishes that I have loved since the beginning. The Beef Salpicao and Cordon Bleu are some of the latest additions that I love.

While I may not have visited them as frequently as I wanted to in 2019, I was able to take advantage of StreetBy to order my favorites here.

Spark Coffee + Crafts is located at Paseo Uno building along Ruby St., Marfori, Davao City.

4th Street Cafe

Another stand out from 2019 is 4th Street Cafe, which has grown since it opened in 2018 — from a small coffee shop along Guerero St. to a bigger location along Juan Luna St. I was happy when they transferred to their new location because it is much nearer to my work place. Grabbing a good cup of coffee is just a walk away now.

I love the new location; especially how well-lit it is during the day time. My favorite section of the cafe is their counter where you get to see them prepare a cup of manually brewed coffee.

I like their food here too. Their Hungarian Penne, Pork Steak, and Pan-seared Chicken are my favorites. Recently, they have been offering Wundercrumb’s chocolate chip cookies, which are good.

In terms of coffee, they serve a pretty good coffee. Similar to Mugshots and Purge, Fourth Street Cafe’s barista is very eager to explain to you the coffee that you are about to drink or the method that they will be using. This is my favorite aspect of some of the coffee shops on the list. You are not only enjoying a decent cup of coffee but also learning to appreciate it.

Fourth Street Cafe is located along Juan Luna Street near Ateneo de Davao University

That rounds up my top coffee shops of 2019. To put it in a nutshell, these coffee shops are at the top of my list because they excelled in the services, food, coffee, and experience they offer. Visiting any of the four is always a treat for me.

If you have been to any of these coffee shops, feel free to share your experience below at the comment section. If you have not, I encourage you guys to check them out.

Read more about my visits to coffee shops, restaurants, and other places on my blog, kapediaries.wordpress.com.

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