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My sixth visit to Antipodean COFFEE + CAFE + CULTURE in Makati was extra special. One of the owners, Ms. Ina, cheerfully greeted me at the entrance, took my temperature, and hinted she knew my friend was waiting for me at the back area. She then guided me to where my friend was seated and talked a few good stuff before leaving us to order. (It’s my first time to meet one the cafe owners, by the way… and I felt she really wanted us to have an awesome time) If you are a big fan of coffee and cultural exchange, you’d enjoy this charming, specialty nook with “antipodean” style food menu, and unforgettable customer service experience!

Antipodean is founded by Alun Evans, a New Zealand expatriate in Jakarta, and his wife Arlini. The community cafe concept currently operates in three countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines—supporting local farmers and coffee growers.  

In the Philippines, the Antipodean Cafe is located at Legazpi Village, in Makati City and frequented both by expats and locals in and around the area. 

There are still not so many dining places open yet during this time, so I like that Antipodean is here for the neighborhood as a cosy communal space encouraging limited yet promising human connection, indoors or alfresco. 

Menu

Breakfast menu is being served at Antipodean all day. My favorite is Eggs Benedict with bacon paired with healthy mixed juice. I recommend you try it too or a heavier one: fluffy scrambled eggs, artisan toast, homemade baked beans, grilled tomato, and sausage. You can pick any dish from the menu—sandwich, pasta, pizza, salad—it’ll be tasty and filling because it is made with fresh ingredients and prepared by seasoned chefs. 

Just remember to make room for desserts. It’s comforting to munch on their oven-baked pastries while drinking coffee. 

My go-to coffee here is either hot Vietnamese coffee or iced Mochachino. 

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love the homemade Kiwi Pavlova (meringue) (Php 295) with fresh strawberry toppings and whipped cream or their best-selling cookies. Yesterday, I tried the Afghan. 

Since this is in the neighborhood where I stay most of the week, I find it convenient to go back every time I crave for coffee or comfort food. The price is reasonable and affordable—wouldn’t hurt for food discovery each time! 

Screenshots grabbed from Antipodean Online Menu

Though I have only had my daytime visits at Antipodean, I learned from some friends that it is also a nice place to hang out for a glass of wine. Convincingly, the cafe has a variety of wines that would go equally well with different Antipodean pasta and meat on the menu…

More photos I took from the cafe

Speaking of wines, my expat friend (who I consider a wine connoisseur) got a bottle of red wine here priced Php499, and she and her hubby liked it. I did too! I later checked the wine is ACANTUS TINTO made with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes. It’s much better than other wines from the supermarket of the same price or a few hundred pesos more expensive. There are other wines I’d love to try here: the Retsina Dry Greek White wine (Php499) and “FOSCO“ DIANO D’ALBA (Php1399)

Aside from wines, there are a bunch of grocery items you can get from Antipodean—from yogurt to chips, gourmet dips and sauces, smoked meat, cheese, hydroponic lettuce, pickles, dried figs, keto drinks to local honey, I know i haven’t mentioned all…

You can follow ANTIPODEAN Manila’s Facebook Page for a complete list and price of the deli menu.

If you opt to dine in, you can remove your masks and face shields and still be protected from the virus as the dining tables are separated by clear plastic shields and the place itself and the staff strictly follow health and safety measures i.e. disinfection, health declaration, and physical distancing (especially of the server to the customer).

There are a lot of cafes and coffee shops one can visit in the area, but Antipodean has a way of making guests remember them. Simple yet sweet gestures like a post it or a note in the takeaway brown bag or the dessert plate or a reminder where to put the mask so it wouldn’t bother the customer while dining… I also like the part when staff talks about their house special and recommends a dish or a pastry… Looking forward to hearing the baristas talk more about the coffee selections and keto drinks too! Because again, all these simple things add to the memorable dining experience!

Parting Words

Antipodean will always be my go-to cafe in Legazpi Village because of the food, ambiance, and the overall dining experience I get every time I visit. 

Check out Antipodean Cafe at GF, Paseo 111 Building Corner of Gil and Legazpi St, Legazpi Village, Makati City, Sun – Mon from 7am to 8pm.  You may contact them for info or delivery through mobile number 09157518980.

Have you been to this cafe? What do you think of the interiors? How about Antipodean food menu? Would you like to visit this cafe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.