Coffee by the Mountains

The long lists of drinks in most cafés fool you into thinking that you’re in charge—that you have a choice. But very few would allow you to have a hand in what actually goes into your drink. Coffee, just the way you like it—this is what Monte Café promises.

Located a short distance from the Ynares Center and the Rizal Provincial Capitol, Monte Café is a worthy pit stop if you’re ever passing by Antipolo. The café gets its name from the Spanish word for mountain, embracing Antipolo’s terrain. The combination of brick walls, wood and glass that makes up the café’s interiors evokes a sense of relaxation. Owner Aleli Salac describes it thus: “My friend Mara Manalo designed it. We were going for a modern contemporary vibe that’s also rustic.”

As with any coffee shop, Monte Café has all the basics: espresso, americano, cappuccino and café latte. But to set themselves apart from the rest, they give you the option to customize coffee with add-ons like peppermint, brown sugar cinnamon or Irish cream. You can even choose to have it hot, iced or as a frappe. Baristas trained by the Philippine Barista and Coffee Academy will be there to guide you along the way or offer sound suggestions. They also offer their own signature drinks like Tuscan Afternoon Latte, which is a lovely combination of vanilla syrup, almond syrup, milk and espresso, or Charlie Brown Mocha, which features macadamia syrup, chocolate sauce, hazelnut syrup, milk and espresso. For non-coffee drinkers, Monte Café offers an assortment of teas, sodas and non- coffee concoctions like Boo Moo, which is milk and toasted marshmallows, an absolute hit with kids.

Lunch being their busiest hour, Monté Cafe has added simple meals to their menu. Start off with their warm and creamy Carrot Soup or their Oriental Salad, which has bits of tangy orange tossed in with the lettuce, carrots, crabstick, shrimp, sesame seeds and garlic mayo. For a heavier meal, the Seafood Marinara and the Crab and Tuna Sandwich are worth a try. If you’d just like something to pick at, the Chicken Buffalo Wings are a good choice.

Photography by Sam Lim