About
A lot with a
view of the hills
Lawagon Coffee Shop is an open-air garden café. Brick paths, string lights and a lawn that looks out to the hills — with espresso, frappes and warm toast served from the hut at the end of the path.
How it got here
Built in the
order it was
needed
Nothing about this place was master-planned. Each part went in because the part before it made it obvious.
First
It was just the lot
Grass, a slope, some fruit trees, and a view west that nobody was using. The kind of land that sits empty because it is not flat enough to build on properly.
Then
Somebody laid a path
Brick, by hand, curving because a straight line would have meant cutting a tree. That path decided where everything else went.
Then
A hut, and one machine
Corrugated sheet and salvaged timber at the top of the path. One espresso machine, one grinder, and a hand-written board. That has not changed much.
Then
A roof for the wet months
The A-frame went up so people had somewhere to sit through a shower. It turned out to be the seat everybody wanted even when it was dry.
And then
Someone strung the lights
Four runs of bulbs between the trees, switched on at six. That was the evening the place stopped being a coffee stand and started being somewhere you stay.
What we are for
Somewhere to stop
Most days do not have a gap in them. This is a lot with chairs on it where an hour can go missing and nothing bad happens. If you leave having done nothing at all, that was the service working.
What we will not do
Turn the tables
No minimum spend, no time limit, no music loud enough to move you along. We would rather serve fewer people properly than more people quickly.
The grounds
Made of what
was already here
Almost nothing on this lot arrived on a truck. It reads as rustic because it is, not because somebody specified it that way.
- Brick, laid by hand
- The paths are herringbone, set on sand. They move a little in the wet season and get put back.
- Bamboo rails
- Cut from the stand at the back of the lot. They mark the edges of the lawn and get replaced as they go.
- Salvaged hardwood
- The tables are offcuts and a root that was already here. Nothing was bought as a matched set.
- Corrugated sheet
- The hut is the same material as every provincial store, because it works and it cost nothing.
- Canvas and shade cloth
- Umbrellas at the edges, cloth over the west side. Both come down when the wind gets up.
- Four runs of bulbs
- Warm filament, on a timer that we keep forgetting to adjust for the season.
Who you will meet
Four jobs,
fewer people
On a quiet Tuesday all of this is two people. Which is why the coffee takes a minute, and why somebody always has time to answer you properly.
Whoever is at the window
Takes the order, knows what the pour over is today, and can tell you which cake actually came out well this morning.
Whoever is on the machine
Pulls every shot and steams every jug of milk one drink at a time. Draws the leaf on the mocha, with varying success.
Whoever is in the kitchen
Toast, sandwiches, and the trays of cake that go in before opening. Runs out of things on purpose rather than baking more than a day needs.
Whoever cut the flowers
Somebody dries a bundle every few weeks so there is always a sprig for the paper strip. It is not on anyone’s job description.
Beyond a table for two
Things you can ask us for
Groups
- Tables pushed together on the lawn
- The A-frame held for you
- Message a day ahead
- No minimum spend
Private evenings
- The whole garden, after hours
- Birthdays, despedidas, small weddings
- Your own playlist
- Bring a cake, no corkage
Orders to take away
- Boxes of drinks for an office
- Trays of toast and cake
- Beans by the bag, ground to order
- Two days’ notice for anything large
Say hello
Anything else you want to know?
You do not need to book a table for two — just come. This is for the bigger things: a group, an evening in the A-frame, an order for a party, or something you think we should know.
0900 000 0000 Messenger — answered fastest Lawagon Coffee ShopBarangay & municipalityPhilippines
Good to know
- Wi-Fi
- Yes, ask at the counter
- Big groups
- Message a day ahead
- Lights on
- Around 6:00 PM
- Kids & dogs
- Both welcome on the lawn
- Last order
- 8:00 PM, every day
- Outdoors
- Every table. Bring a jacket