So damn fine

MANILA, Philippines - You can blame it on television. Sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother and Friends (screw you if you’ve never heard of them) have taught us the value of a regular coffee/cocktail place—the former had the pub McClaren’s and the latter enjoyed coffee and banter at Central Perk.

Refinery, the newest cafe/bar hybrid to take up space at Rockwell, might just be your next favorite drinking haunt. The atmosphere, first of all, is warm and cozy: rustic wood panels anchor the bar, which customers can appreciate with the natural light that comes in from the tall glass windows. According to the Refinery team, it not only encourages visitors to really sit and savor their beverages, but also to have great conversations over them too.

Of course, Refinery’s drinks are really what’ll pull you in for a visit. Intersecting the coffee counter, wine store, and neighborhood bar, it’s the perfect place to grab a cuppa before your 9-5 or a well-shaken cocktail to end a long day. The tiramisu beverage, for one, puts together Grand Marnier, whipped cream, and cacao powder for maximum yum. Served hot or iced, the Indian Assam tea is just the thing for Manila’s polarizing weather.

The food’s not bad either; we dare say it’s pretty freaking good. The shirred truffled eggs with toast and grilled cheese is a health warning on a platter, but each bite of gooey goodness might just be worth the hospital bill. Other dishes are good for sharing too, like the sirloin burger sliders and the generous New York prime grade steak and eggs.

But perhaps the best thing about Refinery is that the people who make your drinks will just be as comfortable to chat with you about anything at all. Well beyond the confines of TV, it’s a real place for people to come together and form bonds over shared interests. In a city that keeps getting bigger and bigger, it’s something worth having. When you visit Refinery, you come for the drinks, but stay for the company.

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Open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, Refinery can be found at Joya Lofts and Towers, Rockwell, Makati City.