Hello Hive!
As I sip my morning coffee, I am writing this post about a coffee shop in the tourist spot of Panagsama in Moalboal, Philippines. It had already made an appearance on the Hive as a setting in a few Rocket Fuel Coffee Morning Ramble Posts by
Smooth Cafe is a coffee shop based in the diving town of Moalboal. Their company mission is:
"To Smooth out your day with freshly roasted coffee, great quality food, delicious cakes, and refreshing drinks." - Smooth Cafe Moalboal
Throughout the years of visiting Panagsama even before we moved to Moalboal, I have witnessed how this cafe transformed into what it is today and how they continuously strive to improve.
They have smartly renovated their coffee shop a few months ago during the low season that was caused by the pandemic. They demolished the wall that was once blocking the view of their wide-open garden terrace, bar, and hostel reception.
Before its construction, this was how it looked circa 2018:
This was the wall that blocked the view before the renovation at that time.
This new facelift, in my opinion, is a brilliant move. It allowed the shop to increase its counter size and workstation, thus maximizing the space for more chairs and tables. It became even more inviting to any passerby and more efficient for staff to seamlessly manage and oversee the cafe.
Newly Renovated Space
Enough about design talk, so what's so special about Smooth Cafe?
Their coffee is one of the best in Panagsama.
They are made from the finest locally sourced coffee beans, mostly from the Cordillera Mountains, north of the Philippines. I frequently order their Hot Americano (Php 120) as well as the iced version. They have an espresso (Php 70), Doppio -their double espresso (Php120)
Hot Americano
Their Cold Brew is interesting and something I'd like to try during my next visit, coffee brewed for 12 hours at 28 degrees Celsius. Below is an iced americano which comes with a brownie
Iced Americano
They have an extensive Coffee Menu with Cafe Latte, Espresso Macchiato, Flat White, Moccachino to name a few.
It's a walking distance from Panagsama Beach and the dive center.
On the day I took this photo, I just completed my Nitrox training at Cebu Dive Centre. was underwater with his scuba dive training at the time. I needed a quick coffee fix.
Locally Made Products and with locally sourced ingredients
The CacaoLab Bean to Bar Dark Chocolate are made here in Moalboal, Cebu from premium cacao beans on the island. The jars shown below are peanut butter spread, cashew butter, and the one on top is Cacao and Hazelnut Spread.
The cafe strives to empower the community by supporting local artists, farmers, and local businesses.
Delicious Pastries
Red Velvet Cheesecake Muffin
Cameron, being a fan of their regular cheesecake muffins, asked me for a favor that day to purchase them for him but they immediately ran out of stock. Apparently, it's quite popular.
They Serve Vegan Dishes
I celebrated my birthday here last year before the renovation and was able to try their Vegan Adobo Burger.
Great Branding and Merchandise
Locally made products are available for purchase including their own almond milk and macadamia milk.
Craft Beers and Homemade Kombucha, anyone?
There's more to them than coffee. Their coffee shop bar and restaurant remain open to serve craft beers and other cocktails until 11 PM.
It has been raining incessantly the last few days so a coffee afternoon there sounds like a great idea.
This is my first post in the new Cinnamon Cup Coffee Community. Please join and subscribe if you haven't yet.
Thank you for reading if you've reached this far. This post was not sponsored by the featured company in any way. What I have written is all based on my own personal experience and research.
"I want to create spaces that tastefully marry function and aesthetics. I want to immerse myself in beauty not only by tangible objects but also by the unseen." -
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, anything French, International Cuisine, and Architecture + Interior Design. Co-founder of Architecture + Design Community. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.