After devouring generous servings of Cordilleran cuisine at the Farmer’s Daughter, Missy and I were craving a coffee fix. “Plus, I needed to join our Christmas party for an hour via Zoom,” Missy told me. I figured the outdoor setting of this café I first saw on Instagram would be an ideal place to sit, sip, and chill—and in Missy’s case, to “Zoom.”
Hot Coffee, Cool Vibe and Best Views at Farm to Cup DIY Brew Bar | Benguet
It turned out as I kept an eye on our taxi’s meter, the location of Farm to Cup DIY Brew Bar was already outside of Baguio City and was near the vicinity of the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet. I was like, “I wish we’d settled for a quiet café within the city.”
A Highland Escape
Upon arriving, however, I immediately fancied the outdoor atmosphere since the café appeared as nice as the pictures I saw online. Located inside Philippine Nazarene College, Farm to Cup DIY Brew Bar was set up beside an American-style bungalow behind a pop-up bar. Around a dozen tables and chairs were laid out on the spacious ground underneath towering pine trees overlooking a vast part of the city.
At that time, there was a coffee brewing session being held near the coffee bar attended by a handful of people. The barista was teaching the basics of grinding a fresh coffee bean and how to properly brew it. I wasn't a coffee expert, but I was familiar with that drill already, so I went straight to order a café latte and a pancake.
I didn’t fancy the pancake that came with a watery red sauce, but the café latte was okay—I regretted not ordering a brewed coffee (I heard they served it really good there and weeks later, fellow travel blogger Melo of Out of Town Blog told me the BBQs were also good).
Charming Mountain Ambiance
The biggest thing I dug about this outdoor café was its ambiance. It felt as if you just stepped out of your mountain home and sat down for a nice cup of coffee, plus you also got this wonderful view of the city—in a chilly environment surrounded by tall pine trees.
What was not to like? In a city (Baguio) where coffee drinking was almost a religion and where countless cafés had their own Instagrammable appeal, Farm to Cup DIY Brew Bar more than held its own, no thanks to their pancake, but for their coffee advocacy, good coffee, BBQs, and charming alfresco dining.
