Antipolo has its fair share of restaurants and cafes that offer stunning views overlooking the city. Kaulayaw Café is one of the newest dining destinations along the Antipolo ridge, specializing in locally sourced coffee. Because of the ongoing pandemic, open-air dining destinations with nature views are much more preferable for dining out rather than enclosed indoor restaurants in malls.
The term Kaulayaw translates to “close companion” and this café offers a chill spot for coffee or local craft beer during road trips. From the restaurant’s airy third floor open-air dining area, guests can soak in the sprawling views of Rizal’s sea of green and Metro Manila’s skyline.
Kaulayaw Café is located along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City right next to major coffee chain Starbucks The Ridge, which has yet to open to the public. I kind of dread the opening of this branch as it will no doubt cause traffic in the area.
The homegrown cafe is managed by a small business that aims to support local entrepreneurs and local farmers. The place has well designed interiors reminiscent of the kind of restos you usually find in Baguio or Tagaytay.
You can pair the great view with a cup of their ethically sourced and locally grown coffee. The cafe serves coffee made with local coffee beans like Sagada, Benguet, and their own blend called Kaulayaw. The shop also sells coffee pouches and other coffee accessories for takeout.
For those dining in, the cafe’s menu consists of a mainly morning specials (suman, cheese rolls, ensaymada), toasts, pancakes, sandwiches, rice bowls and pasta ideal for breakfast, brunch or light snacks in the mornings to early afternoons.
They serve some international dishes not usually found in the usual Pinoy breakfast joints, like Kaya Toast and soft boiled egg (P159), Toast with Herb Avocado topped with Egg, Dill and Tomatoes (P289), Roti Pancake with Banana (P159), Okonomiyaki (P189) and Salmon Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce (P249).
Main entrees include Chicken Satay with Fried Egg and Peanut Sauce (P248), Barbeque Pork ribs with Fried Egg (P348), Pan Seared Wagyu Cubes (P358), Buttered Garlic Salmon Steak (P498) and Butter Aged Ribeye Steak (P698).
The menu is still pretty limited and many of the non-pork items were sold out or out of stock at the time of our visit, but the chicken satay dish was pretty good and the vibe of the place was nice. It seems like the restaurant is gaining popularity despite the pandemic, as everyone is looking for new places to visit near the city just to get out of the house.
Before our visit to the cafe, I thought the establishment only served coffee, so I was pleased to see that they had a few local craft beers on their menu including Nipa Brew, Crazy Carabao and Alcalde Brewery (est. 2020), a small batch brewery from Cainta on their menu. The craft beers are reasonably priced at P148 to P178 per bottle, which is fair compared to more touristy areas in Manila and Makati that usually mark up prices to at least P250 per serving.
The beers are best paired with appetizers like Parmesan Fries, nachos, sisig, buffalo chicken wings, and more, though these dishes are are not available until after 6 pm. We visited on after lunch on a Saturday and didn’t have to wait to get a table, but by the time we left, there were groups (mostly couples) already waiting in the waiting area.
Aside from craft beer, Kaulayaw Cafe also serves Kombucha (P179 per bottle), Tequila, Italian Wines, and Whiskey, which would go great for sunset and evening visits. The refreshing views overlooking the Metro Manila skyline makes it a great spot for sunset watching if you go around late afternoon onwards or a nightcap to enjoy the breeze and city lights for post-dinner drinks.
Because of COVID restrictions, guests are asked to observe social distancing while dining. Temperature checks and contact tracing forms are in place upon entry. They allow walk-in guests, but you may have to wait a bit to be seated especially during peak dining hours and weekends.
Signs around the restaurant point out that “transferring of tables while dining is not allowed” but I noticed several diners who immediately transferred to the tables next to the balcony once other guests left because those get the best views, even if the servers hadn’t sanitized the tables yet.
For those dining in, parking is a bit limited and tight, especially for cars. I’d recommend visiting on weekdays in the morning to have the best balcony tables because the place is getting very popular during weekends.
Location and address
Kaulayaw Café. 23 Sumulong Highway, Sta. Cruz, Antipolo, Rizal. Business hours. Tuesday to Friday: 2 PM to 9 PM; Saturday & Sunday: 6 AM to 9 PM
Thanks for featuring Antipolo.
Can’t wait to go home and visit all the places you’ve been featuring in Antipolo. Miss my hometown. More power to you.
Hi Chelet. You’re welcome! Your hometown is full of hidden gems 🙂