MANILA, Philippines – El Union Coffee, from the surf town of San Juan, La Union, has been named one of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops at Coffee Fest Madrid 2025, along with three other local names — Yardstick Coffee, Single Origin, and Crema & Cream.
IFEMA Madrid announced the list announced on February 18 (Philippine time). IFEMA Madrid is a new award-giving body that aims to recognize the best specialty coffee shops in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas.
In 61st place, El Union Coffee is a coffee shop founded in October 2013 by Kiddo and Amy Cosi in San Juan, La Union, over 200 kilometers north of Metro Manila. The café is known for its Classic Grilled Cheese, signature Horchata, and caffeinated Dirty Horchata, among many other staples.
Beyond its flagship location, El Union operates a roastery of premium coffee from northern Philippine producers, focusing on the Cordillera and Ilocos regions. In 2021, they introduced the Bagulin Forest Robusta, a single-origin canephora from the nearby town of Bagulin. The following year saw the launch of TruNorte, an espresso blend exclusively featuring beans from Benguet and Ilocos Sur.
In early 2024, the brand opened a new concept called Del Union, a coffee and sandwich café in Fully Booked, Bonifacio Global City; El Union Baguio; and Unyon Farms, an agroforestry initiative dedicated to cultivating climate-resilient Philippine specialty coffee.
In 18th place is Yardstick Coffee, founded in 2013 and located in Makati City. Also considered a pioneer in Manila’s third-wave coffee culture, the coffee shop is known for its minimalist design and diverse range of single-origin coffees and espresso blends. The café also serves as a training and workshop space for baristas and coffee enthusiasts.
In 83rd place is Single Origin, with branches in MOA Square, Rockwell, Vertis North, OPUS Mall, Molito, and BGC. It offers different coffee brewing methods using international beans, as well as an all-day dining menu of comfort food classics, mocktails, cocktails, and desserts.
In 86th place is Crema & Cream Coffee Roasters, based in Muntinlupa City. It is known for its artisanal approach to coffee roasting , sourcing high-quality beans from around the world and roasting them in-house.
The top coffee shop for 2025 is Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters in Sydney, Australia. Toby’s Estate also operates branches in the Philippines.
The winning list was curated by an international jury of over 200 coffee experts and industry professionals who assessed hundreds of nominees based on Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) criteria. Nominated shops were evaluated on the quality of their coffee, service expertise, innovations, consistency, and sustainability practices. The final selection also incorporated a public vote. – Rappler.com