Finding the best coffee shop in Manila is as easy as going around the UST compound. It has evolved into a community in itself. Several establishments sprouted from Espana Ave to Dapitan St and adjacent streets servicing mostly students and young urban professionals. Some establishments go as far as Sampaloc just to capture a chunk of the U-belt crowd. No wonder iChill Theater Cafe captured a sizeable amount of the market.

Welcome to iChill Theater Cafe! Possibly the best coffee shop in Manila this side of Sampaloc. This coffee shop may be familiar to you as it was already featured on mainstream media before. It earned the media mileage it deserved on ANC and on GMA News TV.

What made this the best coffee shop in Manila this side of Sampaloc? Coffee shops today are not just about coffee anymore. Of course, coffee is still the main attraction. That aspect will be explained at length on the latter part of this article. Because people would like to enjoy the coffee where they bought it once in a while. It would help that you give customers a reason to stay in your place after purchasing their tall drink. It helps when there is a relaxing place for a person to hang out.

Brick walls, lightweight chairs and a wall of posters that reflected the kind of coffee shop iChill Theater Cafe is. The best coffee shop in Manila this side of Sampaloc reflected the efforts exerted in making this establishment unique from the rest of the coffee shops found in U-belt. Most coffee shops would take the snazzy, cozy route focusing on comfy furniture to go with the food and drinks. This coffee shop went the extra mile in addressing a niche whose casual fan base is growing. These are the fans of musical theater. While musical theater productions have come and go in the Philippines long before iChill Theater Cafe came along. iChill Theater Cafe came along at the time when even touring productions from Australia have included the Philippines in their itinerary.

The walls are surrounded with posters from musical productions that its owner, Kuya Manzano, has once participated. Also, he’s a Broadway nerd. iChill Theater Cafe served as a haven of his collection of musicals. So in case you noticed, some posters are in Spanish. It made it the best coffee shop in Manila that caters to the theater niche.

How about the food? Most items found in the menu are best eaten while studying or just hanging around with friends. This is the U-belt area. Students would hang out in a coffee shop in droves either for fun or to study together. The coffee served in iChill Theater Cafe is best enjoyed with food. Some students would go straight to the food. Nibblers like microwaveable popcorn and nachos with chili con carne occasionally get bought on their own. Let us face it. Most students would go where there is good food to go with the hearty banter in the best coffee shop this side of Sampaloc. If they stay longer, they end up ordering more. And soon, they think of purchasing the frappe.

And this takes us on the coffee served. Coffee served here is brewed. You get to see the kitchen itself prepare the freshly brewed coffee for you. With the weather getting even more unstable, you end up thinking which coffee variants to buy at the counter. Nevertheless, hot and cold drinks are available for you to enjoy. Go safe with the frappes. You’d realize how the options increase just by switching to a non-coffee frappe.

Coffee-based drinks and milk-based drinks are ready to purchase at your discretion. Great coffee drinks compliment the memorable ambiance. Overall, it makes an amazing casual dining experience in the best coffee shop in Manila this side of Sampaloc.

And iChill Theater Cafe is one of the easiest to find. It all starts with knowing where UST Hospital is located. Across the street is McDo Lacson Ave. Just right behind that establishment, a few blocks further. You would find the best coffee shop this side of Sampaloc. For more detailed instructions, call 521-0056. Special deals, promos and announcements are regularly posted on their social media accounts. Like their official Facebook page, iChill Theater Cafe. And follow them on Twitter @iChillTheater. May the coffee be with you.