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The Giving Cafe

Jeeves De Veyra

There are “Instagram-worthy cafés,” there are cafés that serve exceptional specialty coffee—and then there are the rare few that are the intersection of both. A café where you could spend the whole day finding corners for selfies while sipping fantastic coffee.The most recent branch of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tgcsocialentrep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Giving Café on Mabini</a>, a burgeoning foodie street in San Juan, is more than just a pretty space—it’s a place with purpose.For those who’ve been to The Giving Café’s first branch on Sheridan Street, this place will feel familiar. Both are inspired by the same person. In fact, the original branch could pass as one of the many rooms in the Mabini location—filled with knickknacks, objets d’art, and books arranged here and there.But the Mabini branch has something special that might even make other cafés, including the original, a little envious.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751168682671JUAN BAUTISTA LEE.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Juan Bautista Lee, the family’s guiding patriarch and inspiration | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>This new space honors the late Juan Bautista Lee, the family patriarch whose philanthropy continues to inspire the clan. The café is built around the house where Lee spent his later years. All throughout the converted ancestral home, visitors will find mementos and photographs that tell the family’s story.And yes, there’s parking—lots of it.Each space invites guests to stay awhile: to get lost in the Lee family history, find a corner to work, study, or read, sip through one’s daily caffeine allowance, and explore the rather extensive menu.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751168844454COFFEE - Barista.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The coffee bar, where every cup starts | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>The scent of fresh coffee and espresso greets guests as they step into the expansive central dining area. The space has multiple personalities—one corner features a billiard table and superhero action figures (where bottles of beer wouldn’t feel out of place), while another is perfect for an intimate wine night with friends.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751168872032ROOM - Vinyls Audio Rom.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>A cozy vinyl lounge made for jazz, records, and quiet escapes | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Across from this area is a dimly lit audiophile lounge, complete with a turntable, speakers, and a curated jazz vinyl collection. It’s the kind of place vinyl lovers would want to bring their records for a listening party.Upstairs and downstairs, various rooms have been repurposed into private dining spaces. Angkong’s Room on the upper floor can accommodate large lunches or dinners.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751168952033ROOM - Baby Shower.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>From private room to pretty, pink-hued baby shower venue | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Smaller rooms are suited for more intimate functions like baby showers or a Tita’s invite-only afternoon tea.<div> <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169057233ROOM - Book Nook 3.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>A quiet basement nook for work, study, games, or focus | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>At the center of the basement is a study room with plenty of outlets, ideal for people who want a productive space to work, study, read, or get lost in a video game (with headphones, of course). Uncle’s Room in the basement has a more serious tone—perfect for meetings or remote boardrooms.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169066215ROOM - Coffee Lab.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The coffee lab where baristas train and flavor comes to life | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Out back is the coffee lab, where the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeExcellencePH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Institute of Coffee Excellence</a>—The Giving Café’s training arm—conducts coffee and wine courses. They host special events here too, such as the Philippine Scentone Aromaster Competition held last December.<h2>What Sets This Café’s Coffee Apart</h2>At the heart of The Giving Café is, of course, the coffee.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169096255MICHAEL HARRIS CONLIN 01.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Michael Harris Conlin leads efforts to elevate coffee and support farmers | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Michael Harris Conlin, CEO of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/henryandsonsph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Henry &amp; Sons</a>, knows his way around an espresso machine. He was the first Filipino to reach the semi-finals at the <a href="https://wcc.coffee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Barista Championships </a>in 2019.So, what—or who—is The Giving Café giving to? Its mission is to give back to the coffee industry by making coffee farming more sustainable. When I first met Harris in 2017, he spoke about the industry’s gradual decline. Many coffee farmers—and their children—had given up on the crop altogether, discouraged by exploitative practices that made a decent living nearly impossible.A portion of the café’s earnings supports an adopted community of coffee farmers. Funds go toward post-harvest facilities, farming inputs like fertilizer and seeds, and even daily wages during the harvest season from November to February—to ensure farmers focus entirely on their crop.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169124935COFFEE FARM - Itogon.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Giving Café gives back to the hands that grow the beans—local coffee farmers | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Training is also provided to improve quality, such as teaching farmers to harvest only ripe berries. Picking unripe berries compromises both quality and flavor.Harris is optimistic—he’s seeing younger generations return to farming, continuing what their parents started.Each Giving Café branch supports a specific coffee farm. The original branch backs a farm in Itogon, Benguet, while the new Mabini location supports a Liberica-growing community in Laguna. It’s not just proceeds that go to these farms—so do the beans, which are proudly served at the café.At first glance, the coffee may seem pricier than other shops. But whatever your coffee preference, you truly get what you pay for—and more.The café’s offerings are mostly local, but they occasionally feature international guest beans from select roasters and producers.Coffee enthusiasts will delight in the setup: Slayer espresso machines, Hario and Origami drippers, and the Nucleus Paragon system with chilled metal balls that drop extraction temperature to preserve nuanced notes.But let’s talk drinks. They have the classics—americano, latte, cappuccino, and the ever-popular Spanish latte. But try the exclusive Timplado: espresso blended with a proprietary milk mixture and just a hint of sweetener. It’s coffee the way many Filipinos like it—strong, creamy, and sweet.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169189855MICHAEL HARRIS CONLIN 01 (2).jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Conlin pours coffee with precision, bringing out every note | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>You can also choose the beans for your brew. The house TGC blend is a chocolatey base that’s great for espresso or milk drinks. Seasoned drinkers can opt for single-origin beans instead.I particularly liked the infused coffees. The Blueberry Jam, when paired with steamed milk, tasted like a blueberry cheesecake in a cup.Some purists might scoff at infused beans, but these give farmers a second chance with otherwise discarded harvests. Fermentation infuses the beans with fruit like mango, strawberry, and blueberry—without a synthetic aftertaste. These are available brewed, in bean form, or even as Nespresso-compatible capsules.Where the menu really shines is in the specialty selections. The original branch offers a Coffee Journey, letting guests try any specialty bean as a pourover—from affordable infused blends to Itogon beans and even top-tier guest coffees from producers like Scott Rao and Wilton Benitez.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169206134coffee flight.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The coffee flight, a guided trip through three brews, is the ultimate coffee tasting experience | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Expanding on this is the Coffee Flight, where you can choose three coffees from the current lineup, all brewed manually. It might be a caffeine overload for one, but perfect for a group. It’s an affordable way to explore rare beans—yes, even expensive geishas.<div> </div><h2>The Food Tells a Story Too with Family Recipes That Endure </h2>The Sheridan branch has always been an underrated spot for Chinese and Taiwanese food. The Mabini branch continues the tradition with many of Angkong Lee’s Filipino-Chinese and Filipino-Spanish favorites.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169224675FOOD - Angkinbg Room.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Comfort food and family stories served in Angkong’s favorite room | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Conlin remembers heated debates over instant coffee taking place over plates of Lengua con Champignon and Salt and Pepper Pork. The menu is filled with comforting Chinoy fare, paired with coffee for a nostalgic touch.If you&#x27;re in for a quick bite, don’t be intimidated by the prices—the portions are generous and shareable.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169234055FOOD - Lou Rou Fan with Fried Chicken Chop.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Taiwanese Lou Rou Fan with crispy Chicken Chops done right | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Favorites include the Taiwanese Lou Rou Fan with Chicken Chops, and TGC Pansit, a fully loaded noodle dish with vegetables and quail eggs. A Chinoy friend described it perfectly: “It tastes the way it’s supposed to—no fusion nonsense.”<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169249514FOOD -ABs PASTA and TGC PANCIT.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Old favorite pastas revived by the original cooks themselves | Photo: Jeeves De Veyra</div>Italian pastas have recently joined the menu, too. Conlin and his partners loved a now-closed restaurant in McKinley Hill, so they hired the cooks to keep the dishes alive—oil, cream, and tomato sauces all included.A vegetarian off-menu standout is AB’s Pasta, a tomato and basil linguine named after General Manager Agnes Bautista.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751169257614FOOD - Seafood Budol fight.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>A seafood feast made for sharing—boodle style and bold | Photo: Jeeves De VeyraSince the café is also a party venue, they can accommodate special setups—like this premium seafood boodle fight.</div>In all of Harris’ competition routines, he’s always spoken about his dream of a beautiful coffee future. The Giving Café, especially this new Mabini branch, tells the story of his family’s coffee past, present, and future.You could spend the whole day here—exploring the Lee house, sipping coffee, trying Angkong Lee’s favorite dishes, getting cozy with a book or a game, and going back for more coffee later.<div> </div><div>You&#x27;ll find <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tgcsocialentrep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Giving Café Mabini</a> at 58 A. Mabini St., Brgy. Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City. They&#x27;re open from Tuesday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.—plenty of time to sip, study, snack, and stay awhile. Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tgcsocialentrep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@tgcsocialentrep</a> on Instagram for the latest brews, bites, and happenings </div>

Tucked inside a restored ancestral home in San Juan, The Giving Café Mabini is a beautiful, purpose-driven space where every cup of exceptional coffee helps support local farmers and tells a family’s story.

Tucked inside a restored ancestral home in San Juan, The Giving Café Mabini is a beautiful, purpose-driven space where every cup of exceptional coffee helps support local farmers and tells a family’s story.

Hidden In A San Juan Ancestral Home, This Café Feels Deeply Personal

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Hidden In A San Juan Ancestral Home, This Café Feels Deeply Personal

Jeeves De Veyra

Published Jun 29, 2025 01:39 PM PHT

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