DARK ROAST COFFEEHOUSE | Maginhawa is Going Dark!

The Maginhawa food lane in Quezon City is going dark, as it introduces the newest addition to its roster of coffee shops and gourmet food and drinks – DARK ROAST COFFEEHOUSE.

Located at 107 Maginhawa Street, TKC Square (formerly Luisa Bldg 2), Teachers Village (East), DARK ROAST COFFEEHOUSE promises to be the go-to destination for coffee aficionados and casual café-goers alike. Now their location holds some sentimental value as well to Maginhawa patrons as it was the location of another famous store that opened sometime in 2016 called LARUAN ATBP CAFE. Sadly, that store didn’t survive the pandemic.

We visited the still being refurbished DARK ROAST COFFEEHOUSE on soft opening day last April 20 (Saturday) and was joined by three of the four owner-friends Krista, Eli, Jianne, and John. But it was Miss Jianne who sat with us to talk about what DARK ROAST is all about. Here’s a video of our interview with her:

DARK IS GOING TO BE THE NEW TREND

DARK ROAST COFFEEHOUSE reflects the process of their coffee-base which is dark roasted coffee beans which they locally sourced from the highlands of Baguio. The unique, strong and often bold flavors not only encapsulates the rich and robust offerings on their menu but also the chic and contemporary ambiance that awaits customers.

The new concept store is the culmination of a shared passion of the owners for exceptional coffee (and diving, which is another story). Their journey took them to the highlands where they immersed themselves in studying various coffee variants to ensure that there’ll be no compromises in the quality for their establishment.

Our welcoming drink during our visit is one of their iced specialty called the Peach Fizz. A refreshing drink for the summer that somehow manages to blend in both the satisfaction of both juice drinking and soda.

They have a host of other specialty drinks for their initial offering but from their pre-opening focus group sessions, the one that easily became popular to those who tried all the drinks are the Spanish Latte, Salted Caramel and the Creme Brulee.

I tried the Iced Spanish Latte for the afternoon, and true enough, that advertised “dark roast” feel immediately defined my drink. It’s different from the all the other Spanish Latte that I’ve tasted because it’s strong but there’s also that perfect balance in the flavor.

Here’s a look at their menu:

Now while all four owners are devoted coffee lovers, one of them (Krista) is also baker who is best known for customizing cakes. Her pastries and cakes will be the signature food that will be available in the store. They have Korean Cream Cheese Buns, Beef and Cheese Turnovers, Chocolate Crinkles, Red Velvet Cupcakes and my favorite – their croissants.

I am sure that more drinks and food offerings will come out soon after they formally open some time in May. This could be your next go-to place in Maginhawa. I know I’ll visit here again when I’m in the area.