The Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal has been one of our go-to destinations near Manila when the urge to go on a quick ride just strikes or whenever I have to do a motorcycle review. Its distance from Quezon City makes it ideal for quick breakfast or brunch rides. You can always find empty stretches in the back roads with the windmills in the background for good photo ops and clean shots needed when taking photos for motorcycle or car reviews. True, there’s not much to do at the Wind Farm except take photos and shoot the breeze at the foot of the windmills, but for weekend warriors itching for a quick ride, that’s usually enough.
Cafe Grey, an aesthetic cafe right inside the wind farm gives road trippers and riders a peaceful spot to enjoy a cup of coffee and light snacks during their casual rides in the area. This solar-powered cafe—which opened sometime in February 2022—is located within Santi’s Farmhouse, a privately owned area inside the Wind Farm. Coming from the entrance in Bugarin, a short detour to the left on a gravel road will take you to this scenic spot right across the public view deck and Visitor’s Center where most people go. There’s ample parking space inside the gated area for several cars and a multi-level section on the side of the hill for motorcycles.
ALSO READ:
Coffee Run: Siglo Brew in Tagaytay highlights locally sourced coffee and food
Coffee Run: Pugpog Biker’s Highlands Cafe offers a refreshing rest stop in Bulacan
Cafe Grey adopts the clean and white minimalist aesthetic popular in many pandemic-born coffee shops. The great thing about its location is that you can enjoy sitting under the trees and the fresh breeze with your coffee with the windmills up close. There’s a cozy al fresco area under the shade of trees. The cafe is pet-friendly, too, so you can bring your furbabies along during road trips. A small grassy area under trees gives pampered pets (and kids) a secure area to run around and play.
Cafe Grey specializes in mostly coffee-based drinks, including Americano, Cafe Latte, Vanilla Latte, Caramel Macchiato, Spanish Latte, and Signature Mocha, which can be served either hot (12oz) or ice (16 oz.) Mocha Malt Latte and Cereal Frost Latte only come in iced variants. We ordered an Iced Spanish Latte (P150) and a Vanilla Latte (P140) to counter the heat. The Vanilla was a bit too sweet for my liking, but the Spanish Latte hit the spot.
For non-coffee drinkers, the cafe also serves other hot and iced drinks like Matcha Latte, and Signature Chocolate and refreshments such as Green Tea & Strawberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lychee Cooler, Mixed Berry Tea, Blueberry Tea, Green apple Juice, Peach Mango Tea, Blue Pea and Peach Sparkle. All drinks are priced from P100 to 170 each.
You can pair your drinks with snacks and pastries like solo pizzas in different flavors (Spinach and Cheese, Pepperoni, Bacon and Mushroom, and Four Cheese) for P150 each. They also offer Flaky Croissants, Garlic Toastes, Freshly Baked Muffins, Homemade Banana Bread, and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies, worth P70 to P150 each.
While the cafe itself doesn’t serve full meals, if you’re really hungry, you can order typical silog meals from a stall near the entrance. However, to maximize your road trip, I recommend eating in a full-service restaurant along the highway and just having coffee or merienda here.
Aside from the cafe, another draw of the place is Santi’s View Deck, which offers good vantage points of the wind turbines and Laguna Lake. The place seems to be popular with car owners (families with kids and pets) and couples who want a little privacy because of the cozy vibe of the place.
Since it’s located in a private area and employs a lot of staff and parking attendants, Santi’s Farmhouse charges parking fees, which serve as an entrance fee of sorts. They charge P250 per car (regardless of the number of passengers), P100 per motorcycle, and P50 per bicycle. I didn’t notice any bike racks, but cyclists can wheel in their bikes easily and keep them secure here while enjoying coffee. They also offer a few open-air cottages for rent.
If you don’t mind shelling out for parking, Cafe Grey is an ideal option for those looking for a quiet and comfortable spot to chill out and enjoy coffee with a great view of the windmills before the drive back home.
Cafe Grey is located inside the Windmill Farm, Pililla, Rizal. The cafe is open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays and from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
