Looking for a new cafe to visit in Quezon City?
Magdamag Market Cafe is a neighborhood joint that offers more than a place to get a caffeine fix. This cozy spot along Sgt. Esguerra—near ABS-CBN, GMA 7, and EDSA—also doubles as retail space for unique local finds and is a great option for co-working or bike meet-ups.
Enjoy quality brews and pastries in this laid-back cafe with industrial chic and homey Filipino interiors. The building, which features a lot of brick details, low ceilings, and gorgeous wide windows that let the sunlight stream in, was once a preschool. Now, it offers a conducive environment for remote workers with power sockets, fast WiFi and bright lighting.
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I enjoyed visiting the cafe during a solo coffee ride as a break from the WFH routine one busy weekend. The airconditioning was a godsend and it helped cool me down in between errands in the area. I found myself going back a couple of weeks later to shop for a few gift items. Based on their social media accounts, Magdamag is a buzzing spot for workshops, community events and bazaars on weekdays.
For the coffee enthusiast, Magdamag serves a good lineup that showcases the best of local brews. Classic coffee drinks like Espresso, Long Black and Latte range in price from P110 to P170.
Meanwhile, their specialty drinks, which make use of Dekada Chocolate like Dekada Tableya Mocha, Dekada White Mocha, and Brown Sugar Oat Latte cost P190-P200.
You can pair your coffee with sweet cookies, pastries, savory sandwiches or toasts. The menu is Filipino comfort fare with a modern twist, with tasty treats like cereal milk bomboloni, pain au dekada, and kesong puti grilled cheese, perfect for a mid-day snack or merienda. The cafe also sells fresh dairy, yogurt products, and hard-to-find kesong puti in packs from their family farm here.
Another cool thing I liked about the cafe was this crowdsourced map where visitors can pin recommendations of other good coffee shops in and around the neighborhood.
Magdamag also makes a great post-bike ride hangout destination because of the bike-friendly features such as ample bike parking, repair tools, and a friendly atmosphere that makes bicycle commuters feel right at home. The first thing I noticed coming in to the cafe was the secure bike parking area at the side entrance, which makes it easy for cyclists to ensure their bikes are safe, even while dining in a comfy air-con space.
The cafe also organizes bike-related workshops on topics like bike touring and bike camping. It’s no surprise that cafe bagged the silver award last year for Most Bicycle Friendly Stand-Alone Establishment from the Mobility Awards.
Secure parking under the shade of trees is also available for cars and motorcycles at the back through a gate beside the cafe’s entrance. You can park all day for free as long as you show a receipt from the cafe.
If you’re out on a coffee run and need a dose of retail therapy—or want to get some Christmas shopping done, you can hit two birds with one stone here. The cafe sells items from different independent brands and crafts from local artisans. Shelves are stacked with old comic books, secondhand books, stickers, handcrafted mugs, artsy tote bags, custom postcards, cute pins, and a host of other items from young creatives. The second floor of the cafe sometimes hosts pop-ups and bazaars as well.
Contrary to the cafe’s name, they’re not open 24/7 (as claimed on their pegboard inside), though you kind of wish they would be. With the homey interiors, warm ambiance, and friendly service, you’ll want an excuse to hang out all day or pull an all-nighter here. The cafe is only open until 7pm (with last orders until 6:30pm), so you’ll want to pass by in the afternoons or order your brews as early as you can!
Magdamag Market Cafe. 14 Sgt Esguerra, Bgy. South Triangle, Quezon City. Business hours are from 9am to 7pm on weekdays and 8am to 7pm on weekends.
