Mabuhay Craft Coffee is a 24-hour cafe in San Juan that reimagines Filipino flavors through craft coffee, inventive desserts, and a cocktail-driven nightlife.
There’s a particular kind of nostalgia that refuses to sit still, evolving and reshaping itself as it resurfaces in new forms. In Manila’s ever-rotating landscape of cafes and concept spaces, Mabuhay Craft Coffee captures that movement with precision. It doesn’t just revisit Filipino flavors (though that’s part of its story)—it also seeks to turn everyday references into something more layered and current.
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Who: The Visionary Behind Mabuhay Craft Coffee
Behind the concept is Mikel Zaguirre, whose work has been defined by a willingness to challenge how Filipino food is perceived and experienced. Best known for Locavore, Zaguirre brings that same sensibility here, though with a lighter, more experimental touch.
What: Filipino-Rooted Craft
Mabuhay Craft Coffee is a study in contrast, a retro-modern cafe that leans heavily into Filipino ingredients while pushing them into unexpected territory.
The drinks lead the conversation: the Dirty White Champorado Latte, Ube Latik Latte, and Dirty Skrambol all take cues from classic Filipino desserts and comfort food we’ve learned to love growing up. Even their matcha drink, Gatcha!, plays with boundaries, merging profiles that shouldn’t quite align, but somehow do (namely the matcha, latik, and coconut milk).
By evening, the space shifts. Coffee gives way to cocktails, and the menu expands into Filipino-inspired mixes like the Noypi Negroni. The cocktails still carry that distinct local identity, staying true to the coffee shop’s branding.
When: 24/7 Energy
Part of what sets Mabuhay Craft Coffee apart is its refusal to operate within traditional hours. Open 24/7, it accommodates a range of rhythms: early risers, midday lingerers, and late-night regulars alike.
Coffee and pastries are available throughout the day, while the cocktail program gains momentum in the evening, particularly between 9 PM and 3 AM. What you get is a space that doesn’t ask you to choose between a cafe and bar: it simply becomes both, depending on when you arrive and what you’re craving.
Where: In the Heart of San Juan
Located along A. Mabini Street, San Juan City, the space mirrors its concept. It’s industrial yet approachable, with rugged textures softened by warm, lived-in details. Bright red accents cut through the otherwise muted palette, giving it a unique visual identity that’s become recognizable across social feeds. It’s a relatively compact space, and that intimacy is part of its appeal.
In many ways, Mabuhay Craft Coffee succeeds not just because of what it serves, but because of how it frames the experience. It understands that Filipino nostalgia isn’t static—it’s something to be reworked, reinterpreted, and, at times, playfully disrupted.
All photos via Instagram @mabuhaycraftcoffee
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Mabuhay Craft Coffee operates 24 hours daily, making it a rare all-day, all-night café in San Juan. Coffee and pastries are available throughout the day, while cocktails and the bar program become more prominent in the evening.
The café is known for Filipino-inspired specialty drinks like the Dirty White Champorado Latte, Ube Latik Latte, and Dirty Skrambol. For something more adventurous, the Gatcha!—a mix of matcha, latik, and coconut milk—is a standout. The cocktail menu also features Filipino twists such as the Noypi Negroni.
Mabuhay Craft Coffee is located along A. Mabini Street in Addition Hills, San Juan City. It sits in a corner space with an industrial, red-accented facade that has become easily recognizable, especially for those familiar with the local café scene.
