During September’s Music and Coffee Festival at SM City Davao some local coffee shops showcased their products. Bloggers and members of the media were also given a taste of some of the coffee and other offerings of different local coffee shops and coffee chains.
Among the coffee shops that I took notice of was the A&V Cafe. The coffee we tasted from them was good and the cookie was delicious.
I then logged on to Facebook and checked if they have a physical store. Not only did they have a physical store but it is also a ride or walk away from the office as it is located at the Madrazo Complex, which is notable for the shops selling pomelo in front.
THE PLACE
Looking for A&V Cafe was like finding hidden treasure. I was not familiar with the Madrazo Complex, so it took a while to look for the cafe. Another problem I had was there was no big signage indicating the location of the store.
After a few minutes of roaming around, I saw a sign that read “A&V Cafe this way”. I followed the sign, took a few steps, and found the coffee shop! I would describe it as a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop.
The interior was simple and cute. I find the ambiance to be very relaxing. Most of their seats are arranged for solo customers or pairs.
FOOD and BEVERAGE
The cafe offers coffee and non-coffee drinks and some snacks that are affordably priced. Their coffee-based drinks are from P65 to P135 while tea and non-coffee drinks are between P75 to P140. Their cookies, pastries, and snacks ranges from P30 to P125.
For my visits here I tried their Iced Cappuccino (P95), Chocolate Chip Cookie (P30), Irish Nachos (P100), Sausage Platter (P125), and two kinds of Cold Brew (P100 each).
I enjoyed their Sausage Platter. I love the sausages they serve here. It was great and I loved the spicy kick from it. It also came with delicious potatoes that were cooked in butter, garlic, and herbs.
The Irish Nachos was definitely a different take on the regular nachos and it was delicious. I think this is the first time I had nachos where it is boiled potatoes instead of tortilla chips.
The ground beef that was served was flavorful and I also love its level of spiciness. I also liked how the cheese sauce is served separately as it allows you to adjust how cheesy you want your nachos to be. The great thing about boiled potatoes is you can mash them; so I mashed it and mixed the cheese and ground beef.
The Iced Cappuccino was also great.
For the Cold Brew, they have four flavors — Classic, Banene, Donna, and Darling. I had the Donna (green apple) and the Darling (raspberry), both of which are refreshingly good.
Their chocolate chip cookie was also delicious.
Kudos to the cafe for sourcing out really good cookies and sausages.
THE SERVICE
The service I experienced here was great! The owners were friendly and accommodating. I also did not have to wait long for my orders.
BOTTOM LINE
I am very happy that I discovered A&V Cafe. I love how hidden it was as it gave me a feeling that I found a nice secret place to briefly crash and escape from the craziness going around me. I also find the quality of their food and beverage to be really good and at the same time affordably priced. Their service was also great.
I also love how it is only a ride or a walk away from the office as I can grab some good coffee anytime I want.
For those near Madrazo Complez, A&V Cafe is a great place to hide and chill for an hour or two. If you want to spend some “me-time” this is a great place to go to.
LOCATION and OTHER DETAILS
Location: Madrazo Fruit Complex, C. Bangoy St.
Business hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00am to 9:00pm
Contact details: (082) 305 8523 | aandvcafe@gmail.com
Facebook: A&V Cafe