Recently, I have been going to GMall of Davao quite frequently because of a newly opened coffee shop at The Peak.
I first found out about the Coffee Bar through the Facebook post of one of the coffee shop owners in Davao City. My first impression was the place looked nice. I told myself, I will visit it once it opens.
Months later, I was chatting with one of the coffee shop suppliers in Davao City. He was giving a rundown of newly opened coffee shops and updates on some existing coffee shops and cafes in the city. He mentioned Coffee Bar to me. Before the conversation, I somehow forgot about the new coffee shop. After our talk, I was reminded to visit the coffee shop at The Peak, GMall of Davao soon.
It was my rest day when I first visited The Coffee Bar. It was around 10 a.m. when I came and I was the only customer during this time.
THE PLACE
The coffee shop is located at the former location of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, which has now transferred to the upper ground floor of the mall.
I love what they did with the place, which is minimalist in terms of interior design. It is well lit during the day time as they have constructed a window at the other end of the coffee shop. The store also feels very spacious.
There are several seating options you can choose from. At the counter, you have some high chairs. I noticed that the mall’s executives and managers would spend their time here.
Near the counter are some round tables and chairs that would suit customers who have no plans of staying long at the cafe. There are also tables wall tables that are great for students.
There is one long table good for eight to ten people. Near the comfort room, you will find tables for four to six people.
My favorite has to be the high tables near the window. My spot is the one nearest to the window, where you get a beautiful view of the city and the mountains the look over it.
Power sockets are also strategically placed around the coffee shop.
I also love the vibe that I am getting from the coffee shop — relaxing and quiet.
Their wireless internet here is quite fast too. I can stream smoothly on Netflix.
FOOD and BEVERAGE
I find the menu of The Coffee Bar to be quite simple, which I like that about them. They have the standard items you will find in a coffee shop like espresso, americano, latte, and cappuccino. Also on the menu are blended coffee and non-coffee drinks. They only have a few items for food, which are mainly snack items. Their products are affordably priced ranging from P110 to P199.
For my visits here I have tried The Peak coffee, Black Cold Brew, and Cappuccino for the drinks. For the food, I had the Ham & Cheese Sandwich, Meaty Clubhouse, Peanut Butter Waffle, Banana Almond Waffle, and Carbonara.
The coffee here is a hit and miss. There are times that I get a decent cup of coffee and there are days when I don’t. Based on my observations, it matters who is behind the counter. When their experienced male barista is manning the counter, the coffee I get tends to be pretty good. But when he is not around, the coffee tastes odd and sometimes bad.
When I had The Peak coffee, it was prepared by the male barista. It was a decent cup of sweet and creamy coffee. I regularly ordered this since I liked it but at times, it can be too sweet.
The Cappuccino that I had in two previous visits here were too bitter for the cappuccino that I usually get from my favorite coffee shops.
Their cold brew is quite good and I liked it.
The food here is also a hit or miss for me. They do not serve anything fancy here. The food is simple and good enough for a snack.
The Ham & Cheese Sandwich was a filling snack. I do like it despite my issue with the cheese they use. While all the components of the sandwich were quite good, I find the cheese too dry and grainy.
I liked their Meaty Club House sandwich despite having to open my mouth wide to get a good bite. Taste-wise, it was quite good. It is just like the Ham & Cheese Sandwich with the addition of an egg and another layer of bread and filling added to it. Same with the other sandwich, I am also not a fan of the cheese used here. The sandwich is also quite messy to eat. When eating this, be careful of the toothpick.
The best part of the two sandwiches was the side of camote or sweet potato chips that went with it. I enjoyed munching on these while watching a Youtube video or something on Netflix.
The Carbonara was okay. I wished the sauce was thicker.
The Peanut Butter Waffle looked sad but tasted quite good. I do find the waffles to be too thin for a waffle.
The Banana Almond Waffle was a hit. The waffle’s thickness was just right and I liked that there was banana in the waffle.
THE SERVICE
The service is okay. The staff was professional but I wished that they could smile more. I do have to commend one of the male staff for going the extra mile in customer service. He was friendly and smiles at the customers. Sadly, I keep on forgetting to ask for their names. I hope they will be given name tags soon.
Food and beverage were served within 15 minutes.
However, I hope the staff could be more proactive, especially in clearing the tables. I noticed that it would take around 20 to 30 minutes after the customer has left.
BOTTOM LINE
Coffee Bar is a decent local coffee shop at The Peak, GMall of Davao. The place is great with a lot of seating options, relaxing ambiance, and fast internet. It is great for students and young professionals who have online jobs. It is also great for individuals who are looking for a place where they can meet for meetings or just to relax.
The food and beverage may be a hit and miss but they would do the trick for those who will be spending their time here.
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