The Coffee Library - San Juan

The Coffee Library is a rustic two-storey café on MacArthur Highway in Urbiztondo, right in the middle of the surf strip and a few doors from Tagpuan and Mad Monkeys Burger Lab. Its air-conditioned rooms are a cool, calm break from the beach crowd, with plenty of power outlets for anyone who needs to work.

Order the Vietnamese coffee, ca phe sua da, strong and sweet, or the coconut coffee that recent reviewers keep praising. The food menu is broad: pho bo, a hefty sisig rice bowl, crispy pork kare-kare, smoked tinapa pasta, baby back ribs and pizzas like garlic shrimp, with mango sticky rice for dessert. Plates are big for the price. There's no plant-based milk, so dairy-free drinkers should stick to black coffee.

Google lists it open 8AM to 10PM, and until 11PM Friday to Sunday. Most mains cost a little over ₱300, and drinking water is free. Food can be slow when it's full, and parking out front is limited, so walk over if you're staying nearby. Head upstairs for the quieter seats if you plan to stay a while.