Hello there, fellow coffee lovers! It is such a breath of fresh air to finally be a part of a community that shares my love for coffee! I have been a member of the Hive for a few weeks now, and I have been a fan of the many posts that I've been reading throughout this group, and for this week, I am also super excited to share this hidden gem my sister and I found here in our small city, and that is Utopia Bookstore Cafe

Utopia: First Bookstore Cafe in Dumaguete, Philippines
This cafe has been operating for over a year now in our charming small city. It appears to be the first bookstore cafe, and we were actually very excited to visit this place, once it opened last year. Fast forward to a year after, we are still over the moon about it. You know why? It is home to the two things that I love the most: coffee and books.

Can you just imagine, sipping your favorite cup of coffee, and at the same time, you are surrounded with an array of books at your disposal? Well, what makes this cafe unique is aside from the fact that you can buy books in the store, they also offer some books that you can read while drinking your coffee, at this little literary area. And, you can READ IT FOR FREE. Yes, you heard me right, they are for free! You can actually find them at the bookshelf found just below the cashier area. So, once you are done ordering, you can browse through their free books, while eating your fave croissant, and coffee!

So, when the prompt for this week came out, talking about sharing experiences about a cafe with a literary lounge or libary in it, I was so excited to tap away, and share our experience at one of our favorite cafe spots here in Dumaguete, Philippines!

When we came here last Sunday, we were amazed because we had the place to ourselves! I was super happy browsing through the books, and we've noticed that they have also changed some of their designs, from when we last visited! But, one thing's for sure: THE CHANGE WAS DEFINITELY FOR THE BETTER!

One thing that we were ecstatic about was that at the second floor, there's this mini work station, where you can individually finish your work, and beat deadlines comfortably. They just require you to pay less than 1HBD per hour, for the charging fee of your gadgets. The best thing about it is, it is just limited to two slots, so rest assured, the second floor can't get a bit too crowded!

Aside from the mini work station, they also have another shelf where books are highlighted for the day. And, the cashier also informed us that since the owner was a Colleen Hoover Fan, it explains why most of the books found inside the cafe are her books. Aside from the popular books, the cafe also offers some second hand novels, that are still in good condition. The new books range from 8HBD-17HBD, while the used books are priced lower.

Coffee and Books: The Perfect Weekend Combination
Well, I personally believe that nothing could go wrong with coffee and books. But! To make it perfect, we have to add in the croissants! Now, that's the perfect trio! During this quick trip, I ordered their biscoff croissant, paired with a hot Spanish Latte. And it was divine! Chef's kiss! Amazing!

To be honest, the coffee here has been a miss for my preference, in the previous times that we've visited. But lately, I have been inclined to drinking Spanish Latte, and has been unconsciously on the look out for cafes that over the best Spanish Latte. And, I have to admit, this lands second place on my list! Moreover, the cup that I had was just the coffee that I needed after a long day of rain! What makes this cafe more interesting is that, they also offer a variety of drinks, that are coffee-based for coffee lovers like us, and there are also drinks that are not coffee-based. They also highlight new drinks in their menu through their socials, so that we know what's new for that month or week. And, of course, their croissant is nothing short of being perfect! I mean, I am a fan of chocolate, and their "Biscoff" inspired biscuit placed in a croissant! And so far, this combo has been the best for my taste! Definitely going to have the same order once I come back!

So I hope you had a fun time reading through this post, as much as I enjoyed my coffee and croissant! Let me end this post by sharing this awesome quote posted in Utopia:

Have a pleasant week, fellow Coffee Lovers!

All the best,
~purplefreelancer

Note: All pictures used are original, and belong to me. These pictures have also been edited using CANVA