Libreria
There’s a wonderful spot I recently discovered two blocks away from my Tomas Morato office, and which I decided will be my personal sanctuary for the next few months. Libreria, the inconspicuous and extremely cozy bookstore is called, and it’s a place where peace, quiet, good coffee and marked-down titles are served.
photo from Manila Times Internet Edition.
If you’re growing uncomfortable with the overcrowded sea of students at the nearest Starbucks or simply want to try something unique yet inexpensive, this quaint patisserie slash library house is the place for you. The wide variety of local coffee (Amadeo, Cordillera, Bukidnon) is perfect for rainy days, and you can relax while flipping the pages of a hard-to-find classic. There’s a huge plasma TV above the piano near the entrance door, and it usually runs the customer’s preferred channel. Cozy, eh? What’s more, they offer free Wi-Fi to laptop-clutching bibliophiles.
The pastries, beverages and books are more affordable than you might suspect, but the most pleasant surprise in Libreria is the music. If you happen to drop by on a Friday or Saturday night, a pianist will most likely be on hand to play a soulful tune for the customers. How cool is that? You can even request a Ray Charles classic or a track from Bocelli’s latest album, whichever you prefer.
In my visits so far, there is one thing I have come to find unfavorable: you cannot plug your notebook in their outlet too long, lest the owner catch and cite you for consuming the electricity which she paid for (and you didn’t). Nevertheless, this experience isn’t enough to keep me too far away. I’d still recommend the ice-blended mocha coffee. Go there once, and you might catch yourself saying, “Coffee Bean and what?”
Libreria is located at 184 Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City, in between Formula Bar and 7-Eleven.
Ooh, that sounds like a lovely place! Thanks for the heads up, will try to go there one of these days!
(Although I haven’t been to Starbucks lately… I miss annoying the students bringing their laptops and ipods to recharge at Starbucks by hogging the table with the electrical outlet.. Ahh, the simple pleasures of my life)
But the longing for peace and quiet is not a simple pleasure. It’s a natural need. Cheers! :)
My friend and I were brainstorming for possible “business ideas” and I came up with a coffee-book place because of bookcrossing.com. When she passed by Tomas Morato the other day, she texted me and tol d me about this place! LOL.
Cool, that sounds really exciting! You should drop by Libreria and see how nice a coffee-book place it is.
The Cordillera coffee was interesting enough but the store has free Wifi! Definitely guarantees repeat customers.
Hi Migs! Thanks for this great review. I’ve passed by this shop several times and have always made plans to visit it. They never did push through but Libreria’s still on my to-visit list. Thanks for writing about it and finally painting a clearer picture of the place for me. It sounds like my kind of place. Quiet, cozy and personal. I can’t wait to try out the coffee and enjoy the quiet. I’ll even bring my own book.
Hey Peter! The free Wi-Fi is great isn’t it? Places like this come rarely nowadays. (Just make sure you charge your batt beforehand.) =)
Hi Toni! Thanks for the kind words, but don’t postpone that visit any longer. And you shan’t miss the calming piano performances, too.
Cheers! =)
ongoing pa ba yung inventory sale nila? a friend texted me about the sale but i haven’t checked it out…
Really? There’s an inventory sale? I’ll probably drop by this week and check it out myself. Thanks, and let’s both hope it is still ongoing. :)