Gray Walls and Wooden Furniture Give This Pampanga Cafe a Relaxing Vibe

Pampanga is starting to become a haven of hole-in-the-wall cafes that boast of the best and instagrammable interiors—definitely worthy of a drive out from the city. Well, if you're out to complete your cafe itinerary, you ought to include Amand Coffee Bar on your list.

"Amand Coffee Bar is an experience," owner Charmaine Santos tells Preview in an interview. Apart from a complete sensorial treat, what with its delicious treats and coffee and impeccably well-designed cafe, Amand is situated in storied groumds. "The story behind its name is a rather unique story; the café is located inside Amando’s Resort, previously a popular holiday destination here in Pampanga during the 90’s. With respect to the previous owner, my family still kept the name. When we were developing the coffee bar, we decided to name it Amand, as an homage to its roots," Charmaine shares. For her, Amand is imagined "as a well-travelled individual with a sophisticated palate, who loves good food and drinks, with even greater company."

Hence, it was imperative that they curate a menu that adjusts to the worldly whims and palatable dreams of Amand. First up is their coffee. "The team specializes in serving well-curated beverage and it all starts from the selection of raw materials choosing only the best, both local and international. First type of beans are our local Robusta, roasted medium to dark roast, intense in flavor, chocolatey and smokey yet none of the burnt taste. Sourced in Sicily, Italy, our second type of beans are roasted light to medium, preserving its notes of berries, vanilla and hint of chocolate."

Second, Charmaine boasts of their in-hour pastries, and suggests familiar favorites that you'll keep coming back to. Drop by the shop to try their tiramisu (P210), velvety blueberry cheesecake (P190), oh-so-moist crinkles (P100), and their Matcha Roll (P130)—made with wild cold cream inside and poured with hot Mmatcha chocolate.  

Third are specialty and off-the-menu coffee drinks that you can't find elsewhere: Popcorn latte with honeycomb on top (P150) and Amand Signature Coffee (just ask the barista!).

This sophisticated menu matches Amand's gorgeous interiors. JC Manalo, the cafe's interior designer shares with us that the overall inspiration for the cafe is also hinged on Amand's persona. Like Amand, the space is "experimental but curated, mature yet young-at-heart—it's a modern mind with a global taste."

As Charmaine mentioned earlier, stepping into Amand guarantees you an experience. This is further underlined with the interior. "We wanted to create a well-thought space focused on the guest experience," JC explains. The result is a quaint, warm and cozy coffee bar "that is elevated yet very casual and not too intimidating. It's a dedicated space where you can freely be yourself and unwind," he adds.

In Amand, you'll see a plethora of natural textures like wood, concrete, metal and rattan that converge into a refreshing, serene scenery—the perfect backdrop as you sip your fave brew in silent bliss."We took advantage of the natural light and lush greenery enveloping Amand by putting glass doors and windows creating an indoor-outdoor feel. The space has a very masculine feel, filled with subtle vertical lines to elevate the space, with a contrast of modern and classical references," he says. JC also says that he'd like to think that "the items inside the café are little things Amand picked-up on his travels, reflecting his curated palate."

Of course, with good coffee, delicious treats, and a stunning space waiting for you in Amand, the only thing left for you to do is to take a snap and 'gram it! We took the liberty in asking the Amand folks for the best selfie spot in the coffee bar. JC advises that with natural light peering through the cafe all day long, there's no shortage of a good IG-worthy nook in Amand. However, he hints that "the morning and afternoon sun gives a different charm" so be sure to keep coming back to see it!

Amand Coffee Bar is located inside Amando's Resort, Miracle Avenue, Villa Dolores Subdivision, Angeles City, Pampanga. They are open daily from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

This story originally appeared on Preview.ph.

 * Minor edits have been made by the Realliving.com.ph editors.