Since receiving the recognition from the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops in February 2025, we have further improved our in-store experience at El Union Coffee in San Juan, La Union, opening a brand new dedicated dine-in floor with regular live musical programming. We have nicknamed the second floor “Taas” (“Up There”).
In the almost 13 years since we opened, many indie cafes in the Philippines and surf community spots like ours have come and, sadly, gone. We are lucky and grateful to endure thanks to the continued patronage of our regulars through the decades and the magnetic personality of the northern Philippine coast that continues to attract visitors.
At the foundation, the El Union experience is held up by our team's "provincial imagination", a proudly rural Filipino ethic for hospitality, design, product development and experiences — for both local-neighbor and tourist-traveler.
Design
With Taas we aspire to "stay classic and keep it surfy", a rooted sense of identity at home in tropical Surftown, La Union. The interiors maintain and expand the “bahay ni Lola” aesthetic from “baba” (“Down”, the older shop), the fruit of improvisational thinking and silly storytelling among founders and friends. With new trend cycles and seasons informing cafe experiences constantly, we opted for the familiar and focused on fundamental comforts: deep nap-friendly and kid-friendly benches, comfy bistro chairs, natural light peeking through a porous facade that enables passive cooling, and diminishes noise. We are decidedly non-aircon, though always well ventilated.
The older shop (2015), began as a practical bahay kubo, built in the revived timber pieces of dismantled heritage homes, and endemic woods, kiln-dried in Bacnotan. The roof, made with northern anahaw and bamboo from Abra, Isabela and La Union, has withstood over a decade of fierce typhoon seasons, with minimal, seasonal upkeep over time. Despite the perceived inconvenience of thatched roofing, we choose it for its ecological statement, visual rhythm, softer acoustic properties, aspiring to connect the inner space with the natural world that surfers love so much.
For the Taas interiors, we restate the cozy and dimly lit social corners that made Shrine V1 & V2 memorable. As with Baba, vintage hardwood panels from antique houses dress the place up; anahaw awnings remind us to stay cool. Our old upholstery and furniture make a return. And a DIY sound system built by our team with a five-speaker setup by Pampanga’s Itono Audio is inspired by independent musical movements of the past, a statement of our intention to keep pushing Surftown’s musical journey into deep waters.
Before, our sensory satisfaction in the cup or glass came first; now, the new space aims to enshrine and celebrate the surf and music culture that made the entire La Union tourism landscape possible in the first place.
Food & Drink
Our food and signature drink menu borrows from Filipino beach resort staples, and nostalgic cafe fare, with all of our bread baked in-house, headlined by our housemade shokupan (milk loaf), made famous by our grilled cheese sandwich downstairs.
The Taas coffee program is an ongoing status update from our corner of Filipino specialty coffee, each drink a small capsule of Filipino ingenuity and dedication, seen in consistent trade and collaboration through many harvest seasons.
Our pourover bar features filter coffees brewed upon order. Top shelf Filipino coffees are roasted in-house — the work of our roastery team refined through years of experience in competition and culinary spheres, and a special love for developing lowland species that we believe are the future of the coffee movement.
On current rotation:
San Elias, Ilocos Sur (Natural)
One of the most awarded coffee communities in the country, with multiple national champions and Top Ten contenders among their cooperative, led by the reputed Mabini Ubuan aka Manong Ben, and Byron Daplayan, who represents young leadership for the future.
Bagulin, La Union (Natural Anaerobic)
Our province's first specialty coffee producers, and a model for how smallholder farmers can find their place in the specialty coffee landscape. The Baguionas farmers are led Lapicto Bugtong, whose collaboration with our roastery has been a staple on our international tours in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal.
Kapi Tako, Benguet & Mountain Province (Various)
Kapi Tako is our most enduring supplier and collaborator from the Cordilleras, and we have been there for each other through many harvest seasons, even through the pandemic, with a friendship founded in the early days of both our enterprises. The Surftown coast is visible from many of their northwest facing locations, a clear picture of ridge-to-reef dynamics, between origin and outlet: both distinct areas, and yet part of the same natural landscape and ecological system.
Loon Farms, Davao Del Sur (Natural)
A longtime friend and supplier, Sergio Loon farms in Davao is known for quality. And his daughter Lendi Loon is known, at least among our team, for her keen sense of innovation in process, leading to bankable quality. We are always proud to showcase their work, as a roastery team.
Guest Coffees
We always try to have special coffees from our travels, frozen at peak, and brewed upon order for the beverage enthusiasts out there. This embodies our goal to satisfy seasoned specialty enthusiasts, Filipino origin enthusiasts, and beverage newcomers alike.
Experiences
The Shrine Tonight programming is El Union as a bar and entertainment platform for quality musical experiences. Taas Today is a brunch session in a cafe setting, focused on conversation and selection.
Several times monthly, we have live music from local bands, with a dedication to jazz, blues, soul, funk, and their many musical offshoots. Open jams among musicians are a regular occasion.
Our ongoing musical project, “Sounds of the Global South” aims to use the cafe to share musical movements and works from regions that produce coffee in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the South and Central Americas, drawing the line between art and agriculture, celebrating human production for sensory satisfaction.
While a simplified classics-forward cocktail program reorients our space toward music, we maintain a respectable collection of favorite gins (local and foreign), whiskies (blended and single), mezcals, and accessible wines of all sorts. Our bartenders are up for a chat about whipping up a quality classic you love. As with all spots Pinoy, Red Horse, Pale Pilsen, and local Ginebras abound.
