UCC Café – Beautiful and Quiet Place within Busy Ayala

Since Ayala is one of the two most popular malls in Cebu, you can expect that it would be crowded. That’s not really bad at all, but if you want to find a secluded and peaceful place for a while so maybe you could do your work on your laptop or just get some peace and quiet for an hour or two, then the Ueshima Coffee Co. (UCC) Café Terrace is highly recommended. It is located at the ground floor of Ayala Terraces towards the Marriot Hotel side.

What to Expect?

This fusion café offers excellently blended coffees, gorgeous parfaits, mouth-watering pastas, and selected delicious Japanese dishes, ensuring that you will have plenty of choices for your gastronomic satisfaction. More important, UCC is not crowded at all. I’ve been there with friends a few times during dinner hours and we only got to share the café with 2-4 groups of guests during those moments. Since the restaurant/coffee shop adopted a contemporary interior design, the whole place feels so clean, spacious, and relaxing that the nearby Ayala crowd fades fast to a distant memory.

A very organized counter area with rows of for sale coffee beans for your tasting pleasure

cozy modern ambiance provided by the cafe to guests looking for quiet and relaxation or an intimate place to talk with friends

Speedy Internet Connection

This is definitely one of the many things that elevate UCC Café Terrace in my opinion. Because of the calm atmosphere it offers, it naturally attracts laptop, tablet, or smart phone-bearing individuals looking for a place where they can work on their gadgets in peace. And, of course, all of them would appreciate fast Internet connectivity. With that said, the many times I was at the coffee shop, I had to share the bandwidth with several people, but I experienced no problem at all. I accessed all my favorite sites with ease and was even able to stream Youtube videos easily along with my friend across the table who was downloading something. The best thing of all – WiFi is free! So, yeah, UCC is definitely on top of my list when it comes to relaxing but well-connected hangout stops.

Cafe Mocha and White Mocha - Php 125 and Php 150 respectively

Caramel Macchiato - Php 125.00

The Service

The waitresses at UCC are very nice and attentive. With them greeting you a bright “irasshaimase” (the Japanese word for “welcome”) the moment you walk in and saying a warm “thank you for coming” when you head for the door, they really get the fine points of serving guests to a tee. Ask them for two glasses of cold service water and one glass with normal temperature and they will comply even if they have to lug around two different pitchers for you.

Adobo Flakes Pasta - Php 369.00 - the pasta that I will never get tired of

Seafood Risotto - Php 399 - makes me hungry just looking at it. The shrimp and talaba just beckons!

And just to sweeten the pot, the coffee shop/restaurant even pays attention to the details by giving you a knife that stands poised on its blade and service water from a pitcher with lemon soaked in it, letting you know that water can taste more refreshing than it already is. And when your glass is running empty, you do not even have to call the attention of anybody for refill as a waitress would head right over to your table to attend to all your needs. And the icing on top of the cake is the very handy button that you can press to buzz the counter attendant just in case you think they are not paying enough attention to you.

Creme Brulee Cofi Cooler - Php 175.00

The Food and the Price

For me, there is no doubt that at least 80% of what is on UCC’s menu is delicious. I’ve tried several of their pastas, risotto, coffee, parfaits, and desserts and so far there is no dish that I did not like yet. As for the price, I hear many people saying the café is expensive. With dishes at the Php 200 – 300 range and coffees priced at Php 150 – 300, the café can indeed seem pricey at first glance. However, if you stop and consider that the ambience is simply great, the service superb, and the Internet connection very reliable, then the prices are just worth it.

UCC Dessert: Mango Crepe - Php 229.00 - sweetness goodness that melts in your mouth with wild abandon

Choco French Toast – Php 279.00 – sinfully delightful toast is all I can say

Fruit Parfait - Php 229.00 - the parfait you don't wanna eat because it just looks so perfect, but when you do start eating you just cannot stop! Every layer is surprisingly good.

The Verdict

I know it seems that I work for UCC (I don’t) because of the way I am praising them here. However, I just cannot stop myself from expounding on their virtues. I really like the place and I may be doing myself a disservice by trying to promote the café to more people, which might ruin its uncrowded state. Oh no! Seriously, though, I highly recommend the UCC Café Terrace located in Ayala for its enjoyable and peaceful ambiance and good food. I’d definitely go back there many times as long as I’m able.