Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
International
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Filipino
Cozy atmosphere, hints of old world with a few modern touches. Plays old jazz, classical, and world music. Sample menu items such as tofu-walnut burger, dukka, organic wine, spinach & mushroom lasagna, North African veg stew. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-10:00pm.
51 Reviews
First Review by bad.sneakers
scotteg
Points +74
Vegan-delicious! - Edit
Cozy restaurant, would be great for a date or small group. Lots of vegan-friendly choices. Loving the Arroz a la Cubana!
Read moreChiqui Mabanta
Great to hear, thanks!
Read moreGuest
ZiggyKohl
Points +44
Great Vegan Food - Edit
All the food on their menu is great! The Buddha bowl was quite stodgy and didn’t taste very healthy but it filled me up.
Read moreThey have WIFI too!
Chiqui Mabanta
Thanks for your feedback! If you don't mind, could you explain a bit on the Buddha bowl? Always happy to improve! :-D
Read moreGuest
kylehd
Points +27
Nice dinner in cool enviornment - Edit
Tucked away along a busy street and under large beautiful trees, the Corner Tree Cafe is the perfect hideaway in the heart of Makati in Manila. My visit was at the peak of Manila’s treacherous summer season, and this was just the place to cool down and get my grub on.
Read moreThe restaurant is very charming. It has two large windows in front, that let in just the right amount of light. The dark wood floors contrast nicely with the off white painted walls. I feel like if they played a little bit of live music, this could be the perfect spot for a romantic evening.
I was my own date for the evening, and the only one in the restaurant when I arrived. I admit I went at a time before the dinner rush would have started. The waiter came with the menu and poured a nice cool refreshing purified glass of water (free by the way).
When it came to ordering, there were so many things on the menu that looked appetizing. I decided, since it was just my second day in the Philippines, I would go as Filipino as I could.
For an appetizer, I ordered the vegetable lumpias. Similar to a spring roll, these are filled with all sorts of fresh vegetables. The sauce that accompanies it, is the perfect addition.
For my main course, I ordered Adsilog, the tofu version of a Filipino classic. It’s essentially an egg over rice, next to tomatoes and, some mildly spicy tofu. This was actually probably one of the most flavorful tofu dishes I’ve had. It’s light and fluffy on the inside, with a little bit of crisp and flavor on the outside.
Both of my plates were left clean. I would definitely come back here and try a few more dishes.
My only piece of feedback or criticism is that I wish the wait staff would smile. While I could tell they were eager to please, they were there to do strictly do their jobs. They were friendly, however, and like a said a very pleasant visit.
4/5 stars
Pros: Good food, Free water, Great ambiance
Cons: Staff don't smile
Chiqui Mabanta
Thank you for your feedback! Noted! So happy you liked the food and the place!
Read moreGuest
CristinaRaya
Points +18
Amazing - Edit
Took all my family to have dinner there (non of them are either vegan or vegetarian). Everyone loved it and we'll definitively be back :)
Read moreChiqui Mabanta
Great to hear! Thank you!!!
Read moreGuest
yogidelphic
Points +47
Cozy little cafe! - Edit
Met up with a friend in Makati who is vegetarian, and this was the closest vegetarian/vegan-friendly place to us. I was charmed upon seeing the cafe across the street and was charmed even further when I walked inside the door.
Read moreWe both had kare-kare; my foreigner friend enjoyed it. I was not particularly impressed but I wouldn't say that I didn't like it as I did end up cleaning my plate! ;)
I haven't been here enough times to give a high or bad rating yet. I would definitely go back here to try other dishes, and really look forward to it!
Pros: Lovely ambience, Good food quality, Lots of vegan options
Cons: Servings too small for the price
Guest
EcoWarrior
Points +166
Still good, but... - Edit
When I discovered this place last summer I was delighted; sure it was expensive for Philippines standards, but it was original, very good, the setting cozy, and the owner friendly.
Read moreBut coming back on these Christmas holidays I have been a bit disappointed; indeed, after the joy of discovery, these steep prices considering the small portions become old, the staff is not very welcoming, and all things considered, vegan meals aren't the majority.
(For a more underground but friendlier atmosphere and almost exclusively vegan menus, I prefer eating at the veg places at The Collective, a kilometer away.)
Some options are still very appreciable and for a decent price, like the smoothies or the vegan chocolate cake (aw, if only they had it!)
Pros: Meals quality, Setting
Cons: Staff could be nicer, Price for quantity
Guest
Ellie143
Points +255
Let down by the staff - Edit
After a fortnight traveling around the Philippines and struggling to find vegan food I was delighted to spend my last evening here at the raved about Corner Tree Cafe. I arrived very excited by the lovely decor and wide array of dishes on the menu and specials board. I started off with the vegetable dumplings. A big favourite of mine throughout my travels of Asia. Unfortunately although packed; there were large chunks of uncooked ginger, not the most pleasing to have to chew, inside the under cooked dough. The vinegar dipping sauce received mixed reviews. Although not bad it didn't compliment the flavour of the dumplings. An underwhelming and frankly stodgy start.
Read moreMy main of "Kare-Karang Gulay" admittedly wasn't the best choice. Firstly it came whilst we still had our starter plates on the table which I had to hold up out of the way before the sour faced waitress took it away. Again this dish was very stodgy and somehow everything was the same texture, as if the vegetables had been over cooked and the whole dish sat around for too long. Not the "garden fresh and zesty" dish described. The organic red rice and vegetarian bagoong however were fine.
Not the finest food we'd ever had, we thought maybe we'd just chosen the wrong dishes. However when we tried to get the attention of a waitress to ask for separate checks she briskly went off to get the check before properly acknowledging us so we could explain what we wanted. When the single check did come and we asked for separate checks due to only having large bills and admittedly being bad at math she snatched the check from me and heaved a disgusted sigh. I genuinely felt from the look we received guilty, as if I'd missed the memo and was asking for something incredulous. She was incredibly rude in her expression and didn't once even hint at a smile, leaving us with a sour taste all over. An unfortunate experience for our last night, which could have been easily erected by basic good customer service (for which we were charged 12%). I do believe we got a bad waitress possibly having a bad day, the waiter who took away our dishes and seated us seemed lovely.
Pros: Wide array of dishes , nice ambience
Cons: Food wasn't great , Worst customer service
Chiqui Mabanta
First of all, sorry for the delayed response. I saw this review just recently and had a talk with the staff. The waitress has apologized and said it will never happen again. She said she was very tired but still not an excuse for bad service.
Read moreSorry you were disappointed with the food. It really must have been a bad day because the dumplings are one of the most popular (and delicious) starters at the cafe. The Kare-Kare too, although maybe it is more a Filipino thing. I've asked the foreigners though, what they think of it and they say they really like it but thanks for reminding that maybe the vegetables were overcooked. I've reminded the kitchen to keep it crunchy. So sorry it wasn't a great experience for you. I've spoken to many people who've told me it was the best restaurant in their entire holidays and many just keep coming back which is why it is disappointing to hear that this happened.
Thank you for the feedback though -- it helps us keep striving to make things better. If you are back one day, let us treat you to a nice meal. Thanks again.
Chiqui (owner)
Chiqui Mabanta
Oh -- I should delete the word "maybe" (on overcooked vegetables)
Read moreGuest
kool_kitchen
Points +848
Cosy Cafe - Edit
It has a great atmosphere and nice to get raw food options. The food is a bit pricey with small portions.
Read moreThe asparagus panini was delicious but ridiculously tiny and not at all filling for the price. The walnut burger was ok, the cabbage and cauliflower meatballs were different and hearty flavoured but the best dish was veggie nut roast with mashed potatoes, gravy and veg.
The peanut and chocolate ice scream skoop leaved something to desired, mostly tasty like frozen peanut butter.
Overall it was lovely place to grab a meal with eco friendly bamboo straws and the idea is nice, but choose your dishes wisely as it's expensive and you might still be hungry after the small portions.
Pros: nice atmosphere, raw options, eco friendly/conscious
Cons: pricey for what you get, skimpy portions, service could of been friendlier
Chiqui Mabanta
Hi there, thanks for your review. Yes, the asparagus panini could be bigger. We don't make the bread but we did fill it up with as much asparagus as possible (I hate when there aren't enough veggies). We price our food base on cost of ingredients and unfortunately gruyere is quite expensive here and so is the cashew pesto. If it was some cheap cheddar, it'd be a different story. If I use bigger bread (we like the bread supplier), the cost would go up again. We've kept that at a minumum markup. Anyway, I'll see if I can find bigger bread and see if we can keep it at the same cost.
Read moreWe don't make the vegan ice cream either. Sometimes, it is creamy (when newly delivered) but that's actually my favourite flavour. But anyway... thanks again for the comments. Will work on the sandwich.
Cheers
Guest
Katritz
Points +81
Lives up to its reputation - Edit
We had heard good things about Corner Tree Café, and found them to be true. The food is excellent, the staff friendly and the atmosphere is nice as well.
Read moreThe helpings are moderate but definitely sufficient and the prices are appropriate for a good vegetarian restaurant in Makati. Try the laing!
Pros: Tasty, Friendly, Relaxed
Guest
kezia
Points +895
Incredible food!! but shame about the service. - Edit
After hearing great things about this place in reviews as well as it getting a mention in the lonely planet guide, I couldn't wait to try the Corner tree cafe.
Read moreAs you walk inside the cafe it has a very different feel to any other vegetarian I'd been too in the Philippines. It had a European feel to it, which I liked, as it felt quite unique for Manila.
Where ever Id been so far in the Philippines whether it be a shop, restaurant, bar anywhere basically I'd been welcomed with a warm smile and received all in all, excellent service. But sadly the service here did not match this. As we walked in, we were not welcomed or seated we seated ourselves. We arrived around midday on the Saturday of the popes visit to Manila so the restaurant was quiet as most people were out on the streetand at that point my partner and I were the only ones in there. We had to get up to order our drinks then get up and go to the counter to order. I had a general feeling from the staff that they didn't really want to be there, and we by no means felt welcomed.
However credit where credits due! The food was fantastic. The menu was very extensive it had everything from sandwiches, to stews to burgers and a good selection of Pinoy food too (traditional Filippino food made veggie) I had the walnut tofu burger which seems to have become something of signature dish for Corner Tree and it lives up to it's reputation. It was one of the best meals I had eaten during my time in the Philippines. It was filling and well cooked and the sweet potato fries were lovely too, oh and the vegan mayonnaise that was a nice surprise. So basically 10 out of 10 for food My partner had one of the Pinoy dishes the 'Kare Kareng Gulay' which was a garden vegetable dish with zesty thick organic peanut sauce. we both really enjoyed our food.
This restaurant was just sadly let down by service. To our great surprise a 10% service charge was added to our bill. I later realised this was mentioned in the small print in the menu. I like good service and have no problems paying for it, but in this case we very nearly didn't pay it, as we felt a bit let down. However on the basis of the food quality I would defiantly come and eat here again and just hope other things about the restaurant had improved.
Pros: Great vegan food in the heart of Manila, Walnut Tofu Burger , Very good choice
Cons: Bad service on the day I visited.
Chiqui Mabanta
Hello Kesia!
Read moreFirst of all, sorry for this really delayed response. Didn't see this until now! And a huge apology for the disappointing service. I hate that! (bad service and feeling unwelcome) Will have a huge discussion with the staff, even if this happened a while back. Thank you for the feedback! Hoping they will realize the effect they have on customers. They do get a lot of positive feedback from others though and unfortunately, you were there on a bad day. I know there shouldn't be bad days. Will forward your message and discuss (and yes, I should check on Happy Cow more often!) Again, thank you for the constructive feedback. Glad you liked the place and food anyway!
Sincerely,
Chiqui (the owner)
If you are still around, hoping you can come around for a meal :-)
Guest
robocop
Points +330
Reviews were correct - great place to eat - Edit
Great food, cheaper than in the states but maybe high for Manila. Everything was wonderful.
Read morePros: Great atmosphere, Good Vegan food, Good Service
Cons: Maybe not for those on a tight budget.
Guest
erbavore9
Points +246
great atmosphere, food is ok - Edit
The atmosphere is delightful.
Read moreThe servers are great.
The food is only ok.
The price is a bit high.
I've been to the Corner Tree more than 15 times over the past 5 years. The atmosphere keeps getting better, yet the food always stays the same. Its a great DATE place.
Pros: atmosphere, food quality
Cons: taste of food, price
Guest
robbie5050
Points +102
Very tasty food - Edit
I have visited this place now 5 times in 12 days with two of my meat eating friends. We have more or less ordered the entire menu between us.
Read moreI find all their food very tasty and could not fault it. The Spinach chowder soup . burger plate and pizza all excellent
The service is good even when busy but we have had a few small issues , we were overcharged one time and 2 times or food or drinks have been given to other tables.
The place its self is cute and very homely and music is ok.
Toilet is outside which is fine , also clean.
Coffee nice
Most of their juices come from a bottle so not great and none of us really liked any of them. They do in-house lemonade and Mango lassies which were goood.
Sweets / deserts again are all bought in and are just average but all vegan.
Average price for 3 is around 2000 - 2500 pestos except when you get over charged it can go to 3000. We did go back next day and they credited our account for next visit which they honoured.
Pros: Very Tasty, Good selection, Friendly Staff
Guest
xskx
Points +25
The best - Edit
Simply The best!
Read moreGuest
Bgilly
Points +377
Best Veg Restaurant In Makati - Edit
I'd even go as far as saying it is one of the better restaurants of any category in Makati. I don't hesitate in bringing my non-veg friends here, and they've all enjoyed it.
Read morePros: Taste, Selection
Chiqui Mabanta
Hi Bgilly,
Read moreThanks for that happy review! Glad you always enjoy your visits to the cafe.
Sincerely,
Chiqui Mabanta (owner)
Guest
Veganette
Points +30
Ok Food. Nice Atmosphere - Edit
The food is ok here. I've been several times trying to capture what other reviewers have found so great--but to no avail. Vegan dishes lack a lot. The Tofu Walnut Burger--as other reviewers have pointed out--is very dry. Even if you get gravy on it, it's still dry. Other dishes are not big or exciting but you can certainly find something to eat with ease. Sunday brunch vegan pancakes are quite good and a good portion. Don't expect a lot for your money though for other dishes. A side of tofu scramble for 100 pesos will get you about 2 tablespoons of tofu! My partner and I once ordered vegan pizza that was on their specials menu--and it was a half of a pita with sauce and dry cashew cheese sparsely drizzled on--and it wasn't cheap. I think the cooks may rely heavily on milk, eggs, and cheese--so perhaps the excellent reviews reflect vegetarian rather than vegan food here.
Read moreThey do carry a new vegan ice cream that is much better than their previous one! Chocolate cake is a toss up. Some people love it, I find it a bit dry. It's not made in house though, so no blame there.
My friends recommend the Kare Kare and the Arroz a la Cubana
Pros: All veg menu, good, new vegan ice cream, Vegan pancakes/Sunday brunch
Cons: not much for your money, vegan options lack a lot, service is lackluster
Guest
Gudrun
Points +4887
Nice place, good food - Edit
A nice and cozy place in busy Jupiter street. Friendly staff and a variety of international dishes among which three adaptions of traditional Philippine dishes. I went there four times and the food was always good, although it did not particularly wow me (I guess I had extremely high expectations due to reviews I read elsewhere).
Read moreEspecially I liked Kare-Kareng Gulay - a vegan version of a traditional Filipino stew made with fresh veggies and an organic peanut sauce, served with organic red rice and vegan "bagoong" (made of fermented beans instead of the traditional fermented shrimps). The vegan chocolate cake was very good. Only the vegan ice cream - something with "coconut kefir" I believe - was a bit of a disappointment, it was indeed VERY frozen and was served in a plastic bowl with cover and an unreadable sticker on top, and I did not feel it tasted good, to put it mildly.
Still, a great place, worth at least 4 stars!
Updated from previous review on Friday March 15, 2013
Pros: cozy place, good food, friendly staff
Chiqui Mabanta
Hi Gudrun,
Read moreThanks a lot for your feedback, both positive and negative! About the keffir ice cream, yes that is usually the problem. We don't make it but our local vegan ice cream makers find it difficult to reach a creamy texture because it doesn't contain dairy. They still haven't figured it out but will let them know again your feedback.
Thanks for taking the time to review and happy you were generally happy with our cafe :-)
Sincerely,
Chiqui Mabanta (owner)
Guest
PhysicsNinja
Points +39
Make sure you try the dukkah. - Edit
When some Filipino vegans I knew recommended Corner Tree Cafe, I was eager to taste their delicious looking cuisine I'd caught a glimpse of off Facebook.
Read moreI was greeted by smiles from the staff, and also noticed the owner herself was in the cafe with some friends. Undecided about what I wanted to have, I consulted the staff member who informed me that the tofu walnut burger would be the best choice as it was their best seller.
In the end I settled on dukkah, pumpkin soup and the tofu walnut burger with a side of organic salad. My favourite would have to be the dip, as the warm chunks of whole wheat bread were wonderfully crisp and went perfectly with the EVOO and dukkah itself. The pumpkin soup was okay but was not different to others that I have had before. The tofu burger was quite a large serving although again it was okay, but did not amaze me. Unfortunately the accompanying side salad was nothing special and made me regret not getting chips instead. I additionally ordered a slice of salted caramel cake to take away as its description made it hard to resist. The caramel was salty and gooey indeed, making a decadent dessert.
Overall although my first visit did not make me fall in love with the food, I still plan on trying other dishes because I am certain there will be something I will thoroughly enjoy.
Pros: A wide variety of choices, Good value
Cons: Lack of parking, Hard to spot signage
Chiqui Mabanta
Hi there. Sorry the TOfu Walnut Burger did not impress. It's funny because some people go there for that then we get a few like you. I guess it's difficult to get it right for everyone. Although it is one of our "topsellers". I personally wouldn't recommend it as a first-time dish precisely because it is not a 100% hit (maybe 80%). If you do come back, please try our Arroz ala Cubana, or the Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna, or the Tofu Teriyaki with shiitake mushrooms & asparagus over red rice. We also serve an excellent Veg Chili with Cornbread. Thanks for your helpful feedback anyway and sorry for the super late response!
Read moreChiqui
CTC
PhysicsNinja
Update:
Read moreRe-visited Corner Tree Cafe twice since my initial visit. On my first return I opted for the spinach pechay soup, the roasted chestnut soup (which was a special of the week), and arroz caldo. I thoroughly enjoyed the roasted chestnut soup and wish I could've had more. The arroz caldo was just as delicious, especially garnished with crunchy pieces of tofu on top. That was the first time ever in my life that I have had arroz caldo, and tasting CTC's version made me wonder why I have never had any before. So far, this is my favourite dish from the cafe.
The second time around I returned with family for a late lunch. Since no one else in my family is vegetarian they played it safe by ordering spinach lasagne and grilled cheese. Although at first my family, especially my youngest siblings were a bit skeptical,in the end they cleaned up their plates. I myself had the kare-kare, since every other restaurant I've been to use animal based stock. My favourite part about the dish was the vegan bagoong made of black beans; it beautifully complimented the kare-kare sauce.
Thank you for excellent customer service and for listening to all the reviews. I will make sure to try your suggestions, and hope you all the best! Also, congratulations on your award, it is well deserved.
Guest
procrastinasian
Points +273
Well worth a visit! (Make a reservation) - Edit
We were very glad that we took other reviewers' advice and made a reservation, as it was packed. The place is very cute inside, small and nicely decorated. There's A/C (yay!). The staff was very nice, and we chatted a little with the owner, too.
Read moreThere are a lot of non-vegan dishes, but they're clearly labelled, and we felt that we had enough vegan choices. (I'd still like to see more vegan options on the menu, though.)
We had a burger (good), a stew (ok), the carrot soup (amazing), a banana peanut shake (excellent), and chocolate cake (you must order it!). Everything came to just under $24, which is maybe expensive by Philippine standards, but seemed like a good value. I'd happily go back.
Guest
T2Veggie
Points +267
will definitely go again - Edit
The place can be packed, call ahead to reserve seating. This is one of the healthiest tasting meals I've had in Makati. I would be comfortable bringing friends and family, even if they are not vegetarian. We had the tofu burger, carrot soup, salad to share, lemonade, chocolate cake, orange sorbet. All were consistantly yummy. Service was great even though it was crowded. Cozy small space.
Read morePros: food, parking
Cons: parking
Guest
eatinggreen
Points +608
Wow, what a great find in Manila! - Edit
We stopped over in Manila on our way to Hawaii and had a few hours to kill between flights. We'd been informed by Hawaiian Airlines that they do not cater for "special diets" so procuring food was high priority. We grabbed cab and gave him a bunch of addresses, of which this one was deemed closest to the airport. So we hotfooted it through the famously awful traffic to get our green on.
Read moreAnd wow, what an awesome find! The menu was so great we ordered pretty much one of every main dish, plus 2 cakes, all to go. Whilst waiting we downed some fruit smoothies - refreshing and tropically tasty. The staff were great, smiling and polite. Considering the size of our order they did a pretty good job time-wise as well (we were pretty pressed for time but somehow made it!). The vibe inside was very relaxing, cosy and stylish. Couldn't help but be curious as to who the owner was and where they were from.
Some of the things we ordered were some indian 'meat'balls in a tomato-based sauce with cous cous (all very nice!), teriyaki tofu steak with shiitake mushrooms (very tasty!), some sort of local stew with rice (awesome!), a salad and olive ciabatta (amazingly tasty), the tofu-walnut burger (this was so close to the real thing it was almost too meaty for me - felt a little embarrassed eating it in the plane! haha but very, very good...), an organic mixed salad (variety of veges was a little disappointing but the dressing was very nice), the chocolate cake (light and fluffy isn't my style but enjoyable nevertheless) and the carrot cake (still sitting here waiting to be tried - this one isn't vegan and i'm a bit concerned the cream cheese might be too much for me..).
All in all, i wish this place was in japan where i live. i'd be here all the time.
Pros: unique and innovative menu, all tastes GREAT, cosy, tasteful vibe
Cons: perhaps could offer more fresh veges
Chiqui Mabanta
Nice to read the glowing review you gave! Thank you! I think I was there that day (I'm the owner). Funny because I just got back from a short trip to Tokyo and ate in 3 good vegetarian restaurants. Brown Rice Cafe (Shibuya), Eat More Greens (Azabu Juban) and a macrobiotic one on top of Isetan at Shinjuku. They were all very good I thought. And yes, must improve on our salad. Not my expertise. But thanks for all your comments :-) Hope to see you again. Chiqui
Read moreGuest
loulou.lou
Points +81
corner tree cafe - Edit
This small café has a homey feel and comfort food that's also healthy. Choose from the extensive menu of filling soups, fresh salads, and wholesome entrées, including stews, burgers, ethnic cuisine, and pasta. Corner Tree even has a Filipino dish of the month! Start off your meal by sharing the Starter Plate, a combination of Egyptian dukka and white-bean hummus served with chunks of whole-wheat bread and vegetable sticks. The Tofu Walnut Burger, served with sweet-potato fries or an organic green salad, is an absolute must-try. For more veg restos, visit: http://www.petaasiapacific.com/feature-VegEatingInThePhilippines.asp
Read moreGuest
Green Monster
Points +63
Fabulous food but a little pricey - Edit
Tucked away at a cosy corner in Bel-Air Village, Corner Tree Cafe offers the best food I've tried in Manila thus far. I just can't get enough of it!!! I had the peanut butter banana smoothie yesterday. Vegans can opt for it to be made with soymilk. My soymilk version was thick, rich, creamy, sweet and salty at the same time. It was SO GOOD.
Read moreStarters include the white bean hummus with whole wheat bread and vegetable sticks. I totally recommend it. THe spaghettini with olive oil, garlic, choice of toasted almonds or pine nuts and broccoli was a simple and elegant dish but oh-so-delicious.
My father didn't find the tofu walnut burger that great, but the sweet potato fries were fantastic. They were lightly salted, not oily, and tasted very fresh. Their banana toffee pie utterly melts in your mouth. Vegans can scrape away the layer of whipped cream on top, which is what I did. Here's a call to the chef to use soy whipped cream instead, please!!
Pros: GREAT FOOD, really nice interior
Cons: Cab driver did not know how to get there, A little pricey
Guest
bad.sneakers
Points +31
glorious taste - Edit
great food and ambience.
Read morePros: healthy, reasonable, good service
Guest
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