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MANILA -- Finding The Bake House inside Shangri-La at the Fort is easy. Just use your nose to follow the scent of freshly baked pastries and brewed coffee.

The Bake House is a unique hotel coffee shop. While other hotels have chairs and tables out in their hotel lobby, this one is enclosed in its own separate area, richly encased in warm wood and comfy lighting. The space has inviting nooks and crannies to catch up on work while waiting for your next meeting or to just lay back and relax with a favorite espresso concoction with a pastry or two at your side. The scent of baked goods coming out of the oven is enough to lull one to relax to the beats of the staff curated playlist.

The Bake House collaborated with Tobey’s Estate for its coffee, which are full-bodied and strong as they should be. However, there are more hot beverages besides a cup of joe that can be ordered. One of the more unusual drinks is the cauli-cappuccino. This keto-friendly drink does away with dairy and instead uses cauliflower milk. Coffee lovers still get the froth but none of the lactose. The taste of cauliflower and coffee takes some getting used to, but it is definitely a healthier alternative to a traditional latte or cappuccino.

The hot chocolate of The Bake House is an experiential drink. The chocolate comes in big pretty cyclindrical chunks molded on what looks like popsicle sticks. You are given warm milk and you stir the chocolate in to melt it. As the chocolate melts, the popsicle stick is revealed to be a wooden spoon.

As seen with the cauli-ccino, The Bake House has a healthy spin behind it. All of the baked goods are made with natural and trans-fat free ingredients. There is a dizzying array of turnovers, croissants and cakes that feasts for the eyes and the sweet tooth.

For those looking for a heavier meal, The Bake House has savory offerings such as toasts and sandwiches. There is a belief that the more colorful a dish is, the healthier it is. The Avocado and Stracciatella, and Prosciutto and Arugula toasts on top of sourdough are satisfying meals for those looking for a light and healthy meal.

It is also aiming to be a zero-waste establishment. The Conscious Cookie, The Bake House’s take on the compost cookie, is edible proof that this advocacy is taken very seriously. Ingredients that don’t make it into the other products get saved instead of thrown away and made into this cookie. Thus, no two cookies will ever taste the same as the baked products change from day to day.

The Bake House also prides itself in using biodegradable recyclable packaging shunning the use of single-use plastics. The shop even gives discounts for coffee for customers who bring their own mugs.

Overall, The Bake House is a different kind of coffee shop/hotel lounge combo. The alluring aroma of fresh coffee and freshly baked pastries combined with the warm interiors make it a comfortable to place to escape the hustle and bustle of Bonifacio Global City even for a little while.

The Bake House is located at the ground floor of Shangri-La at the Fort and is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.