As the specialty coffee community grows, it’s reach grows with it. No longer being reserved for just Metro Manila, shops and roasters have begun opening across different cities across the country. Cebu City in the Visayas Region is one such city, with a multitude of new specialty shops opening, as well as shops that have begun offering specialty coffee. One shop of note has become quite the place to go, thanks to its excellent coffee selections and its great vibe.

Tightrope Coffee opened in September of 2018, with much fanfare from the local

specialty coffee community.  From the moment you enter the shop, you’re greeted by the sight of a sleek La Marzocco Strada, with the Tightrope logo on the machine. They don’t mess around when it comes to equipment too. They use a Mahlkonig Peak Espresso Grinder (probably the first to use one in the country), and an EK43s for their filter coffees. With great coffee equipment comes a need for great coffee to serve, and for filter, they serve seasonal coffees from La Cabra Coffee Roasters from Denmark, while their espresso comes from the gents over at Yardstick in Manila. Coffees are made on Copper Kalita Wave Tsubames on top of Kinto Servers. Kettles are also from Kinto, and their coffees are served in custom ceramics from MK Studio in Copenhagen.

The interiors are another point of focus for the shop. It’s black quartz countertop at the bar is perfect for reflective shots, just the kind of thing for the Instagram generation. The walls have been kept raw, giving that nice cement look that’s become quite the attraction as of late. Their baristas are decked in aprons to give that nice professional look, reminiscent of Nordic coffee shops. It’s safe to say that everything about the shop has been well thought out.

Tightrope is not to be missed when visiting Cebu. It’s not only one of the best-looking specialty shops to open locally, but the coffee is really put front and center as the star of the shop.

Tightrope Coffee

ML Quezon cor. F. Cabahug

Cebu City