When A Clothing Company offers Food: Bench Cafe

It's been a few months that Bench Cafe opened in Highstreet in BGC. As I pass along every single day, I always ponder how will the experience be? As much as I like going to Bench (to buy clothes and now have my haircut -- at Bench Barbers), I was skeptical on how the food and drinks will be.

For starter, Bench Cafe is not your typical cafe that focuses on coffee, but have focused on offering casual dining food highlighting Filipino dishes like Adobo, Kare-Kare, Lechon Kawali, Inasal and Kaldereta to name a few.

But don't be confused when you enter Bench in Highstreet as it still offers its clothing and apparel, just go up to the second floor and you will be greeted with their staff in Bench Cafe to be seated (and a part of it as well, is an entrance to their clothing and apparel area).

I tried the Lechon Kawali with Pinakbet Set which costs P299 which is served with white rice. You can upgrade your rice to Garlic, Dilis, Bagoong for P20 or Talangka Rice for P40. The Lechon Kawali is served in a loose brown gravy sauce and the Pinakbet nicely complements the Lechon Kawali. Also, other than the main dishes they serve, they also have some Merienda, Silog Sets, Salads and Desserts. A point to note is that when you order their set meals, it is served in an aluminum tray.

As for my drink, I tried their facinating Ube Grass Latte, which is a combination of Ube Halaya, Lemon Grass and Robusta Barako Coffee. My latte was good, with a hint of sweetness from the ube and lemongrass, tasted more of the ube. Interesting enough my food was served faster than my drink, which is a downside on their speed of service for their drinks. I haven't tried their cold beverages (including their Halo-Halo), which looks pretty good -- maybe some other time.

Their interior looks good, focusing on a casual dining experience, lights are brought in by natural lights that elevates the dining. I didn't get a change to take a photo of the staircase from above (which looks cool and neat). The seats are quite comfortable and table arrangements have good spacing.

As for their service, their staff are always smiling and very helpful. They respond fast in my requests and very courteous. My one point to notice is the service in the bar which was slow, so if you want your drinks to be served immediate, make sure you order it first before your food comes. By the way, Bench Cafe has service charge, so if you want to give additional, it's on your own discretion.

Bench Cafe
Second Floor, Bench Flagship Store, Bonifacio High Street,
9th Avenue Corner Lane O, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Opening Hours
Sundays to Thursdays: 11am - 10pm
Fridays to Saturdays: 11am - 11pm

Travel to Feast Ratings 
Coffee: 2/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Value of Money: 4/5
Over-All Experience: 3/5