New ‘pinipilahan’ Binondo cafe looks straight out of Vietnam

Still Cafe is getting attention for its old school look, towering bookshelves, and retro curiosities

Walk into Still Cafe and, for a moment, Binondo gives way to something that feels distinctly Ho Chi Minh City.

The newly opened Vietnamese-inspired café began drawing attention online after a member of the Where to Drink Coffee PH Facebook group shared photos from a visit on Oct. 2, showing its spiral staircase, towering bookshelves, and vintage trinkets.

A day later, a Threads user posted a clip of visitors lining up outside the building, with the queue stretching toward the other street.

Still Cafe officially opened on Oct. 1 after announcing its soft opening on Sept. 18, though it first appeared online in August.

Located on 380 Jaboneros Street, it immediately catches the eye with its brown facade, glass frontage, and warm yellow glow at night—marked by a large “STILL” sign tilted vertically across the building. Inside, the 500-square-meter cafe opens into a sprawling collection of curious, antique finds.

Still Cafe says it houses around 20,000 books. The cafe takes on a brutalist, industrial-vintage look, with bare concrete walls, towering shelves, and old objects such as pots, ceramics, sewing machines, film cameras, typewriters, clocks, and VHS tapes filling its slightly cluttered interiors.

The space is practically built for Instagram, with its interiors offering plenty of backdrops for even the most low-effort Story posts. Heck, even the “performative males” can get away with it.

The Vietnamese influence, however, goes beyond the interiors.

Still Cafe says it uses Vietnamese Robusta and Arabica beans and serves coffee through the traditional phin filter, a slow-dripping metal brewer associated with Vietnamese coffee. Its menu includes Hanoi Egg Coffee, while cold brew and fruit tea are also available.

Pastries and desserts are being served as well, although the cafe notes that its current selection is still on a trial run. Its full food menu is yet to be announced.

For those who wish to stay longer, the cafe has Wi-Fi and power outlets for working or studying. Pets, for now, are not allowed.

Now, barely days into its official run, people are already lining up to see what the fuss is about.

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