“The best dreams happen when you’re awake.” – Cherie Gilderbloom

I’ve found the best place to dream when you’re awake. In Dreamland Arts and Crafts Café located at Narra St. in Villa Lourdes Lipa City, you can visualize your dreams, relax, have fun and enjoy good food in the process.

Don’t let its unassuming exterior fool you. Once you enter this cozy café, it’s like stepping into your own version of a Dreamland.

The Interiors of Dreamland Lipa

I can only describe it as an organized and beautiful chaos. At first, it would seem like somebody had too much fun mixing and matching things, but look around and you’ll appreciate how the lovely interior was put together. You’ll be hard-pressed to see two sets of matching things, and that’s okay. That’s lovely.

Phoebe, aka Tsang, explained it all. The humble owner is a self-confessed salvager of anything old but still useful. She’s known for asking relatives and friends for old things that are just lying around and turning them into something that fits the Dreamland culture – old but beautiful.

It’s important to note that they’ve moved to a bigger AND better location. While the old location was cozy and charming, Dreamland Arts & Crafts Cafe’s present location is very promising. More people can be accommodated and with the bigger space, there are now more spaces and corners to explore and things to do.

Here are some pictures of the cafe’s interiors.

If school cafeterias have a dreamy version, this is it.

As a bonus, their new location has more parking spaces.

Dreamland Arts and Crafts Cafe Boutique

We all know that they’re very popular for their handmade dreamcatchers. Popular actors and actresses order them. Of course, being an arts and crafts store, you can also see a lot of arts and crafts materials for sale. The cafe also sells some interesting pieces of indie clothing. Make sure to check out their boutique while you’re waiting for your food.

Disconnect to Connect

Just like in their old location, don’t bother asking for the wifi password because there’s none. Dreamland Arts & Crafts Café encourages people to “disconnect to connect”. We did just that as we talked to the lovely and lively Tsang for almost 2 hours. I can’t remember the last time when I just talked to someone for that long without fiddling with my phone.

So bring a date or your friends and just talk. You can also borrow board games, do arts and crafts and even play the guitar. Of course, take a lot of pictures!

The Food of Dreamland Cafe

If you’re looking to grab a quick bite, it’s best that you go elsewhere. But if you’re looking to enjoy good food and you’re willing to wait, their food will prove that the wait is worth it.

To quote Tsang:

“Sa fast food nga “willing to wait” tayo maski 15 minutes sa chicken eh.”

Just for the record, our order was served in around 30 minutes. Tsang told me that wait times can be as long as an hour if they’re packed. But as soon as you take your first bite, the wait will prove to be worth it. Besides with the many spots and corners to check out, the wait time wouldn’t seem that long!

They have a lot of dishes on their menu. Asked for her favorite, Tsang said that it’s impossible to pick just one because every dish is a product of her team’s passion and love. Even if that’s not the case, I understand why it’s hard to choose because of the great menu options available.

She also explained the higher than normal prices. She wants quality food prepared from scratch using quality ingredients, but wants it to be worth it. This explains why some of their dishes are good enough for 2 people.

Just to give you an idea, the fries are hand cut per order, so no frozen fries here! This justifies the longer than usual wait time. Hey, if they prepare my food from scratch and it’s delicious, then sign me up!

Let’s start with the Hippiest Potato Nachos.

This is not your usual nachos because they don’t use chips. They use their signature crispy mojos as the chips, which by themselves are amazing by the way. So imagine how good this dish is as their popular mojos are topped with minced beef, chopped bell pepper, tomatoes and cucumber with a healthy drizzle of melted cheese.

This salad in a jar is nice to look at.

The ingredients are crisp and fresh. You don’t have to worry because this is served with a big bowl so you toss the ingredients in there. Choose between Caesar salad dressing and strawberry vinaigrette for the dressing.

We mentioned the hand cut fries. They go perfectly with the Indie Wings of Love.

The wings are sweet and tangy with a hint of heat. Nice barrage of flavors that’s not confusing to the taste buds.

Chicken and waffles are huge in the US, and Dreamland Arts & Crafts Cafe has their own version.

I loved this combination. Sweet and savory flavors are perfectly married in this dish.

Whenever I visit Dreamland Cafe Lipa, I never fail to get the Good Vibes inna’ Wrap.

You can choose from tuna, chicken, beef and vegetables. I’ve seen how this is made and I can tell you that it’s loaded with fillings. This dish, especially since it’s served with cheesy potato wedges, can satisfy two people.

We also tried the Solid Breakfast Bowl.

This is probably the most fun breakfast bowl out there. Each bowl comes with cereals, vanilla ice cream and your choice of 2 fruits. I call it the Solid Breakfast/Dessert Bowl so that you don’t have to wait for breakfast to enjoy it. Feel free to order it as dessert.

They also have nice and filling meals. The shanghai lover in me gives two thumbs up to Shanghai ni Ruth.

I hope to meet Ruth soon so I can shake the hand of the maker of these meaty and tasty meat rolls.

If you prefer fish, get the Dreaming Dory.

I loved the big dory slices that goes perfectly well with the Moringa rice.

NOTE: Their rice meals come with Moringa rice so you can feel good about eating more rice.

Dreamland Cafe also launched a new rice meal – Indie Spicy Chic.

This is basically a spicy chicken mushroom dish that’s tamed a bit with the sweetness of ground panutsa. Yes, panutsa the popular pasalubong! Loved this dish!

You can also get it as a pasta dish.

It’s also great with pasta noodles!

Sweets and Drinks of Dreamland Lipa City

Dreamland Arts and Crafts Cafe has you covered if you have a sweet tooth. In addition to the Solid Breakfast/Dessert Bowl, you can also try the Mamung’s Matcha Mambo.

It’s their take on the popular chocolate and matcha combination, and they did a great job!

Speaking of matcha, you can also try the Artsy Matcha Waffle.

Work of art, isn’t it?

Of course, every bite should be followed with either a refreshing drink or a sweet treat.

We tried the Indie Green’s Kalamychee, Indie Green’s Moringa Mansi, Indie Minty Strawberry and Indie Minty Pinomansi. They’re all very refreshing. They’re also not so sweet so you can enjoy them with frappes.

Speaking of frappes, they also have a nice selection of Frappes-A-Dream.

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They’re all good, so it’s just a matter of choosing depending on your favorite flavor (or color).

What if you’re looking to enjoy a bit of alcohol after the satisfying meal? Check out the Kalameister.

This is a nice concoction of honeymansi, Jagermeister and mint.

They also carry Avvaken.

This is one of the most popular craft beers out there and is a good choice if it’s your first time to try a craft beer.

If you’re feeling a bit sophisticated, try the Sangria de Fruita.

This is a sophisticated mix of fruit wine, fruits and mint.

Dreamland Arts & Crafts Cafe Menu

As you can see, we were able to try out a lot of dishes and drinks. Believe me when I say that we still have to try a lot more. Check out their menu.

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With how we loved the dishes and drinks we’ve tried, I’m sure I’ll love most of the things on their menu.

Visit Dreamland Cafe Lipa City Today!

I’m thinking that Dreamland Arts & Crafts Café is a place that you’ll either love or hate. You’ll hate it if you hate waiting for your food or you love your smartphone too much. You’ll love it if you love good food and spending time with your loved ones while enjoying a cozy ambiance. Judging from the good reviews that they’ve been getting on their Facebook fan page and my own experience, there’s a good chance that you’ll love it. It’s worth a try!

Make sure to watch this vid!

Contact Details

Address: Narra St. Villa Lourdes Subdivision Lipa City (see below for map)

Dreamland Map
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The road straight to Dreamland (with Calda Pizza on the corner) was one-way when we visited so you may need to turn a right on Yakal St.

Fan Page

Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 8 AM to 10 PM

Contact Number: 0977 826 3271

Disclaimer and Disclosure

 

 

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