A Soothing Afternoon Treat at The Fort Strip’s Dipdenza

For almost a decade, The Fort has evolved into a new world that offers the latest and newest craze that we could enjoy while battling the metro traffic and heart. For one, it became one of the hottest spots for clubbing and night-out, then became a destination for new-concept restaurants that offers nothing but the freshest idea on food and beverages. And now, as it becomes more family friendly, The Fort Strip welcomes its newest hangout place that coffee lovers could enjoy – Dipdenza.

An international coffee shop brand that brings in the best coffee beans in the world, Dipdenza is an original concept of Angeli Albana, who’s love for coffee has gone beyond her imagination and liking. 

“Dipdenza is a play on the Italian word ‘dipendenza,’ which means addiction,” she shares.

On my first visit at its simple yet very accommodating shop, I must say that there’s really nothing too fancy about it aside from its friendly location, The Fort Strip. The shop is so easy to find and has an enough space to welcome more than a dozen of guests. 

The simplicity of the place continues to its counter where you could check out their well-filled menu board. If you are a fan of well-known coffee shop brands, you’d notice the resemblance of their menu to those shops – only their prices are quite reasonable, most especially to their Gourmet Sandwiches and Pastas.

Dipdenza offers four types of beverages – the Hot, the Frappes, the Chillers or Juices, the Shakes and the Smoothies.

At first, you wouldn’t really notice the difference of their offerings to those familiar beverages, but once you've tasted, you’d know immediately the distinct flavor that they wanna share to their guests.

With Europeans' way of drinking coffee as their major influence, Dipdenza’s selection of coffee drinks and beverages range from something smooth that even kids could have, to mild that are perfect for afternoon like the one that we had, to strong that are just great for those who need to extend their night.

One offering that would really make me go back is their Premium Peanut Butter Frappuccino – a generous combination of sweetener that really lingers to my sweet tooth.

Premium Peanut Butter Frappuccino

For their Gourmet Sandwiches, out of the four that I tried - the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, the Beef and Cheese Warps, the Smoked Turkey Sandwich and the Ciabatta Tuna Sandwich – I’d say that I loved the combination in the Smoked Turkey Sandwich. Given that our country isn’t really a turkey-eating nation, this will surprise you on how well they pulled it off. My second choice will be the Ciabatta Tuna Sandwich because of its “green and light” overall appeal.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

Beef and Cheese Warps

Ciabatta Tuna Sandwich

For the Pastas, out of the three that we devour – the Creamy Chicken Carbonara, the Spanish Sardines Aglio Olio, and the Pasta Bolognese with Sun-Dried Tomato – I’d be very biased to say that the Creamy Chicken Carbonara gave so much comfort to me that goes perfectly well to my afternoon.

Creamy Chicken Carbonara

Spanish Sardines Aglio Olio

Pasta Bolognese with Sun-Dried Tomato 

We ended our interesting afternoon with their Choco Lava Cake and a hot cup of coffee, which made more enticing by their barista by adding some art to it. If you are feeling special, don’t hesitate to ask their young group of barista to serve you something nice to eyes and palette, and I bet they’d be delighted to please you – I had fun.

Choco Lava Cake

Brewed Coffee with Art

So, if you are looking for a new coffee-slash-hangout place to hit in the metro without the usual coffee crowd, hit Dipdenza at the Fort Strip now. You can check the out too on Facebook (facebook.com/Dipdenza), on Twitter (@DipdenzaCoffee) and on Instagram (@DipdenzaCoffee).

Happy eating!