Filipino cafe Taguan named Cafe of the Year at Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards

Taguan, the Filipino cafe in Darlington run by Jose Margo Flores and Vincent Baquiran, won Cafe of the Year at the 42nd Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards at Carriageworks.

Taguan, a Filipino cafe in the Sydney suburb of Darlington, has been named Cafe of the Year at the 42nd annual Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards, held at Carriageworks on Monday. The Sydney Morning Herald published the winners on 26 October 2026.

The Sydney Morning Herald described Taguan as “a two-storey terrace where owner-operators Jose Margo Flores and Vincent Baquiran created a true third space, welcoming all with the flavours and familiarity of their Filipino home.” The award is presented as the T2 Tea Cafe of the Year.

In its write-up, Good Food said Taguan promises a “home away from home” for the Filipino diaspora, “but everyone’s welcome”. It singled out toasties with purple ube halaya and molten cheese, a queso fundido with crumbled longganisa sausage, and a pork adobo from a family recipe, served on garlic rice, which it called the comforting signature dish.

From Baguio to Sydney

According to the cafe’s own story, Taguan began during the pandemic in the Philippines as a small cafe corner inside a restaurant in Baguio, after a decision to leave Metro Manila for the mountains. The idea came to Sydney in 2023.

The cafe says downstairs is for everyday visits, with coffee, meals and quiet moments, while upstairs is reserved for more intimate gatherings, shared tables and special occasions. “A hideaway, but never a closed one,” it says. “Everyone is welcome.”

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