Dumaguete's cafe scene is better than you would guess from the city's size, and the reason is Silliman University. A large student body creates sustained demand for coffee and places to sit and study, and a cluster of small cafes has grown up around the campus to meet it. Most are unpretentious: decent espresso, good wifi, air-conditioning, and the background noise of students arguing about their coursework.
The bar scene is quieter, centred loosely around the boulevard and the streets running off it. There is a small expat population that gravitates to a handful of places with cold beer and a view of the water. Hayahay is the benchmark — a beachfront bar that has been a local fixture long enough to have earned its reputation without trying to trade on it.