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Header image courtesy of @lizeatery (via Instagram)
Most people say that the world is obsessed with Australian coffee culture, but Hong Kong comfortably holds its own with a roster of outstanding cafés. Small as the city may be, our neighbourhoods are brimming with boutique coffee shops, and new openings are popping up across Hong Kong every week. Join us as we follow the irresistible waft of freshly ground coffee beans to the latest and greatest café and coffee shop openings in Hong Kong.
Satisfy your sweet tooth at Latter, a chic new addition to the burgeoning indie coffee shop scene in Wan Chai. This picture-perfect spot is decked out in pastel tones of cream and buttercup-yellow, with cute wicker chairs and cabochon floor tiles.
The pet-friendly café offers a number of coffee drinks, of course, including the visually appealing coconut espresso ($60), which offers a light, coconutty alternative to the now-ubiquitous espresso tonic. However, the sweets are the main attraction for many of Latter’s customers, with fan-favourites like the Thai-inspired mango sticky rice chiffon cake ($58) and Thai milk tea scone ($42), as well as the oozy matcha lava bagel ($48).
Latter, Shop E, Kam Sing Mansion, 151–161 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai
Yet another new pet-friendly café to pop up on our radar is Mixo, a cute lunch-friendly spot in the hip Poho neighbourhood. While its sign is rather discreet, you can spot Mixo from a mile away by its striking viridian façade and large street-facing window, where customers (both two- and four-legged) can perch and watch the world go by.
The moody green and black colour palette continues inside, where you can curl up on the sumptuous hunter green velvet banquette while enjoying a shakerato ($45) or cold brew ($50). The cookies ($30), Basque burnt cheesecakes ($58), and pastries ($25) all make for a lovely afternoon pick-me-up, but the brunch menu is equally tempting with signatures like the truffle mushroom orecchiette ($138) and classic carbonara ($128).
Mixo, 26 Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan
Missing your winter trips to Hokkaido? Pop by Yama Coffee, a two-storey, pet-friendly coffee shop in Yau Ma Tei. Everything here is inspired by ski holidays in Japan, from the snowboard bench out front to its name (山; mountain) and Mount Fuji-patterned cups.
Peruse the collection of Japanese knick-knacks at the cute upstairs gallery, or people-watch from the snowboard bench while you sip on a white coffee ($38). The coffee is made with mid-roasted beans from Sprout, a popular café and roastery in Niseko, and rich, fresh milk from Hakodate. If you happen to be there between 1 pm and 6 pm, you may also be lucky enough to get a pet portrait from their in-house illustrator, Tracy!
Yama Coffee, 15C Pitt Street, Yau Ma Tei
This new opening from the team behind Club Rangoon turns its gaze away from Myanmar and towards Norway instead. Occupying a quiet stretch of Hollywood Road opposite the picturesque Man Mo Temple, this cosy Scandinavian café is designed to be a respite from busy city life—hence the name, which means “home” in Norwegian.
The coffee blends, which are sourced from all over the world, are presented in drinks that bear a distinctive Nordic twist, such as the honey milk golden latte ($45) or lemon & raspberry posset affogato ($60). Pair these with the giant cinnamon & cardamom bun rolls ($98), or go with something from the savoury menu, like the smørrebrod (starting from $108) or meatballs ($118) with mashed potatoes and lingonberries.
Hjem, 161 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan | (+852) 2362 9193
Playing on their diminutive takeaway space, the Kremaro Cannon Grind shopfront is decorated to look like a sleek coffee truck, complete with a side door, takeaway window, and matrix sign board broadcasting messages.
Despite its limited real estate, Kremaro offers quite a wide variety of coffees and teas, with their tea lattes (starting from $43) comprising not just matcha and hojicha, but a hybrid hoji-matcha flavour, too. If you’re in the mood for something a little sweeter, we recommend the thick hot chocolate ($38), which you can top with marshmallows & almonds ($5) for a little added texture.
Kremaro Cannon Grind, 2 Cannon Street, Causeway Bay
What with croffles, canelés, and street toast, café-hopping can be a little bit of an indulgence—but not at Kefi. This pet-friendly, Australian-inspired spot is all about guilt-free feasting, with plates like protein waffles ($148) and homemade kimchi cauliflower rice with scallops ($128) coming with healthier alternatives to common ingredients like syrup and white rice.
Everything on the menu is designed to be low in both carbs and calories, with the net carbs listed next to each item. Order a long black ($40) to wash it all down with if you want to do things the Aussie way, but we have also heard good things about the red date latte ($55) and shakerato-esque creamy black ($65).
Kefi, 165–175 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town
Horticultural décor abounds at From Scratch, with wooden crates, log stools, and giant houseplants serving as a rustic counterpoint to the industrial fittings and colour palette.
Besides the requisite coffee drinks—black ($30), dirty ($35), espresso tonic ($45), and the like—From Scratch also offers a wide variety of fruit sodas (starting from $38), savoury snacks and mains, and desserts. Other than the vodka rigatoni ($98), the butterscotch mochi ($48) is perhaps the most popular dish on the menu, featuring homemade mochi with a bruléed topping inspired by Almond Roca.
Weather willing, there’s nothing nicer than enjoying this sweet treat out on their terrace, where you can admire the greenery of their miniature herb garden and soak in some rays.
From Scratch, 21 Western Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 9220 5717
If it weren’t for the “Kaffee” in its name, we would assume this new opening in Tuen Mun was a teahouse, with its tranquil ambience and Japanese-inspired interiors replete with blond wood fittings and natural materials. Happily, there are plenty of options for both coffee and tea, with the Japan-loving couple who founded Kaffee Jen populating the menu with premium genmaicha ($55) and Kagoshima green tea ($50), among others.
Besides drinks, Kaffee Jen offers a menu of light bites and desserts, with savoury dishes like the spinach feta lattice pastry ($42) and croissant with butter ($26) being particularly popular. The café will also act as a venue for various workshops, including coffee-brewing classes and courses on leatherworking and aromatherapy.
Kaffee Jen, 4 Kin Fat Lane, Tuen Mun
Annette is an editor and copywriter with a lifetime of experience in hunting out the most interesting, odd, and delightful things about her beloved home city. Having written extensively about everything from food and culture to fashion, music, and hospitality, she considers her speciality to be Hong Kong itself. In her free time, you can find Annette trying out new dumpling recipes or playing Big Two at her favourite local bars with a cocktail in hand.
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