10 best cosy cafés in Hong Kong to try this winter

Something about the chilly weather makes us want to curl up in a cosy corner with a riveting read and hot cup of coffee in hand. Part café, part bookstore, Books & Co. provides the perfect nook for just that—bringing together the magical combination of books and coffee, and allowing visitors to take refuge in the world of literature in a quaint coffee shop ambience.

Although the shop is small—seating only about a handful of customers—options nonetheless abound both book and food-wise. You’ll find among the overflowing, sky-high bookshelves a diverse mix of both new and secondhand books in English and Chinese. Once you’ve picked out your read of the day, settle into a wooden table and drool over a tempting menu of toasties, sandwiches, pasta, cakes, and drinks!

Books & Co., 10 Park Road, Mid-Levels, Central | (+852) 2559 5199

Sharing the space with an eco-friendly furniture store, Tree Café practically drips in homespun comfort. This upstairs cafe in Ap Lei Chau is designed to look like a homely living room, spruced up with hanging houseplants, sofas, and children’s toys like dolls, books, and even wooden rocking chairs. While the central space screams rustic-chic, a seat by the window will afford you majestic views of the South China Sea!

Savour a relaxing afternoon here sipping on a hot latte in-between bites of a toothsome lemon tart. If you’re after a full meal, the menu also covers plenty of hearty Western and Mediterranean-inspired dishes like toasted cheese, avocado, and homemade tomato chutney ciabatta, Thai tuna wrap, and veggie bowl.

Tree Café, 28/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau | (+852) 2870 1586

Fittingly located on Maple Street, Fonji Café takes inspiration from amber maple leaves, an iconic harbinger of cold weather. Coupled with Japanese-style vintage décor, moody colours, and mid-century oak furnishing, this photogenic neighbourhood hideaway is the epitome of all things warm and cosy.

Just in case the ambience wasn’t enough, the menu is chock-full of fusion Japanese cakes and drinks that will have you feeling toasty inside and out. Treat yourself to the signature maple caffè latte accompanied by a Sakura shrimp soy dandan udon and seasonal-exclusive Earl Grey tea chiffon cream cake!

Fonji Café, 5 Maple Street, Prince Edward | (+852) 2445 5441

Stylish coffee shop by day, ambient whisky bar by night, Café Hachiko makes for an inviting escape from the stresses of life no matter the time of visit. Swoon over the dark tones and sleek marble tables before saturating your senses with a bevy of Japanese-fusion food and drinks, including menu standouts like the mentaiko pasta with soy sauce, Hachiko French toast, and Uji matcha red bean latte. We would recommend snagging one of the tufted leather booth seats for the cosiest experience, but be warned— you might never want to leave once you plop yourself down!

Café Hachiko, 8/F, Ladder Dundas, 575 Nathan Road, Mong Kok | (+852) 5722 7290

Step through the blue vintage double doors and find yourself transported to the loving home of a nineteenth-century Parisian collector. Occupying a quiet street corner in Sheung Wan, this aesthetic French-style café fits right in the middle of the Venn Diagram of vintage, cosy, and elegant—think floor-to-ceiling window drapes, snug armchairs, and antique wooden homeware such as a typewriter and piano.

Luxuriate in the peaceful environment and watch the world go by through the window as you sip on java and fill up on rustic French bistro eats. Lé Galet offers two- to three-course lunch sets that feature the likes of carrot and orange cream soup, scallop and asparagus risotto, homemade fettuccine carbonara, prime sirloin, and more! For an elevated experience, give the six-course tasting menu a try.

Lé Galet, 25 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong | (+852) 9866 1464

With a name meaning “home” or “house” in Japanese, Uchi brings a touch of warmth and comfort to customers with its cosy atmosphere and wholesome food items. The café’s various locations sport a bright yet cosy interior that is minimalist and spacious, furnished with wooden chairs and tables set up to resemble a zashiki (a traditional Japanese room). Enjoy a variety of Japanese delicacies across lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner offerings, including salmon roe and eel ochazuke, pork cutlet curry with rice or noodles, and a grilled cheese and mushroom hamburger set. Uchi is also famous for its desserts, with sweet courses such as hojicha mousse cake and chestnut chocolate chiffon, while its speciality drinks, such as osmanthus latte and black sesame latte, are also worth a try.

Uchi Coffee, locations across Kowloon and the New Territories

Located in the bustling neighbourhood of Causeway Bay, Mercury Recalls offers visitors a laid-back and alternative environment. The vinyl-themed café features a dimmed and dark interior contrasted by wooden shelves and furniture, accented by a retro decoration. Don’t be afraid to browse through the vinyl collection on display at the store, pick your tune, and set the mood for your visit.

Enjoy items off the lunch and brunch set menu, such as the signature Mercury Recalls all-day breakfast, which is a grand affair of creamy scrambled eggs with caviar, roast beef, French butter potatoes, and more, while the smoked salmon eggs Benedict with English muffins offers a comforting start to the day. Homemade sweets include the refreshing elderflower, apple, and Earl Grey tea tart and the seasonal purple sweet potato almond cream tart, perfect for pairing with a hot cup of coffee.

Mercury Recalls, Shop A, G/F, Fairview Mansion, 51 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay | (+852) 9283 2159

Although not quite a café, tea expert Chas Long Long Ago offers such an inviting environment and serves such wholesome dishes that we felt it deserved a mention. The tea room sports a dark wooden interior accented by grey concrete floors and decorative mood lighting. Combining flavours from regional Chinese cuisines with Western culinary techniques, guests are treated to a selection of fusion items that are innovative yet comforting. Sit back and enjoy a wide variety of tea paired with items such as the Sichuan-style dandan fettuccine, tea-smoked chicken with lotus leaf-shaped pancake, and aged tangerine peel pu’er tea roll cake.

Chas Long Long Ago, Shop B, G/F, Chik Sin House, 77–81 Chik Shun Street, Tai Wai