Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get our top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
Header image courtesy of Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation
Do you know of any neighbourhoods in Hong Kong that come with their own motto? Hong Kong Science Park has one: “Work. Live. Play. Learn.” Developed in the early 2000s, Hong Kong Science Park is a hub for scientific development and tech incubation—a small-scale Silicon Valley of sorts. Following a global trend, science parks have emerged all over the world, bringing universities and companies together to further innovation; these parks have turned into campus-like neighbourhoods, offering a high-quality living environment.
Nestled between the Sha Tin and Tai Po districts, Hong Kong Science Park and its various facilities provide a modern, organised space to foster community living and working. Read on for our favourite things to do, see, and eat in Hong Kong Science Park.
A lesser-known place to go for wakeboarding and wakesurfing, Hong Kong Science Park is just as good as Tai Tam Reservoir or Sai Kung. Conveniently located by the Tolo Harbour, with its pedestrian pier just across the main street, Hong Kong Science Park makes the high-energy water sport easily accessible. Plenty of companies offer both wakeboarding and wakesurfing services, such as 3rideHK, Tai Po Wakeboard, and HK Wake School. Most have multiple boat models available according to your preferences, all with different price options too (the hourly rate is notably cheaper than in other locations in Hong Kong). For a cost, you can hire an extra coach if you are looking to learn a few new skills.
Grab a bike—there’s a lovely cycling path along the Tolo Harbour that’s wide and spacious and has no incline to speak of. Although it’s only one kilometre long and a bit of a short distance for cycling, it fits into the area’s traffic-free biking trails! Recommended routes passing through Hong Kong Science Park include the 21-kilometre ride from Tai Wai to Tai Mei Tuk, where you can enjoy beautiful views over the Plover Cove Reservoir, among other things. Shorter trail options are also available, especially if you have kids in tow.
Despite the fact that it is fairly developed, Hong Kong Science Park is also a spacious area and a relaxing place to go for a walk, especially if you live in nearby Sha Tin. Hong Kong Science Park’s streets, park spaces, and artificial lake and fountains provide a breath of fresh air. Not only are trees and bushes planted on every street, but the overall atmosphere is also peaceful. Start from the Pak Shek Kok Waterfront Park located just south of Hong Kong Science Park and follow the Pak Shek Kok Promenade. From there, make your way to the lake and walk around Grand Plaza. You can then venture a little further along Tolo Harbour till you reach Providence Bay. You’ll enjoy views of the water the whole time.
Walking around Hong Kong Science Park, you will quickly realise that this is an athletic neighbourhood—you’ll encounter people running, cycling, and going about their business in sportswear. Currently under renovation, the clubhouse gym and swimming pool are essential assets to life in Hong Kong Science Park, and it offers single and guest passes if you find yourself in the area and in the mood for a workout. Stay tuned for its reopening in 2024.
It’s worth strolling around the high-tech buildings and doing some (geeky) design sight-seeing as Hong Kong Science Park has a heap of modern and sometimes even futuristic architecture. Right at the centre of it all is the Charles K. Kao Auditorium, a building in the shape of an airship. It was renamed after the passing of Charles K. Kao, a physicist and Nobel Prize winner who notably contributed to the discovery of fibre optics. Due to its recognisable shape and colour, the Charles K. Kao Auditorium is also referred to as the “Golden Egg.”
Folks with pets can now bring them to Hong Kong Science Park and let them roam around the Furtopia pet garden! Furtopia was a big step in Hong Kong Science Park’s continuous efforts to develop a more pet-friendly community. The dedicated playground is great for pet owners living in in the area as well as visitors who are taking their fur-friends on a day out. With facilities aimed for leisure and for training, Furtopia is open from 6 pm till 9 pm on weekdays, and from 10 am till 9 pm on weekends and public holidays.
Whether you’re spending the day at Hong Kong Science Park or just cycling through and in need of a break, there are plenty of places to eat and drink in the neighbourhood. You’ll be happy to know that Hong Kong Science Park houses a selection of familiar chains like Pacific Coffee, Pret, and Starbucks, but also Fairwood, Hana-Musubi, Pizza Express, and McDonald’s. For a proper sit-down meal, there are restaurants that offer all types of Eastern and Western cuisines which are worth trying. Here’s our non-exhaustive list.
Located right by Tolo Harbour, Harbourview Grill is a family-friendly restaurant. With a Western food menu that covers the basics, you can order anything from steak and fries to a burger, pizza, pasta, and more. While there is ample space to eat indoors, the outdoor terrace is a tempting place to enjoy a drink from the restaurant’s extensive beverage list: With smoothies, milkshakes, spirits, draught and bottled beer, classic and signature cocktails, a wine selection, and mocktails on offer, the choice is yours. We particularly recommend the gin and tonic specials for a refreshing pick-me-up by the water.
Harbourview Grill, Shop 081, Building 12E, 12 Science Park East Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Also located by Tolo Harbour and benefitting from the same view, All Route Inn serves Chinese cuisine. Expect to find classic steamed and deep-fried delights on the menu, including steamed shrimp and crab dumplings, siu mai, barbecued pork bun, deep-fried pork dumplings, turnip cake with preserved meat, and spring rolls. Accompanied by dandan or Shandong noodles, or roast goose or pork rice, you can enjoy a selection of tea or draught and bottled beer. From the terrace, you get a view of Hong Kong’s very own Beverly Hills housing estate, and a glimpse of the Guanyin statue of the Tsz Shan Monastery.
All Route Inn, Shop 087, Building 16E, 16 Science Park East Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Le Saigon offers a Vietnamese alternative for eating out. Starters such as spring rolls, steamed rice ravioli, and Hanoi fish cake are on offer, as well as a rice paper salad roll selection. Main courses comprise meat and fish dishes, with an array of phở noodle soups and rice vermicelli bowls also on the menu. Floor-to-ceiling windows front the entire façade, allowing light to flood in, making Le Saigon a pleasurable place for lunch.
Le Saigon, Shop 90–91, Building 16E, 16 Science Park East Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
For Korean food, especially fried chicken, head over to Chimac. Don’t be fooled by its fast-food-style menu in bright colours and bold lettering, the quality at Chimac is sure to satisfy. The sharing barbecue and pot pans allow you to try a big selection of the menu items.
Chimac, Shop 017, G/F, Building 5W, 5 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Great news—you can find good coffee in Hong Kong Science Park, which is probably a positive thing, with all that thinking and innovating that they do in those labs! Sensory Zero, a local coffee brewer with many locations to its name, has brought its artisanal philosophy to Hong Kong Science Park. Its spacious sitting area is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and lit by stylish hanging lights. There’s also a wooden platform with straw cushions where you can relax and play a game of go. In this welcoming atmosphere, you can enjoy Western and Japanese delicacies and try a wide range of blended and single-origin coffees.
Sensory Zero Roasterlab, G01, 17W Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
In the mood for Japanese food? Head over to Towada Sushi. Sporting a simple and clean look, the restaurant comprises a classic Japanese wooden interior and an open cold kitchen. There’s an extensive sushi and sashimi selection to choose from, as well as udon soup, bento, and meat from the grill. It might also be the best place to secure a matcha drink!
Towada Sushi, Shop 067–069, G/F, Building 12W, 12 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Among the row of restaurants located by Tolo Harbour, there is Tom Bar + Grill, which recalls seaside holidays and long afternoons spent eating copious amounts of food while the kids play nearby. Offering a wide mix of Western and Thai dishes, the options are endless, ranging from salmon to Parma ham and peach salads, spaghetti with shrimp tomato sauce to grilled scallop mushroom linguine, green curry chicken fillet to Hainanese chicken rice, noodles in black bean sauce to phở… well, you get the idea.
As with most restaurants that boast a seemingly never-ending list of menu items, you’d be remiss to expect fine-dining levels of cooking, but it’s a solid place to go to satisfy many different cravings. Tom Bar + Grill is also a good spot to kick back and relax, so feel free to order a drink or two while you’re taking in the view! Its drinks menu is full of creative cocktails and mocktails.
Tom Bar + Grill, Shop 088–089, G/F, Building 16E, 16 Science Park East Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Bugis is one of the Southeast Asian restaurants located in Hong Kong Science Park, open from breakfast all the way through to dinner. Specialising in Singaporean cuisine, you can try everything from laksa and bak kut teh to Hainanese chicken rice, but also Malaysian curry, tom yum, lemon noodles, and more.
Bugis, RT G03, G/F, Building 17W, 17 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Among the diverse range of cuisines available at Hong Kong Science Park, you can also enjoy Taiwanese food and beverages at I.teeea. The beef noodles are the star of the show, and we recommend for you pair it with one of I.teeea’s speciality drinks; the brown sugar milk tea with handmade tapioca, taro fresh milk, and cheese latte peach oolong tea are as sweet as they are refreshing.
I.teeea, RT 0102, 1/F, Building 17W, 17 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park
Discover all the dining options available in Hong Kong Science Park here.
Born and raised in the French countryside, Lily arrived in Hong Kong looking for an adventure. Passionate about books, she spent some time in Parisian publishing houses and is the author of an illustrated book about hair. Life in Hong Kong for her entails looking for seaside places to eat and a lot of hiking.
Top