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Header image courtesy of Minghong (via Wikimedia Commons)
Originally published by Ching Yuen. Last updated by Nicole Hurip.
Everyone knows about the Happy Valley Racecourse and its Happy Wednesday beer gardens, but what about the rest of the area? Nestled between Causeway Bay and Wan Chai in its own secluded corner, Happy Valley has a lot more to offer than just betting and horseracing.
A quiet residential area popular amongst expats and young professionals, Happy Valley is filled with neighbourhood restaurants and stores (and pet shops!). Although there’s no MTR station, it is easily accessible by minibus, bus, taxi, and tram. Follow our guide to Happy Valley for the best things to do, eat, and drink.
Is it any wonder that Happy Valley, as a tranquil, sleepy neighbourhood, has an abundance of massage shops? Amongst them, Ten Feet Tall is the place to be for a full-on spa day. Not only do they offer a variety of body massages, but they also have nail treatments services available in your private room. If you’re looking to go the extra mile to treat yourself, opt for the party package, where you’ll get to relax with a side of booze. Sounds like a perfect lazy Sunday to us!
Ten Feet Tall, 1/F, Lai Shing Building, 13–19 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley | (+852) 2415 1010
For a cultural stop in your Happy Valley itinerary, visit Tung Lin Kok Yuen, a Buddhist nunnery and monastery founded in 1935 by Lady Clara Ho-tung. It is the only seminary for Buddhist nuns in the city and teaches Mahayana Buddhism in an eight-year programme. Architecturally, the building is a mix between East and West, with traditional oriental features such as curved ceramic tiled roofs and Italian stained windows.
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, 15 Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley
A secret Italian restaurant hidden in a quiet corner of Happy Valley, Locanda dell’ Angelo brings the flavours of the Sicilian coastline to Hong Kong. If you’re hankering to try their signature dishes, keep in mind that their Boston lobster linguini needs to be reserved in advance, and not to forget their uni risotto, with freshly-grated wasabi pushing flavours to the next level. This is the place to go for a bit of decadence and to treat yourself to a lovely night out.
Locanda Dell’ Angelo, 10–12 Yuen Yuen Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 3709 2788
Opened for nearly 40 years in Hong Kong, Amigo is both a landmark as well as a restaurant serving authentic French delicacies and wine. Located on the first two floors of Amigo Mansion, the restaurant spans over 5,000 square feet with a romantic, wooden spiral staircase to take you to their main dining area. Imagine dark oval windows, overhead beams, and decadent high chairs that make you feel like a noble from the Medieval Era. Bookmark Amigo for your birthday, as their live band that will play you any songs of your choice to celebrate!
Amigo, 79A Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley | (+852) 2577 2202
Blend butcher, deli, and restaurant together and you’ll get Feather & Bone, an all-in-one gourmet food shop near the Happy Valley tram terminus. They provide a modernised, mid-century neighbourhood shopping experience, with professional butchers on hand to give you expert advice for your groceries. Walk all the way to the back of the shop for their in-house restaurant, which offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. If you’re ordering a meat dish, head straight to the butcher’s counter to hand-pick your own cut and cooking preference; talk about customisation! We’re quite partial to their croque monsieur, a toastie of smoked ham, aged Gruyère, and Dijon béchamel sauce, and their signature steaks.
Feather & Bone, Winner Building, Shop A&C, 11 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley | (+852) 2836 3789
Well-known local favourite Classified is located in the upper parts of Happy Valley. This European-styled café is half indoors, half outdoors, making it the perfect spot for a slow brunch, where you can choose from their homemade artisanal foods, including a wide range of boutique wines, gourmet cheeses, and handmade breads. We like to go for the eggs royale, with Norwegian smoked salmon, Hollandaise sauce, rocket, and cherry tomato on an English muffin, and the spicy Thai beef salad. Classified also has a selection of vegetarian dishes and Impossible meat items on their menu for plant-based diners.
Classified, 13 Yuk Sau Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 2891 3454
If you’re looking for spicy Sichuan dishes, this is the place to go for some tongue-numbing delights. Located on the edge of Happy Valley and Wan Chai, Michelin-starred Golden Valley can be found inside The Emperor Hotel. They serve a la carte dishes from Sichuan and Guangdong, hot pot, as well as dim sum. Their highlights include the Sichuan boiled fish, which comes in a massive bowl of chilli oil, chilli seeds, stir-fried chillies, and peppers. You can also add an extra order of tender beef slices to the generous portions of fish. Another favourite is the shrimp in stir-fried peppercorn, served in a clay pot with jumbo shrimps laid out on a bed of peppercorns. Can you handle this heat?
Golden Valley, 373 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Happy Valley | (+852) 2961 3330
Undoubtedly our go-to spot for when we’re craving a rich and creamy soup, Zagin Soba’s signature chicken tsukemen is a bowl that never disappoints. The tsukemen features cold noodles with thin slices of char siu pork and shredded onion, paired with a steaming bowl of hot chicken broth with slices of chicken breast tucked inside. The noodles are a bit thicker than normal ramen, but they provide the perfect body to soak up the rich dipping sauce. We also appreciate the owner’s attention to detail, like a washroom equipped with a bidet, as well as mouthwash, toothbrushes, and hair ties for customers to freshen up after their meal.
Zagin Soba, 13 King Kwong Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 2818 0322
Tucked away in a corner of Happy Valley, Japanese Restaurant Suzuki is a semi-hidden kaiseki spot serving up one of the best bargains to be found for quality Japanese food. Cooking since 1998, Chef Suzuki’s style is to constantly challenge himself to create unique new dishes. Using the best seasonal ingredients, he combines traditional Japanese techniques with contemporary culinary sense. Their lunch sets are a real steal, with their flavouring Wagyu beef with hot udon, piled high with vegetables, udon, pieces of wagyu that melt in your mouth, and an irresistible sukiyaki sauce, is not to be missed.
Japanese Restaurant Suzuki, 1–5 Shing Ping Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 2668 2566
If you’re looking for wonton noodles and congee for a heartwarming meal, this local family-run eatery is the place to be. Though they now boast a multitude of locations across Hong Kong, Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop was actually founded in Happy Valley. This original branch is slightly more expensive than your average congee or noodle spot, but their recipes hold up and the food is worth a try. We’re talking refined authentic flavours, like the classic congee with century egg and boiled pork, or their wontons with paper-thin skins and generous fillings. Hungry yet?
Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop, 21 King Kwong Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 2838 3922
An artisan bakery in Happy Valley, Proof handcraft their bread on-site every day, with no preservatives, no additives, and no funny business. Their fragrant aromas will lure you in from streets away. Nothing beats the feeling of biting into a warm, crunchy baguette or cradling a buttery croissant on your way to work, ready to be consumed, so Proof gets their freshly-baked goods ready bright and early in the morning. They also donate any surplus products to charity—now here’s a bakery with a cause to support!
Proof, G/F, 14 Tsun Yuen Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 6542 9788
A small shop along a side street in Happy Valley, Bánh mì pâté serves Vietnamese classics like bánh mì (duh), phở, bún (cold vermicelli), as well as an assortment of snacks and traditional drinks. Signatures include the Bánh mì pâté, Vietnamese Deep Fried Spring Rolls, and the Vietnamese Egg Yolk Coffee. The food is simple but delicious, and tastes just as great even if you order delivery.
Bánh Mì Pâté, Shop A, 65 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley | (+852) 3460 4070
For great robatayaki head to The Grill Station, a fun neighbourhood joint with a fiery menu—in addition to fire-licked skewers, there’s a section filled with spicy dishes for the heat-masters to tackle. Slurp on a bowl of spicy ramen, snack on bites of spicy sea snails, or tackle the spicy chicken wing for a chance to be featured on the wall of fame.
The extensive menu also has mains like curry rice, udon noodles, and omurice. There are also toys and figurines perched on shelves all around the restaurant, as well as a Supreme mini arcade machine for guests to play on.
The Grill Station, 12C Shing Woo Road, Happy Valley | (+852) 2893 2100
Sourdough crust pizza and Nutella-filled doughnuts, you say? Dough Bros makes fantastic handmade pizzas that you’re bound to finish every bite of, because each pie comes with a side of garlic and herb dip. Their doughnuts—Nutella, custard, and jam—are to die for as well. This is their first location, but they’ve since expanded to Soho, Wanchai, and Kennedy Town. They are take-away and delivery only, so order in for your next movie night!
Dough Bros, G/F, 38–42 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 2760 4555
An old-school cha chaan teng in operation for over 50 years, Cheung Hing is a firm fixture on local residents’ rotation list and discerning foodies’ radar. Interiors are just as they were back in the 50s and 60s, with wooden chairs and tables, checkered floors, and chalkboard menus. While they’ve cleaned up a bit and added English menus, the food remains traditional. Expect staples like flaky egg tarts, pineapple buns with all sorts of filings, satay beef noodles, and perfectly blended Hong Kong-style milk tea served in ceramic cups.
Cheung Hing Coffee Shop, 9 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley | (+852) 2572 5097
Resting just up the hill on Sing Woo Road, Reaction Coffee Roasters looks out onto Happy Valley’s main thoroughfare, serving speciality coffee and an all-day breakfast menu. They endeavour to source the best green beans from around the world to provide distinctive coffees to their customers. Their avocado and baked mushroom toast consists of a mountain of stir-fried mushrooms and fresh avocado on sourdough with a variety of greens on the side. This café is best for a quiet read or a lovely dog-petting spot away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.
Reaction Coffee Roasters, Shop 67 B & C, G/F, 67 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley | (+852) 2674 7388
Specialising in Italian coffee and light bites, this hidden coffee shop is decked out in forest green and terracotta. Try their cold brew and photogenic crostinis on a lazy Sunday afternoon, while watching the world go about their business and the neighbourhood dogs meandering past. Finish off your meal with a generous scoop of Itailan gelato, affogato style or just in a waffle cone. They also have a location in Sai Ying Pun.
Coffeelin, 8 Cheong Ming Street, Happy Valley | +852 6012 6242
Pristinely white and marbled, this new café served French and Japanese fusion brunch food such as salted egg sando, yuzu peppercorn chicken, and onigiri with mushroom and truffle aioli. Their signature dessert is the TiraMatcha, a twist on the Italian tiramisu, made with masala cream, Kyoto matcha, and spongy ladyfingers.
Cotton Lane Café, 14 Min Fat Street, Happy Valley | +852 2626 1618
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