HongKong

Roasts with the most: five of Hong Kong’s top coffee shops


This article is part of a guide to Hong Kong from FT Globetrotter

It feels strange to be writing about coffee at all in Hong Kong, which is best known for milk tea: a drink made of brewed black tea, evaporated or condensed milk and sugar, and often served iced.

The beverage, which was born in Hong Kong out of British colonialism, has become a symbol of the pan-Asian political movement: the Milk Tea Alliance, uniting critics of the Chinese government across Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Coffee has traditionally entered the equation at the cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style cafés), where milk tea is also served with black coffee as “coffee milk tea”, or yuenyeung. The name means “mandarin ducks”, who typically swim around in pairs, and is meant to symbolise couples who stay together for life. (I personally prefer the two divorced from each other, but it’s worth a try, along with traditional toast with kaya coconut jam, or a pineapple bun.)

Milk tea’s popularity to this day probably goes some way to explaining why gourmet-coffee culture in Hong Kong is relatively young for a global city, though recent years have seen an expanding number of Australian-style latte bars.

Gourmet coffee culture is relatively new in Hong Kong
Gourmet coffee culture is relatively new in Hong Kong

Hong Kongers have taken the concept and optimised it for Instagram with lattes in rainbow colours
Hong Kongers have taken the concept and optimised it for Instagram with lattes in rainbow colours

Yet it feels inadequate to call many of them Australian-style any more. It has been more than a decade since Johnson Ko first kicked off the artisan coffee scene here after he returned from Sydney to start Coco Espresso, a smart chain that would fit in just as well in Surry Hills as they do in Sheung Wan.

And while his cafés have a distinctly Antipodean vibe, other Hong Kongers have set up coffee houses too, with offerings that are even prettier and more creative than many Down Under. This makes Hong Kong one of those places in the world where the heart palpitations will come from the price conversion you make before sipping the coffee. When the entry price for a simple flat white is HK$40 (about US$5), your internal calculator needs to be firmly switched off before ordering your brew.

But, possibly because it is more of a luxury, there is something neater about the coffee shops here. The milk is poured in a more exacting fashion, the drip offerings taste lab-made and the food is presented like artwork. Decaf lattes come in rainbow colours, waffles in new shapes, and bean menus require PhDs to decode. Hong Kongers have taken the craft-coffee concept, optimised it for Instagram — and just sort of perfected it.

Of course, this is not everywhere. There are some terribly burnt-tasting and overpriced cups to be had outside of specialist cafés, particularly in upscale hotels and restaurants that produce what a friend here calls a “hot milkshake”.

Man sitting at a table in a coffee shop
Many coffee shops in Hong Kong do not open until later in the morning

Gourmet coffee is seen as more of a luxury in Hong Kong, where the average price for a flat white is HK$40
Gourmet coffee is seen as more of a luxury in Hong Kong, where the average price for a flat white is HK$40

Coffee chains also tend to be disappointing and expensive, so are recommended only if you desperately need a hit of air-conditioning. (A few local café brands, however, such as NOC, Fineprint and The Coffee Academics, which have a handful of outlets, do a more-than-decent cup.)

A final note about coffee shops here: many only open later in the day — some not until 11am. Yes, Hong Kong does open up later compared to other cities, but it takes a little getting used to.

Amber Coffee Brewery

G/F Full View Building, No 142 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong

  • Good for: Unique coffee flavour

  • Not so good for: A good breakfast

  • FYI: A good stop for travellers — it’s right by the airport express train (Website; Directions)

Amber serves high-quality blends in beautiful crockery
Amber serves high-quality blends in beautiful crockery

The espresso brewed at Amber is particularly good
The espresso brewed at Amber is particularly good

Catering to the office crowd who work in Central, this spot on Des Voeux Road is good for your first cup off the plane (when travel resumes to pre-pandemic programming) as it is quite close to the airport express station. Run by award-winning barista Dawn Chan, it roasts its own beans and serves craft coffees with the perfect amount of milk in beautiful crockery. And the espresso has a unique, almost sweet flavour.

Amber is run by Dawn Chan, an award-winning barista
Amber is run by Dawn Chan, an award-winning barista

The spot is popular with the Central office crowd
The spot is popular with the Central office crowd

Amber also makes fantastic chai lattes, as well as filter and espresso coffee. Seating here is mostly on stools and not geared towards lounging for long periods, so the coffee is best suited for takeaway.

There is not much food on offer, aside from a small selection of pastries. If you are after a sweet treat, however, Hong Kong’s most famous biscuit maker, Jenny Bakery, is not too far away at 15 Wing Wo Street.

Common Ground

19 Shing Wong Street, Central, Hong Kong

  • Good for: The atmosphere and dog-watching

  • Not so good for: Coffee variety

  • FYI: There is good vintage clothing store just a few steps down the road (Website; Directions)

Twin brothers Josh and Caleb Ng, the owners of Common Ground
Twin brothers Josh and Caleb Ng, the owners of Common Ground

The cakes on offer — especially the carrot cake — are delicious
The cakes on offer — especially the carrot cake — are delicious

Common Ground is one of the friendliest cafés in town, owned by twin brothers Caleb and Joshua Ng. It is located near Mid-Levels — a part of Hong Kong Island known for housing younger creatives and finance types — on one of the quieter terraced streets that lead up to the Peak. This makes it a great place to bring a book or newspaper, especially during the cooler months of November to February, and sit on the steps under the trees. 

Aside from the traditional lattes, they also do a very popular coffee ice ball. This consists of a frozen ball of espresso over which you pour the latte milk or tonic water yourself — perfect for the hot and humid summer months. An americano served with local Hong Kong honey and hand-drip coffee is also on the menu.

Canine capers: Common Ground is dog-friendly
Canine capers: Common Ground is dog-friendly

The café’s takes on cold-brew and iced coffee are very popular
The café’s takes on cold-brew and iced coffee are very popular

The food they serve, such as the open-faced salmon sandwich, is tasty — and the cake too, if you are craving something sweet, such as carrot or cheesecake. It is worth noting that the eggs served are cooked onsen-style (soft-boiled egg with runny white on the outside and nearly hard yolk inside). And a warning: this place is popular with local dog-owners, so it is probably not for you if you’re not up for making new, off-leash four-legged friends.

Knockbox Coffee Company

G/F, 21 Hak Po Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Knockbox offers a heap of speciality brews . . . 
Knockbox offers a heap of speciality brews . . . 

. . . and unmissable mini-waffles that are drizzled with chocolate and fruit
. . . and unmissable mini-waffles that are drizzled with chocolate and fruit

Knockbox has quite a complex ordering system that almost requires customers to have ingested caffeine before attempting it. When I stumbled in on a recent rainy day, pre-morning coffee, a helpful staff member sorted me out with a basic flat white that was delicious.

Knockbox is the café of choice for drip-coffee aficionados
Knockbox is the café of choice for drip-coffee aficionados

Its beans are sourced from around the world
Its beans are sourced from around the world

For the more adventurous, however, this place offers a heap of speciality brews from Ethiopia, Kenya and Colombia, among other coffee producers, as well as hand-drip coffee. On top of that it serves fantastic sweet mini-waffles that come in seashell shapes and are drizzled with chocolate and fruit. Decor is minimal — the focus is all on the fare. 

Flow

G/F, Hing Ga Building, 195-201 Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

  • Good for: Discovering new coffee roasters

  • Not so good for: A filling meal

  • FYI: The menu is confusing, so ask for advice (Website; Directions)

Flow’s primary food offering is Swiss roll cake — the matcha flavour is the most popular
Flow’s primary food offering is Swiss roll cake — the matcha flavour is the most popular

Flow is laptop friendly and a nice spot to work (with a coffee of course)
Flow is laptop friendly and a nice spot to work (with a coffee of course)

Sham Shui Po, a working-class district at the heart of the city’s textile-manufacturing industry, is rapidly gentrifying. Walking round the neighbourhood, you’ll find record stores, leather shops and hip cocktail bars — there’s a map of local places here. It is also awash with good coffee, such as the speciality bean roasters Café Sausalito, which also sells aesthetically pleasing filters and grinders, and Flow.

Some of the coffees at Flow are expensive but undoubtedly excellent
Some of the coffees at Flow are expensive but undoubtedly excellent

Flow is ‘all about the beans’
Flow is ‘all about the beans’

Flow is all about the beans. On a recent visit, I enjoyed a Dominican cold brew by Japanese coffee roasters Lilo. It was a cool HK$85 but undoubtedly excellent (and tasted a bit like wine). Flow’s primary food offering is Swiss-roll cake — the matcha flavour is the most popular. 

With air-conditioned interiors, the bar seats are a nice spot to sit with a laptop and observe some whizz-bang coffee-making.

Alive Eatery

G/F, 131 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

  • Good for: Non-caffeine drinkers and bread lovers

  • Not so good for: Large groups — this is not a huge space

  • FYI: Bring a fan in the summer months as there is usually a queue (Website; Directions)

Alive specialises in fermented food and drink . . .
Alive specialises in fermented food and drink . . .

. . . and also bakes excellent bread
. . . and also bakes excellent bread

Founded by Anto Bero and Jennifer Lai, Alive is a café and food company specialising in fermented food as recommended by an in-house nutritionist. They serve strong white and black coffees and matcha lattes.

The toasts here are as good as it gets . . . 
The toasts here are as good as it gets . . . 

. . . and the house kombucha, especially the blueberry and basil flavour, is worth a try
. . . and the house kombucha, especially the blueberry and basil flavour, is worth a try

But my advice is to try something a bit different here, namely the kombucha. Made by the café, it’s fruity with the right level of fizz. You may have to wait for a table but you won’t regret it. On top of the drinks, the open toasts are seriously top-shelf and the bread is worth taking home for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Photography by Tory Ho

What is your favourite coffee shop in Hong Kong? Share your tip in the comments

For more stories like this, visit ft.com/globetrotter, check out our guide to Hong Kong, and follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter





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