Header image courtesy of R&R Bagels
The humble bagel may not have experienced a meteoric rise to fame even in carb-infatuated Hong Kong, but you’ll find reliable bagel gems in this city if you just know where to look. Whether you’re a die-hard Montreal-style devotee or bat for New York, bagels in Hong Kong proffer a unique blend to suit any and all taste buds. Lox, schmear, and everything bagels, here we come.
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Photo courtesy of R&R Bagels
1. R&R Bagels
Incredibly popular with lunch-goers looking for an efficient meal, R&R Bagels is one of Hong Kong’s most successful bagel stories. Sited on one of Central’s narrow market alleyways of stall vendors, it may not be the easiest shop to find, but it’s well worth the hunt.
Offering the largest selection of bagels amongst its competitors, sink your teeth into a range of options, from
Wholegrain,
Cinnamon Raisin, and
Onion, to staples like
Plain,
Sesame,
Poppy, and
Everything. But the real draw at R&R is their stacked bagel sandwiches. You’ll want to try the more eclectic flavours here, like the
Gardener’s Breakfast ($65), topped with a fresh spinach omelette, melted cheddar cheese, ripe tomatoes, pesto, and low-fat cream cheese, and the
Hampton ($85), with chicken breast, pesto, camembert cheese, walnuts, sun-dried cranberries, arugula, toasted peppercorns, and cream cheese.
Of course, standard choices like
Smoked Salmon Bagel ($85) and
Avocado Feta Bagel ($75) are up for grabs, as well as the
Vegan Bagel ($75), which comes with a filling of house hummus, smashed avo, arugula, coconut amino sauce, shaved almonds, and chia seeds. And if nothing on the menu catches your fancy (we find that hard to believe), then throw all caution to the wind and go for the build-your-own option. Honestly, just settling with one bagel at R&R is a constant struggle.
R&R Bagels, 28 Li Yuen Street West, Central | (+852) 2178 5168
Photo courtesy of Schragels
2. Schragels
If authentic New York is what your tummy’s calling for, then Schragels has your cravings sorted. They do quite well with their wholesale and delivery bagels in Hong Kong, but on a good—and not too humid—day, we like to make the short climb up to their production kitchen in Sheung Wan to grab us a fresh order of the
SchReuben Bagel ($90), a sandwich of beef pastrami, brown mustard, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, and the
SchTurkey Bagel ($90), with honey and pecan schmear, turkey, and sliced apple.
Of course, if your taste buds are travelling all the way to NYC, then the
Loxy Lady Bagel ($90) should be the first thing on your mind, complete with scallion schmear, smoked salmon, capers, and red onion. Out of all of the smoked salmon bagels we’ve tasted in Hong Kong so far, Schragels probably has the most genuine one. Now that’s high praise indeed. The unnecessary and added effort in pronouncing their products’ eccentric names, now that we could do without.
Schragels, 17 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan | (+852) 9730 6727
Read more! Check out our ultimate guide to Hong Kong-style pastries.
3. Little Cove Espresso
This Sai Kung hideaway is known for their idyllic, minimalistic interior design, as well as their diverse list of coffee, teas, and smoothies. Dibs a spot outside on Little Cove Espresso’s ample alfresco seating and enjoy the slow life with a
Smashed Avocado and Feta Bagel ($92) with a side of
Turmeric Latte ($36).
Little Cove Espresso, Shop 1 & 2, G/F, Siu Yat Building, Sai Kung Hoi Pong Square, Sai Kung
4. Polygon Café
Third-wave coffee proponent Polygon Café is one of the trendiest spots in Sai Ying Pun for a strong cup of joe—and bagels! The food menu may be on the small side, but they offer some customisation options: first, choose your bagel from
Plain or
Onion and Chive. Second, top that off with toppings of the
Avo Smash Bagel ($75) with avocado, mixed veggies, and pine nuts, or the classic
Smoked Salmon Bagel ($82) with cream cheese, capers, smoked salmon, and onion. Grab a bite and swill it down with a cup of their much-extolled Intelligentsia coffee.
Polygon Café, G/F, 14 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, Western District | (+852) 2915 8878
Read more! Feed your Instagram at Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable cafés and coffee shops.
5. Café Zi
Who can resist a charming, pastel-coloured coffee shop with thoughtful little green touches? Café Zi is a hard one to pass up, luring you in with their industrial chic aesthetics and enticing you to stay for the bagel sandwiches. Using handcrafted bagels made in Hong Kong by Tuen Mun-based Plum N Bagel, make your choice between the
Avobagel ($78), filled with avocado, egg, and cream cheese, the signature
Smoked Salmon Bagel ($88), and
Pastrami Bagel ($98), with beef pastrami slices, gherkins, tomatoes, rocket, and a powerful combo of Swiss and cream cheese. Café Zi also serves up some mean brews and house-blend smoothies and juices. Not a bad way to spend a few relaxing hours on the weekend.
Café Zi, G/F, 8 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2778 1628
6. SP_CE
This cosy, whitewashed nook on the corner of Po Hing Fong boasts an unpronounceable name and a neat selection of two bagel sandwiches on their menu. Classicists will want to try the
Smoked Salmon Bagel ($106) with all the fixins, but brekkie lovers might get a taste for the
Bacon and Scrambled Egg Bagel ($106) with bacon, scrambled egg, lettuce, and tomato with cream cheese on a toasted bagel.
SP_CE, G/F, 20 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan | (+852) 2807 0978
Read more! Check out Hong Kong’s best pies to treat your sweet tooth.
Photo courtesy of The Brew Corner
7. The Brew Corner
Fo Tan in New Territories may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to bagels in Hong Kong, but this industrial and residential neighbourhood does have a grab-and-go spot for coffee and bagels. Several combos of breakfast bagels can be had here, from the vegetarian-friendly duo of
Egg, Avocado, and Tomato Bagel ($28) and
Mushroom, Egg, Avocado, and Tomato Bagel ($28) to the
Bacon, Egg, Avocado, and Tomato Bagel ($28). For a quick bagel fix, it’s an incredible steal.
The Brew Corner, Shop A6, G/F, Valiant Industrial Centre, 2–12 Au Pui Wan Street, Fo Tan | (+852) 6739 5068
8. Knock Knock Café
Ever wanted to try a bagel sandwich with a Taiwanese twist? Knock Knock Café in Mong Kok specialises in casual street food fare from the island of fruits, and they have taken the bagel sandwiches of Hong Kong a step further with their
Taiwanese Braised Pork Bagel ($56). This is certainly one for acquired and outlandish tastes, but—forgive us for this—don’t
knock it ’til you try it.
Knock Knock Café, G/F, 4 Argyle Street, Mong Kok | (+852) 2861 9871
9. The Brew Job Coffee
This sweet little corner café in West Mong Kok gives us rainy day hideaway vibes. Diners with intrepid, plant-based palates will want to try the
Spicy Hummus and Feta Bagel ($70), which comes with homemade spicy hummus, cream cheese, crumbled feta, tomatoes, and rocket. The menu also boasts reliable standby flavours, like the
New Yorker Bagel ($70), the
Smoked Salmon Supreme Bagel ($70),
Avocado and Egg Bagel ($70), a favourite amongst breakfast lovers.
The Brew Job Coffee, G/F, 46 Hoi King Street, Tai Kok Tsui | (+852) 6097 9030
Read more! These are our favourite hidden upstairs cafés in Hong Kong.
10. Feather & Bone
Neighbourhood bistro Feather & Bone boasts a grand total of
one bagel sandwich on their menu, but it’s a good one. The
Whitefish Bagel ($108) is like the mature, sophisticated older brother to our smoked salmon sweetheart, and, well, it does ask for a more refined palate. Its three ingredients—smoked mackerel, celery, and lemon—may not wow the average bagel consumer, but connoisseurs will admit that it has a certain simplistic appeal.
Feather & Bone,
locations vary
11. Bagel Alley
As the name might suggest, Bagels Alley requires a little bit of effort to find. Tucked into a basement corner of an arcade building just by bustling Central Market, this grab-and-go spot offers locally-made, hand-rolled New York-style bagels made with low-sugar and preservative-free ingredients. Their
Pastrami Bomb Bagel ($70)—with beef pastrami, mustard, gherkins, Swiss cheese, arugula, and cream cheese—is a best-seller, as is the
Smoked Salmon Bagel ($70). If the search for Bagels Alley is proving a little too elusive, just follow the bagel-themed mural around Jubilee Street and let your nose do the rest.
Bagels Alley, Shop A1, G/F, Haleson Building, 1 Jubilee Street, Central | (+852) 9793 8401
Photo courtesy of Deliveroo
12. Bagel Factory
As the only Deliveroo-exclusive bagel shop in Hong Kong, Bagel Factory is also one of the most creative when it comes to their bagel sandwich toppings. Treat yo’self to an extravagant bagel lunch spread with a tropical
Piggy Bagel ($78), with marinated pulled pork, grilled pineapple, tomato, rocket, and mayonnaise, an Italian-inspired
Parma Ham Bagel ($88) that looks and tastes as good as it sounds, and the
Chicken Schnitzel Bagel ($78), with a slab of breaded chicken breast, tomato salsa, and rocket salad on a poppyseed bagel. You could be eating a different bagel a day from Bagel Factory and still have fresh choices for the following week.
Bagel Factory, on
Deliveroo
Photo courtesy of Morty’s
13. Morty’s
Bright and early gets the finest breakfast bagels in Hong Kong. Using handcrafted New York-style bagels supplied by Schragels, Morty’s Delicatessen puts together a selection of hearty bagel sandwiches with classic brekkie ingredients. We like to start our day off with a fresh
Egg Salad & Pickled Tomato Bagel ($80) and the robust
B.E.L.T. Bagel ($75), with house bacon, fried egg, lettuce, and tomato. Maybe we’ll also grab an aromatic
Truffle Chicken Salad Bagel ($80) to go for a mid-morning snack. Morty’s breakfast bagels are only available in the mornings from 8–10.30am, but if you’re anything like us, the promise of a bagel will be enough motivation to get you out of bed.
Morty’s,
locations vary
Read more! Spice things up this weekend with the best themed brunches in Hong Kong, or explore the Food & Drink section on Localiiz.
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