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Header image courtesy of Found (via Facebook)
Goodness knows we love a good cup of coffee—just take a look at our extensive café guides if you don’t believe us—but all that caffeine can sometimes leave us feeling a little jittery. By now, you will most likely have heard about the soothing benefits of CBD—the non-psychoactive compound, which is extracted from cannabis, has taken Hong Kong by storm in recent years, with CBD being sold at high-end department stores, specialist shops, and small clothing boutiques in both topical and ingestible formats.
While dropping a little CBD oil directly onto your tongue certainly does the job, sometimes we crave a more sensorial experience—which is where cafés come in. The ceremony of enjoying a well-made cup of coffee or tea has long been acknowledged as a calming experience—so why not enhance that feeling of relaxation with an all-natural ingredient? From pet-friendly coffee shops shaking up CBD-spiked espresso martinis to cannabinoid specialists with full CBD menus, here are the best places to get CBD coffee in Hong Kong.
Operated by locally headquartered cannabinoid platform Altum International—the parent company of Life CBD, Felix and Co. CBD, and Australian CBD brand Kind Medical—this pet-friendly café-slash-boutique in the peaceful Poho neighbourhood was billed as “Asia’s first (and favourite) CBD café and store” when it opened last summer. Everything here—and we mean everything—comes infused with 20 to 40 milligrammes of Life CBD, though you can request to have more CBD in your drinks or none at all.
Start your morning off right with an invigorating CBD flat white ($50) and grab a chocolate chip cookie ($50) or wild berry bar ($70) to go for a little energy boost later in the day. To enjoy CBD at home, you can browse their wide range of CBD and CBG products, from topical balms for aching muscles to calming oils and capsules (including pet-friendly options!).
As a pioneering cannabinoid brand, Found also acts as something of an education hub, so feel free to chat to their knowledgeable staff about any questions or concerns you may have. Besides its main café and shop, Found has also recently opened a grab-and-go counter at K11 Art Mall and retail kiosks at ArtPiece’s malls in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Found, Unit A, G/F, 8 Tai On Terrace, Sheung
Wan | (+852) 5288 2281
Cure what ails you at Elixir if what ails you happens to be any of the following: caffeine, CBD, and cat therapy. This chic grey-toned café and exhibition space is already one of our favourite coffee shops in Sheung Wan thanks to its unique semi-alfresco space, well-made brews, and adorable resident cat, Charlie. On top of that, Elixir is a strong proponent of CBD’s benefits and offers free CBD drops from local brand Cubed in any drink upon request, whether you want to enjoy them in a flat white ($40) or osmanthus-infused cold brew tonic ($55).
Elixir, 9 Mee Lun Street, Central | (+852) 6083 0915
With its dark and cosy kissaten-inspired look, artisanal coffees, jazz soundtrack, and well-stocked whisky bar, Coffee Analog is already one of our favourite spots to unwind in Prince Edward. Throw in their CBD-infused Aeropress coffee and baked goods, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula. Analog’s owner has stressed that he didn’t set out to open “CBD café” (and he still does not consider it one), but introduced CBD products after he had personally used and enjoyed them at home.
In terms of CBD coffee, your choices are limited to press coffee and cold brew ($90) made from Sträva’s craft-roasted CBD coffee beans, while the CBD-enhanced snacks have most recently come in the form of a delicious honey chiffon cake.
Coffee Analog, 169 Sai Yeung Choi Street North, Prince Edward
Located along Sai Kung’s foodie favourite Fuk Man Road, this Japanese-inspired CBD café is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it brunch spot decorated in soothing tones of light grey and hunter green. Although you can enjoy almost everything at Oops without CBD if you wish, the coffee shop offers both oil and water-soluble CBD or CBG drops (starting from $30) from home-grown brand Olanda as an addition to the drinks, while some food items can be enhanced, too—i.e. the French toast with CBD-infused honey ($108).
We’ve heard rave reviews about the homemade bagels (starting from $40) and scones ($30), while the CBD-infused cookies (starting from $25) and burnt marshmallow mocha ($55) both look very promising as well. There is also a small retail section, should you choose to pick up a bottle of CBD or CBG.
Oops Coffee & Co, 58–72 Ko Fu Building, Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung
With its retro cinema-inspired façade—complete with cheeky marquee messages—and neighbourhood charm, this pet-friendly Australian-inspired café is a favourite haunt among residents of Sai Ying Pun and Kennedy Town. Already known for its affordable coffees and snacks and excellent espresso martinis, Winstons upped the ante when they began offering CBD cold brew coffee ($75), featuring 1 millilitre of OTO CBD’s non-alcoholic bitters equalling a 25-milligramme dose to their standard cold brew. The bitters, which contain a spice blend of bitter orange, bergamot, lemongrass, licorice, cinnamon, cacao, and cardamom—and CBD, duh—adds a “fruity edge” to Winstons’ classic Allpress Espresso-based cold brew.
You can also enjoy the bitters in their CBD iced tea ($60), or add 18 milligrammes of it to any drink of your choice for an extra $15. But anyone who’s been to Winstons after dark will know that the fun doesn’t stop there—when the café converts into a cosy cocktail bar at night, the CBD love continues with CBD beers from Young Master Brewery and CBD-spiked cocktails. It has been a while since we’ve seen one of the special CBD cocktails of the week, but we’re hoping for the return of the CBD hot toddy this winter.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Doubleshot by Cupping Room—its beautiful location overlooking Hollywood Road, the well-executed menu of modern, international food, and the inventive cocktails, to name a few. Adding to its overall trendiness, the acclaimed “all-day drinking and dining concept” offers water-soluble Life CBD drops (starting from $15) as an addition to all of its drinks, whether your poison of choice is a New Orleans-style iced chicory milk coffee ($58) or an Aeropress Negroni ($128).
For the ultimate companion to their popular brunch—we like the chicken & waffles 2.0 ($168) with the “egg waffle” made with croissant dough—go for the Garibaldi ($108), a zesty mix of “fluffy” citrus juice (your choice of orange or grapefruit) with Amaro.
Doubleshot by Cupping Room, 49 Hollywood Road, Central | (+852) 9225 6639
We’re not at all surprised that The Cakery has jumped on the CBD bandwagon—this home-grown cake shop, which offers keto, gluten-free, and vegan cakes, has always been ahead of the curve. Earlier this month, The Cakery announced its new range of CBD-infused cookies and energy bars—the Cocoa Munch ($55), a chewy dark chocolate cookie with 40 milligrammes of CBD isolate, has our name written all over it, while the Immunity energy bar ($28) made with gluten-free rolled oats and a blend of superfoods will be sure to please health-conscious on-the-go types. Meanwhile, customers visiting The Cakery’s locations can now add 40 milligrammes of CBD to any tea-, coffee-, or cupcake-to-go for an additional $20.
Unlike many other establishments offering CBD, this little Staunton Street shop caters more to local tastes, with “Not marijuana” written on its shopfront in Chinese and a luxe, gold-covered interior with a bougie cha chaan teng-inspired menu design. The brick-and-mortar extension of a local online CBD retailer, Drip39 is all about educating local audiences about the healing, relaxing effects of cannabinoids.
Sip on CBD-infused teas and coffees—your options include standard lattes and Americanos as well as trendy Hong Kong-style drinks like peach iced tea with CBD cheese foam—or try one of the CBD cocktails ($88) for something a little stronger. Besides drinks, Drip39 also offers CBD-infused snacks like cookies (starting from $45) and gummies (starting from $20) and also sells its own brand of CBD capsules, tinctures, and vape cartridges.
Drip39, 39 Staunton Street, Soho, Central | (+852) 9656 2563
Annette is an editor and copywriter with a lifetime of experience in hunting out the most interesting, odd, and delightful things about her beloved home city. Having written extensively about everything from food and culture to fashion, music, and hospitality, she considers her speciality to be Hong Kong itself. In her free time, you can find Annette trying out new dumpling recipes or playing Big Two at her favourite local bars with a cocktail in hand.
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