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Branded | 8 March 2023
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Header image courtesy of @fonji.cafe (via Instagram)
Hong Kong winters are not exactly known for being white and idyllic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t revel in the magical atmosphere of the season! With temperatures finally starting to dip into sweater weather territory, it’s a green light for us to indulge ourselves in the hygge life with atmospheric cafés and hot, warming beverages.
Thankfully, Hong Kong has no shortage of homely nooks and wood-furnished caffeine hotspots to hide away in with our nearest and dearest. For a hearty dose of winter comfort, here are our top picks for the cosiest cafés in Hong Kong!
Nothing says winter like a ski vacation in the snowy Alps. Japanese lounge-bar Lounge Hakuba channels that après-ski feel with its subsidiary café The ALP. Going all out with the modern wooden lodge-esque vibe, the café establishes its theme with exposed timber rafters, pitched rooflines, and rustic wooden shutters.
As you make yourself comfortable on one of the plush sofas, the cosiness is further amplified by the soothing aroma of coffee and comforting Japanese bites that go beyond the standard café fare. Warm your belly with the crowd favourite beef sando ($138) or dive into substantial mains like soba noodles with teriyaki chicken ($128) and beef mountain donburi ($138)!
The ALP @ Lounge Hakuba, Shop 302, 3/F, Tower 535, 535 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2111 1707
Something about the chilly weather makes us want to curl up in a cosy corner with a riveting read and hot cup of coffee in hand. Part café, part bookstore, Books & Co. provides the perfect nook for just that—bringing together the magical combination of books and coffee, and allowing visitors to take refuge in the world of literature in a quaint coffee shop ambience.
Although the shop is small—seating only about a handful of customers—options nonetheless abound both book and food-wise. You’ll find among the overflowing, sky-high bookshelves a diverse mix of both new and secondhand books in English and Chinese. Once you’ve picked out your read of the day, settle into a wooden table and drool over a tempting menu of toasties, sandwiches, pasta, cakes, and drinks!
Books & Co., 10 Park Road, Mid-Levels, Central | (+852) 2559 5199
Sharing the space with an eco-friendly furniture store, Tree Café practically drips in homespun comfort. This upstairs cafe in Ap Lei Chau is designed to look like a homely living room, spruced up with hanging houseplants, sofas, and children’s toys like dolls, books, and even wooden rocking chairs. While the central space screams rustic-chic, a seat by the window will afford you majestic views of the South China Sea!
Savour a relaxing afternoon here sipping on a hot latte (starting from $33) in between bites of a toothsome pecan tart ($60). If you’re after a full meal, the menu also covers plenty of hearty Western and Mediterranean-inspired dishes like toasted cheese, avocado, and homemade tomato chutney ciabatta ($70), spicy peanut chicken wrap ($70), and grilled vegetable salad with feta cheese ($85).
Tree Café, 28/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau | (+852) 2870 1586
Fittingly located on Maple Street, Fonji Café takes inspiration from amber maple leaves, an iconic harbinger of cold weather. Coupled with Japanese-style vintage décor, moody colours, and mid-century oak furnishing, this photogenic neighbourhood hideaway is the epitome of all things warm and cosy.
Just in case the ambience wasn’t enough, the menu is chock full of fusion Japanese cakes and drinks that will get you feeling toasty inside and out. Treat yourself to their signature maple caffe latte (starting from $40) accompanied by a Sakura shrimp soy dan dan udon ($88) and seasonal-exclusive chestnut chiffon cream cake!
Fonji Café, 5 Maple Street, Prince Edward | (+852) 2445 5441
Fancy relishing a tea party in a rustic French farmhouse? Head over to Parc Antique & Lifestyle, a French antique store and café tucked away in one of Kwun Tong’s unassuming factory buildings. While the shop specialises in vintage clothes, furniture, accessories, and homeware from 1900s France, you don’t have to be an antique fanatic to appreciate the charming and history-steeped atmosphere it emanates.
After rummaging through the treasure trove of nostalgic wares, rest your feet and linger over hand drip coffee ($68) and classic French cakes and desserts. For the ultimate indulgence, opt for the two-person French Special Crepe Tea Set ($268), which comes in a beautiful three-tiered platter filled with cakes, crepes, and macarons, along with a drink of your choice!
Parc Antique & Lifestyle, Shop B2, 10/F, Hung Fuk Factory Building, 60 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong | (+852) 5544 0534
Stylish coffee shop by day, ambient whisky bar by night, Café Hachiko makes for an inviting escape from the stresses of life no matter the time of visit. Swoon over the dark tones and sleek marble tables before saturating your senses with a bevvy of Japanese-fusion food and drinks, including menu standouts like the mentaiko spaghetti ($118), Hachiko French toast ($88), and Uji matcha red bean drink ($58). We would recommend snagging one of the tufted leather booth seats for the cosiest experience, but be warned— you might never want to leave once you plop yourself down!
Café Hachiko, 8/F, Ladder Dundas, 575 Nathan Road, Mong Kok
Step through the blue vintage double doors and find yourself transported to the loving home of a nineteenth-century Parisian collector. Occupying a quiet street corner in Sheung Wan, this aesthetic French-style café fits right in the middle of the Venn Diagram of vintage, cosy, and elegant—think floor-to-ceiling window drapes, snug armchairs, and antique wooden homeware such as a typewriter and piano.
Luxuriate in the peaceful environment and watch the world go by through the window as you sip on java and fill up on rustic French bistro eats. They offer two to three-course lunch sets (starting from $179) that feature the likes of parsnip soup, pumpkin risotto with feta cheese, homemade pasta with local seafood, prime sirloin, and more!
Lé Galet, 25 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong | (+852) 9866 1464
A wanderer, chronic overthinker, and baking enthusiast, Beverly spent much of her childhood in the United States before moving to Hong Kong at age 11 and making the sparkling city her home. In her natural habitat, she can be found baking up a storm in her kitchen, journalling at a café, or scrolling through OpenRice deciding on her next meal.
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