Polygon Cafe
This newcomer to the coffee shop scene hails from New York City. The first thing you’ll notice is the outdoor seating in the alleyway that is set up in a way that allows you to sit across from your friends while being both indoors and out. You can bring your dog to keep you company while you get your breakfast and latte. There’s a natural breeze through the entire place, keeping you cool even on the hottest of days. The coffee is excellent and the teas are a step above.
14 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2915 8878
Opendoor Cafe + Courtyard
Boasting a great food menu, this neighbourhood café offers old favourites as well as speciality drinks such as kefir smoothies. Almond milk coffee can be hard to find in Hong Kong, but Opendoor have you covered – and uncovered, with their cute, cute outdoor courtyard for lounging.
120 Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 3460 3880
Photo credit: Debbs.
Café Deadend
Employing organic soy milk, baristas who are trained and can actually swirl some stunning coffee artwork and tasty bakery treats from their mother next door, Po’s Atelier, the folk at Café Deadend are keeping it cool in Sheung Wan. They have a killer courtyard that we enjoy basking in like overgrown, brunch-loving lizards. We recommend coming early though, because getting a table here on a weekend can be tricky.
72 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan, 6716 7005
The Restaurant by The Kinnet
This healthy-eating haven offers a brilliant selection of hot and cold dishes, salads and cakes, all mindfully made. Honeycomb ceilings, simple blue-and-white tiling and a gorgeous wooden terrace with huge glass windows make this a very pleasant place indeed.
3/F, 33 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan, 3968 7623
The Coffee Academics
These guys have been on a rampage and opened another two shops last year. As the name suggests, they educate their customers about all aspects of their coffee – crop to cup. This is cool, because from the initial selection of coffee origin and roasting method to the fine-tuning of blend proportion and cupping, each step is done with care, passion and an uncompromising quest for top quality. Plus their CWB terrace is a lush place to lounge.
38 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay, 2156 0313
Little Cove Espresso
Taking over the premises of Colour Brown, Little Cove Espresso inherited the former vendor’s expertise in coffee but also introduced a new ethos centred around well-being. Basically a superfood haven, they sell everything from bulletproof coffee, to organic colas, to chia bowls, as well as an array of items to suit vegans, vegetarians, paleo dieters – you name it. Their interior captures the casual, relaxed essence of Sai Kung, and their outdoor area is just as cool for those who fancy an al fresco experience.
34 See Cheung Street, Sai Kung, 9572 8560
Classified
Several locations of this long-standing café chain have an outdoor area – two of our faves are Hollywood Road for the people watching and The Pulse for swinging and sipping and watching the world go by.
108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2525 3454
Shop 107, 1/F, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, 2351 3454
Full Cup Cafe
Located in a dodgy alley on Dundas Street in Mongkok, the entrance to the building is very easy to miss. But once you get inside, you’ll be surprised by how many cafés and bars are hidden there. The super-sweet terrace has mosaic tables and chairs and neon signs – you’ll feel cool just knowing about it.
3/F–7/F, Hanway Commercial Centre, 36 Dundas Street, Mongkok, 2771 7775
