This story originally appeared on Travelog.me and is also published on Localiiz.
A coffee (or three) a day keeps us from going insane. With so many specialty cafes popping up around Hong Kong lately, we’ve seriously been spoilt for choice. But what do we love more than our heart-pumping espressos and super gimmicky avolattes? A gorgeous cafe where we can have our coffee and selfie/photos ops too. These are some of the +852’s most photogenic cafes.
Winstons Coffee
One does not simply walk past Winstons Coffee without taking a photo of its shopfront. Both its Sai Ying Pun and Kennedy Town locations feature an old school cinema sign bearing the cafe’s name and a sneaky catchphrase. It’s so eye-catching that there’s always someone standing across the road taking photos of it. The interior is sleek and the black-and-white patterned floors are another favourite backdrop for Instagrammers after that 10/10 shot.
Winstons is more than just a pretty face. This Aussie-style cafe serves some of the very best piccolos, flat whites and espresso martinis in town. Strong, dark and slightly bitter, have your coffee with a side of biscotti, croissants, and pies.
Halfway Coffee
Just off a staircase full of antique stores in Sheung Wan is the very quaint Halfway Coffee. This cafe merges East and West with all drinks being served in vintage porcelain Chinese teacups scoured from places like Temple Street. See them all lined out atop their bespoke espresso machine and let the barista know which cup you want your drink served in. Also keep an eye out for their cash register, a counter-weight just like what you’d see back in the day at a wet market.
Halfway Coffee make a mean latte. Rich, smooth, and creamy, their coffees always hit the spot and come with some of the best latte art we’ve seen in HK. It’s a super popular spot during lunch time and space is limited in this small cafe. But don’t fret! Halfway Coffee has just opened a new location nearby with plenty of seating where you can photograph your lunch hour away.
Mido Cafe
If you grew up watching Hong Kong movies and TVB, it’s very likely that you’ve seen Mido Cafe as a set location. This Yau Ma Tei cha chaan teng opened in the 1950s and its décor remains largely unchanged. Iron-framed glass windows, mosaic floor tiles, bench seating, and a manual cash register all scream nostalgia in a city where everything seems to change at the speed of lightning.
Although Mido’s extensive menu is nothing out of the ordinary for a cha chaan teng, its signature dishes like the baked pork chop rice and fried noodles topped with roast pork are all worth a taste. Want something smaller? Grab a Hong Kong-style milk tea and chow down on a pineapple bun with butter or scrambled egg toast.
Cafe Hay Fever
Our botanists will love this secret garden cafe. Sitting at the back of a flower shop on Prince Edward’s Flower Market Road, Cafe Hay Fever offers an oasis from Hong Kong’s hustle and bustle. For our Instagrammers, this cafe offers an endless supply of potted plants, stunning bouquets, and garden décor to bless your socials with!
Cafe Hay Fever’s coffee menu is concise and most tables order their slow-drip ice coffees and organic fairtrade tea infusions. Feeling peckish? We hear their lemon cheesecake is the real MVP. If you can’t make you way over to the Kowloon side, they also have a Causeway Bay location complete with colourful flowers and greenery to whisk you away to a calmer place.
Hands-On Coffee
This newly opened cafe sits right on top of a mobile phone store and is a great respite from the madness of Mong Kok. Hands-on Coffee is photogenic from every angle. Whip out your camera for the cafe’s centrepiece round-bar before watching the baristas pour up a strong one. Coffee tempers line portions of the wall and ceiling, whilst the rest of the seating area is drenched in warm lighting and shades of retro pink, turquoise blue, and green.
Hands-On Coffee’s menu has a wide selection of pastas, sandwiches, and desserts but they take their coffee super seriously. Let the baristas walk you through the entire brewing process as you choose from Indonesian, Costa Rica and Ethiopian beans, and various brewing methods like aeropress and hand drip.