5 Hong Kong cafes that get us high

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Buzzed at Cafe Corridor

Colour Brown

Owner Edwin Lee pays tribute to the diversity of coffee with a menu that includes fourteen single-origin coffees -- that means no blends, just pure native flavor -- all roasted onsite. 

Lee, his wife Pamela and their two dogs, Go-On and Cheese, preside over this welcoming café tucked away in Sai Kung’s old town. It’s as much a hangout for laid-back locals as it is for weekend tourists. 

Cafe Zambra's El Au pours with a steady hand.

Cafe Zambra

In business since 2002 -- which practically makes it an archaeological site among Hong Kong coffee houses -- Zambra’s large space, solid lunch menu, and giant picture windows attract as many Wan Chai business district workers as the coffee itself. But don’t overlook the ground goods from baristas such as El Au, another consummate latte artist who’ll show you photos of the many designs with which he can make your coffee look as good as it tastes.

Coco Espresso

Every coffee joint brags about fresh beans and cozy atmosphere, but how many have a barista so clever he figured out a way to make a layabout nephew useful? After closing his long-running Sydney coffee house and returning to Hong Kong two years ago, Maurice Wong opened this tiny Sheung Wan spot, then shipped nephew Johnson Ko back to Sydney for an intensive apprenticeship.

Now, Coco Espresso’s Italian-Australian-Chinese influence is palpable: eight-ounce lattes are served in glasses, not mugs, a simple sandwich and lunch menu expertly complement the coffee, and the family operation’s bargain prices make it the best coffee value in town.

Crema Coffee

With its own roaster and unbridled enthusiasm for coffee art -- baristas will swirl everything from a cute cat to a cute bunny to a cute piggy into your latte foam -- Crema has earned a loyal following that fills seats well into the evening in its small shop in a Tsim Sha Tsui East laneway.

The pastry and snack selection is good, but it’s Crema’s consistent knack for smooth yet powerful brew that vaults it into the ranks of HK bests.

Cafe Corridor's Felix Wong.

Café Corridor

An unlikely location across from Times Square with a secluded backyard terrace makes this tiny, windowless space perfect for passing state secrets or discreetly carrying on with a co-worker. Corridor owner, Felix Wong, who also runs Coffee Assembly, one of Hong Kong’s best-known coffee roasters, that makes sure the beans are always fresh and the traditional milk coffees and espressos worth slipping away for even without a reason. Or a date.