Who needs an office? As businesses go digital, more and more companies are going remote, and the freelancer, entrepreneur and digital nomad communities are growing. If you don’t like paying for a co-working space or drinking awful coffee, you might want to work from a café instead. In Hong Kong, the coffee culture is spreading and boutique cafés are springing up at the most unexpected locations. However in a city where you are constantly competing for oxygen with at least another hundred people, finding a space where you could occupy for a quarter of a day could be difficult. Platforms like workfrom.co are a real convenience, it also creates a mutually beneficial relationship between venue owners and remote workers, but Hong Kong is not yet on their list.

Environment



It’s all about comfort. I would only work where I feel welcomed to focus for a couple of hours and not feel like I’m hogging others’ seats. Equally, we should all know our coffee shop etiquettes and respect other customers too.

Next, table space has to be sufficient so you could put your cup of coffee next to your laptop but not dangerously close. I don’t mind hard chairs, but sofa seats or cushions would be a plus! Of course, we need stable and non-dial-up-speed wifi, if I could watch a 720p video without lag, I’d say it’s okay. Power outlets can be important for those who drain their batteries quickly, but mine usually lasts long enough. Lastly, good lighting! It’s good for your eyes. Plus, natural light lifts your mood!

Location

Preferably of walking distance from MTR stations and preferably in a quiet area with elements of nature and fresh air. I live in Central and so my list probably radiates from Central and Sheung Wan.

Coffee & Food



I’m not actually a coffee critic but I do find coffee in cafés superior to the usual Starbucks. I usually order Espresso-based coffees, either Latte, Cappuccino or Mocha, (or Matcha Latte if they have it).

I usually go to coffee shops with my friend who is gluten-intolerant, so I would factor in the availability of gluten-free food options. So far I haven’t been able to find any cafés that do good gluten free cakes, which is a real shame because coffee with cake is simply divine.

1. COFFEE ACADEMICS

THE MORRISON, 225 WANCHAI ROAD, WANCHAI

MONDAY – SUNDAY 9AM – 9PM

35-45 johnston road, wan Chai

monday – thursday: 8am – 10pm

friday: 8am – 11pm

saturday: 9am – 11pm

sunday: 9am – 9pm

38 YIU WA STREET, CAUSEWAY BAY

MONDAY – THURSDAY: 9AM – 11PM

FRIDAY – SATURDAY: 9AM – 2AM

SUNDAY: 10AM – 9PM

About 10 minutes walk from the Wan Chai MTR, CA’s new outlet on Wan Chai Road is spacious and has plenty of natural light. It is also less crowded than other CA outlets. Outdoor seats are also available. There’s another CA outlet on Johnston Road where their Cupping Room for private tasting sessions is located. It can get a bit busy here and the air condition can sometimes be excessive, but they do have comfortable sofa seats.

Located just behind Times Square, the location of the Coffee Academics’ Flagship Outlet is prime. They have covered outdoors seats so you wouldn’t get wet even when it rains, the interior is pretty dim though. If you do not disapprove a cup of coffee late at night, this outlet opens until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays!

CA serves brilliant coffee, their house blend is rated 92/100 by the Coffee Review. They have their own roasting room and their baristas are highly skilled. They have a pretty extensive food menu including mains and desserts, gluten free options include blue corn nachos, curly fries, potato skins.

UPDATE (Feb 2016): Wifi access is limited to 120 minutes per session and max. 4 sessions per day.

2. The CUPPING ROOM

287-299 QUEEN’S ROAD CENTRAL, SHEUNG WAN

MONDAY – FRIDAY 8:00AM-5:00PM

SAT, SUN & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 9:00AM-6:00PM

32 SWATOW STREET, WAN CHAI

MONDAY – FRIDAY 8:00AM-5:00PM

SAT, SUN & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 9:00AM-6:00PM

Cupping Room in Sheung Wan is spacious and relaxed. They have bar chairs (with indents for your bum cheeks) and bench seats. Apart from serving coffee, Cupping Room also has a shelf of specialty coffee for sell. The two-storey Cupping Room in Wan Chai offers salmon quinoa salad and watermelon salad as gluten free food options. Their newly opened store on Cochrane Street in Central appears to be too busy however.

3. LOF10

1 U LAM TERRACE, SHEUNG WAN

MONDAY – SUNDAY: 10AM – 7PM

Lof10 is as its name suggests, lofty. With large wooden tables, minimalistic decor, a wide open door front and green surroundings, Lof10 keeps your mind clear and focused for work. The stair climb to Lof10 is pretty hefty but it’s well worth it. Their coffees are slightly more expensive than other cafés, it’s $58 for a 8oz latte. They also have food and dessert if you need something for the hungry stomach.

4. BARISTA JAM

126-128 JERVOIS STREET, SHEUNG WAN

MONDAY AND SATURDAY: 10AM – 6PM

TUESDAY – FRIDAY: 8AM – 6PM

Sunday: 11am – 6pm

CLOSED ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

You know they are serious about coffee once you notice their proud display of specialty coffees and sophisticated coffee equipments in every corner. The first floor is usually packed, but there is a large communal table on the second floor providing approximately 15 seats for more privacy and a quieter environment. The lighting of the entire café is on the dim side. You are welcomed to work amongst the others even though their wifi password is passive-aggressively, 20-mins-only! They serve salads, sandwiches, pastas, and some fancy desserts. The earl grey creme brûlée is really tempting.

5. HAZEL & HERSHEY

69 PEEL STREET, CENTRAL

MONDAY – SUNDAY: 10AM – 7PM

This oasis on the slopes on Peel Street is more than just a café. Not only do they serve roasted-on-site specialty coffees, but they also sell coffee gear and hold both professional and leisure coffee classes. I actually bought my Loveramics coffee cups there! Their indoor table is a bit too low in height , but they also have some bar tables and outdoor seats. There isn’t a whole lot of food options apart from some pastries and cakes.

6. EMPRESS CAFE

MING YAN LANE, ON HING MANSION, WAN CHAI

MONDAY – SATURDAY: 12AM – 9PM

SUNDAY: 12AM – 5:30PM

Hidden in an alley in Wan Chai is Empress Cafe. There are not a lot of seats in there but the atmosphere is welcoming and cosy. This little space features a book exchange and a postcard map. You get a free hot coffee if you send them a postcard! Their coffee is comprised of a blend of 8 beans, and complementary cartoon latte art. If you are up for something unusual, try their souffle coffee and their blueberry risotto, otherwise stick with the lattes and waffle.

7. ETHOS

93 HILL ROAD, KENNEDY TOWN

MONDAY – FRIDAY: 12PM – 10PM

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: 11AM – 10PM

Ethos is a lifestyle platform which triples as a café, a retail store and an event space promoting minimalistic design. The full height class windows give the shop a spacious feeling and display the serene surrounding. Situated next to the Hong Kong University, Ethos can be flooded with students trying to do their homework sometimes. They are opened late until 10pm for the late night workers. Food choices include risottos, pastas and panini.

8. corner kitchen café

226 hollywood road, sheung wan

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY: 9am – 6pm

CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

Characterised by brick wall tiles and a wide open store front, Corner Kitchen Café gives off a laid-back, weekend vibe. The tables on the first floor are a bit small but there are sofa seats with big tables on the second floor. They serve excellent wraps and burgers as well as some of the best cakes I’ve had in Hong Kong. Bowl of chilli with tortillas and sweet potato fries are good gluten free choices, but they sell really quickly on weekends!

9. CAFé YAWN

9 HAVEN STREET, CAUSEWAY BAY

MONDAY – SUNDAY: 12PM – 10PM

With positive, inspirational quotes written over the walls and a cup of coffee, you’ll be starting your day with productivity at Café Yawn. They have power outlets for customers so feel free to bring your cables and charge up. You might want to avoid lunch and dinner times however as seats are pretty limited and the bar tables aren’t ideal for laptops. Skillets or hotplates are their specialties here.

10. THE ROASTER, STEP BY STEP

26 UPPER LASCAR ROW, SHEUNG WAN

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY: 11AM – 7PM

FRIDAY – SUNDAY: 10AM – 8PM

CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

You wouldn’t expect a café in the middle of the antiques bazaar on Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street). Although probably more known for its waffles, the Roaster SBS is pretty serious about their coffee too. They always have a variety of single origin hand dripped coffee as well as milk-based espresso drinks. They have colourful home-like décor with leather bench seats and plastic (maybe acrylic) chairs.

Is your favourite café on the list? Let me know!

And here’s a foursquare list of the above and more!