11 hidden cafés to explore in North & East New Territories

Café Alley is dedicated to creating a relaxing space for customers, and it starts even before you step into the shop. The titles in front of the store are purposely laid in a different colour from the main street to give the illusion that it is a different space you are entering. If the weather permits, we would definitely recommend taking your drink outside and grab one of their few stools!

Café Alley, G/F, 3 Sai Kung Hoi Pong Street, Sai Kung | (+852) 6563 6621

What is better than coffee? Coffee with ice cream! Hushush Ice Cream Coffee makes the best Affogato ($60) with their homemade ice creams, and you can get an extra order of ice cream just in case it’s not enough. The ice creams are also super creative, with flavours such as Creative Whiskey ($60), Purple Glutinous Rice Wine ($50), and even Roasted Pink Tomato ($50) on offer. Their speciality coffees also include the Spanish Latte ($55) made with condensed milk and vanilla and a Coconut Sugar Latte ($40). We are more than ready to try everything!

Hushush Ice Cream Coffee, Shop 33, Ko Fu Building, 58–72 Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung

If you’re looking to be surrounded by greenery, look no further than Forest Café. Located inside an actual forest, the café is like a small cabin in the woods for you to take shelter in (minus the horror vibes). You will probably need a car to get to Forest Café, but we promise it is definitely a local secret. The café is a mix of different cultures: There is a vinyl player, a UK telephone box, and even a set of medieval knight armour as part of the décor. Cold drinks usually go better with outdoorsy areas so we would recommend ordering either an Iced Coffee ($45) or one of their house-made Sodas ($33)!

Forest Café, DD19 Lam Kam Road, Tai Po | (+852) 9869 0173

A truly hidden café, Kaffee House is the place to go to get away from the world. With homemade desserts and a ceiling swing, we can totally see ourselves spending a whole afternoon here with a good book. The coffee here is on the more expensive side, but if you are planning to stay over an hour then a Flat White ($68) would be perfect. Their cake of the day comes in seasonal flavours, such as blood orange with mixed nuts, Italian lemon cheesecake, and apple walnut.

Kaffee House, G/F, 24 Lo Tsz Tin Tsuen, Ting Kok Road, Tai Po | (+852) 2330 0233

How would you like a hidden bakery within a hidden café? Dear Coffee & Bakery offers quality coffee with plenty of housemade baked goods. Some of the signature goods include the Sweet Potato Bun ($33) and the Earl Grey Bagel with Earl Grey Paste ($38) filled with mochi and covered in earl grey flavoured honey. With such sweet-flavoured bread, a Cold Brew ($50) would go perfectly well together.

Dear Coffee & Bakery, Shop 22, G/F, Holford Garden, 2–8 Chik Wan Street, Tai Wai | (+852) 2682 0093

This two-storey café in a wonky building is one of our favourites in Tai Wai, with wooden benches in the centre, mats near the ceiling-to-wall windows, and more sitting area on the second floor. If you prefer a more urban vibe, you can even sit on the outside of the café on the stools lined up against the walls. They have a huge selection of drinks, including coffee, tea, fruit tea, milk, bubble milk tea, and soda so there’s something for everyone!

Uchi Coffee, 12A Ninth Street, Tai Wai Village, Tai Wai | (+852) 2377 9173

Hidden behind some green panels is another great hidden café that mimics the sliding doors of a subway train. Going into Platform is like boarding the train to go somewhere, which in this case is to visit this humble coffee shop. What we like here are the crazy lattes you can find on the menu, such as the Cheese Latte ($45), Peanut Latte ($45) and even a Cucumber Latte ($45). Are you brave enough to try these surprising combinations?

Platform, G/F, 254 Tin Sam Village, Tai Wai | (+852) 3583 2818

Another industrial building hidden gem, Glos Café by Fooody is not just another hidden café—it is also a secret location for live bands and live performances! The décor is reminiscent of the 1980s era, with vinyl records and books lined up on the shelves. If you’re looking to get into live performances, this is a good place to debut since audience members are usually very forgiving!

Glos Café by Fooody, Shop 3, G/F, Leader Industrial Centre, 57–59 Au Pui Wan Street, Fo Tan | (+852) 3586 0863

A small hidden café in Ma On Shan, this is a secret favourite of local foodies even though it’s a long trek out of the city centre. Hana Coffee Bread is a blend of Taiwanese and Japanese aesthetics and café culture, with most décor made from wood and covered in potted plants. If you want something fast, there’s the Baby Cinno ($28) that goes perfectly with their homemade Scones ($68) served with jam and mascarpone.

Hana Coffee Bread, Shop 29–30, G/F, Phase 2, MOS Town, 18 On Luk Street, Ma On Shan | (+852) 5686 7806

And finally, we are going to round up our article with another dessert café. Soul Sweet is a tiny hidden establishment serving up some of our guiltiest pleasures! Open late until 11 pm, there’s no way you can go without trying their signature ‘potted’ ice cream desserts. Soul Sweet’s Roasted Sea Salt Corn Flakes ($50) dessert is a mountain of Nutella, banana, and cornflakes mixed and placed on top of milk ice cream, finished off with a layer of toasted marshmallows. We’re bringing our mates along with us to finish this beast!

Soul Sweet, Shop 12–13, G/F, MOS Town Street (Phase 2), 18 On Luk Street, Ma On Shan | (+852) 3956 5254