Where to find Hong Kong’s best hybrid cafés

Logically, a café-bar just makes sense—especially in a city like Hong Kong, where businesses need to maximise their earnings to offset the sky-high rent. Happily, there are many cafés that go from slinging flat whites to cocktails with aplomb, proving that “going from day to night” is a quality that befits more than just a versatile outfit.

Who would have thought you could get a latte, a slice of cake, and a new tattoo all in one place? Opened by acclaimed tattoo artist Nathalie Tali—formerly of Mofo Tattoo—Zizizi appears at first glance to simply be a chic, South Korean-inspired café featuring mid-century modern furniture in a bright, minimalist space.

Behind the glass brick wall, however, you’ll find a tattoo studio where Tali or her fellow artists Rika Loli and Sharon Mong ink intricate designs onto customers’ skin. In fact, the café’s social media handle (Ziziseng) refers to the sound that a tattoo gun makes while it’s on, with “zizi” referring to the buzzing, and seng (聲) meaning noise or sound.

If you’re not on the market for some new ink, the café’s Lotus Biscoff latte and cinnamon roll bagel are both well worth making a visit for, while those who are lucky enough to catch the limited-edition Lotus Biscoff cheesecake should not pass up the opportunity to taste it.

Zizizi, 1/F, 22 Kimberly Street, Tsim Sha Tsui

Yau is a social enterprise café-slash-massage parlour operated by the Hong Kong Blind Union. Fittingly for a business that takes its name from the Chinese word for rest (休; yau1), Yau is a zen, Japanese-inspired space replete with blond woods and tatami seating.

Besides employing visually impaired baristas and massage therapists, Yau’s inclusivity also extends to its baked goods—which are sourced from visually-impaired bakers—and the physical menu itself, which comes in braille for visually impaired customers.

Nibble on braille cookies from Codekey Cookies or indulge in a slice of double chocolate cake from Baking in the Dark, and wash it all down with a mocha or matcha latte. For optimal relaxation, book an appointment (link in Chinese) for a head, shoulder, and neck massage (available in 20-, 30-, 50-, or 60-minute sessions) with one of their therapists.

Yau Café (休), Shop 1, 1 Sai Yuen Lane, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 3611 9693

For a duet to work, you need two elements that are different enough to contrast with each other, but able to work together in harmony. At the aptly-named Duet in Whampoa, the two halves in question are Duet Cups (a café) and Duet Cuts (a hair salon). The former occupies the front half of the shop and the latter, the back; a sleek colour palette of grey, black, and white ties the entire space together.

The café side—which is managed by award-winning barista Jaco Chu—boasts an expertly curated selection of single-origin beans, including the coveted Colombian pink bourbon varietal, from three artisanal roasters. Besides espresso and black and white filter coffees, you’ll also find a concise menu of savoury fusion dishes like Nyonya laksa prawn fettuccine and creative sweets like the whisky ice cream croffle, which is itself a hybrid. Over on the salon side, Duet’s founder and director, commercial hairstylist Adam Hui, works his magic snipping, dyeing, and treating customers’ ’dos with premium Aveda and Milbon hair products.

Duet Cups, Shop 28, Pebbles World, 120 Baker Street, Whampoa, Hung Hom

Shisha and coffee might not seem like an obvious match at first, but in Soho, Mono Lab offers a secluded space for a smoke and a cup of joe. If the weather permits, the outdoor terrace with its views of Tai Kwun and Central is a great place to enjoy a Single-origin coffee or chat over shisha with some friends. For something a little different, try the signature fruit bowl shisha, where the coal is placed on top of fruit like bundled cucumber batons or a halved watermelon for added flavour and aroma.

Mono Lab, 7/F, 31–33 Hollywood Road, Soho, Central

Code while you drink coffee at Preface Coffee, a pair of cafés run by the coding academy of the same name. As cafés that are designed to function as educational spaces, Preface lends itself well to customers looking for a quiet place to work, providing ample seating, power sockets, and “beefy bandwidth.” Both the Causeway Bay and Central branches often host coding classes, tech workshops, and other events, whilst serving as a wine bar at night.

G/F and 1/F, The Sharp, 11 Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2693 3980

UG/F and G/F, The Loop, 33 Wellington Street, Central | (+852) 2421 0010

Tick off your to-do list and get a caffeine hit in all at the same time at Hong Kong’s café-slash-laundromats, both of which are (naturally) located in the hipper-than-thou Western District. The OG café-laundromat, Coffee & Laundry, was co-founded by famed sign-painter Katol Lo (a.k.a. Katol One), whose artistic vision for the shop has led to cool collaborations and exhibitions with the likes of comic artist Little Thunder, tattoo artist Louie Ming Chun, and more. Grab a bottle of Little Thunder cold brew while you’re there.

Coffee & Laundry, Shop 1, 1 Queen Street, Sheung Wan

Adding a little artsy flair to the quiet stretch of Queen’s Road West is Artzbrew, a café and art gallery operated by acclaimed local roasters Colour Brown. In a way, Artzbrew marks a return to form for the two-storey space, which used to be the digs for 3812 Gallery.

On the ground floor, you’ll find the sunny café, serving up light vegetarian-friendly fare and colourful drinks inspired by famous works of art. Meanwhile, the gallery space upstairs plays host to a diverse roster of exhibitions, with the inaugural show being an abstract, modern multimedia show by Vinn Feng, while the current show features the whimsical, anthropomorphic animal-human cartoons of Japanese artist Keigo.

Artzbrew, 118 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun

For a spot of shopping along with your coffee and cake, head to Yukkuri, an antique store and café in Kowloon City. Founded by a quartet of creatives who run antique stores, lifestyle stores, and handmade accessories brands, Yukkuri is a haven for design enthusiasts. Peruse antique metal display cases, handmade ceramics, and vintage curios before you settle down for a Yukkuri cake set and black sesame hojicha. Reservations are required; book here.

Yukkuri, 424 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon City

Located next to Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei, Kubrick Café has been serving cinephiles and causal movie-goers since 2001. Apart from serving up quality café food and brews—popular items include the Peking duck ciabatta, carbonara, and their homemade desserts—Kubrick also has a selection of books, vinyl, and DVDs on offer for visitors to re-immerse themselves in whatever cinematic world they had just escaped.

Kubrick Café, Shop H2, Properous Garden, 3 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

Yes, the hybrid café trend even covers gems and crystals, which is a first, from what we’ve seen, and Nelles Gemmes in Sheung Wan offers Moroccan-inspired interiors for you to ponder over sets of crystals with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Nelles Gemmes, G/F, 55 Tung Street, Sheung Wan