The best cosy coffee shops for winter

Although primarily a furniture workshop, 廿一由八 Pantry (also known as Twentyone From Eight) is home to a Le Cordon Bleu chef. Unsurprising then, the food and coffee here is of a high calibre. Grab a seat on the sofa or on one of the stools and indulge in treats like blackened fish with creamy lemon linguine or Black Forest ham with pesto linguine.

A go-to spot for many in Sai Ying Pun’s hipster crowd, Artisan Garden Café boasts an outdoor patio area and a snug indoor space with a wall completely decked out with Fire-King mugs. The charming Aussie-inspired space has a fantastic menu featuring finely-brewed coffee and waffles – the buttermilk fried chicken is a must-try.

Any café with a shiba inu mascot has got to be cosy, right? Well, even if the pooch isn’t about on your visit, Black Sugar is still a good destination on a cold or rainy day. With its dim lighting, wooden tables and smart white tiling, Black Sugar is the perfect place to go with your laptop to complete an afternoon’s worth of work, accompanied by some damn fine coffee and killer eggs benedict.

Tucked away down a – you guessed it – corridor opposite Times Square, this relaxing coffeeshop is a heaven for java heads. Browse the chalkboard for your choice of brew – there are a variety of coffees available including Melbourne-style brews like Magic and Dirty. And if you can’t get cosy without lighting up, another notable feature is the smoking area out back. 

Who says chain cafés are all dreary, uninviting spaces? Local business Coffee Academics is certainly one of the best chains in Hong Kong and its flagship branch in Yiu Wa Street is the pick of the bunch. It’s a spacious venue with plenty of couches and cushions and a slew of cold brews, handcrafted espresso-based drinks, as well as teas, alcoholic drinks and decent small bites.

Hidden in an old and unassuming building, this relaxing spot is a warm and inviting space adorned with wooden décor, dried flowers and fresh greenery. It’s the perfect place to sit back, enjoy delicious cakes, calming floral teas and snuggle up in the company of the café’s cute and friendly felines.

Although a relatively small and crowded space, Winstons original branch in Queen’s Road West is surprisingly inviting. The place is at its cosy best come the evening when the lights go down and the espresso martinis flow a little more freely. Grab a nook at the back and you’ve got yourself a surprisingly intimate little date spot.