Serve Well Chilled: 6 Relaxing Restaurants That Will Soothe Your Worries Away
Havens for Hong Kong's stressed-out diners.
Are you a stressed-out diner tired of being shouted at by impatient cha chaan teng staff? These relaxing restaurants will soothe your worries away.
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Who are the most easygoing people in Hong Kong? Lamma hippies, of course. And where better to encounter this easygoing breed than the Bookworm Café, Lamma’s very own vegetarian literary enclave? With an all-veggie menu and shelves stacked high with second-hand goods and vintage vinyl, the Bookworm Café is the ideal place to kick back, take it easy and forget about your meat-eating island-dwelling woes. Until you get back on the ferry, at least.
Chill Out Factor: A glass of wine, a good book and some jazz on the stereo.
79 Yung Shue Wan Main St., Lamma, 2982-4838.
Cup Runneth Over
Mong Kok’s Full Cup Café is always an island of hipsterdom in a sea of crowds and noise, but it’s on the weekend that this venue really reaches peak chill. Every Sunday from 3-5pm, Full Cup hosts a live music gig from one of Hong Kong’s best up-and-coming bands. Head in, order a bite and take it easy. With any luck, it’s not a death metal day…
Chill Out Factor: Going to a gig with that person you’ve been crushing on for weeks.
2-6/F, Hanwai Commercial Centre, 36 Dundas St., Mong Kok, 2771-7775.
New Discoveries
Discovery Forest on the roof of Central Pier No.3 might just have the best location and the most chilled-out vibes in the entire city. With an unbeatable view of both sides of the skyline, it’s a hidden gem—and you won’t have to pay Central prices for a Central view. Food is basic kinda western fare, but a meal here isn’t really about the cuisine. It’s about the regular live bands, the plentiful draft beer and perfect view of that truly unbeatable skyline.
Chill Out Factor: Hong Kong nighttime vibes.
Rooftop, Central Ferry Pier No.3, Central, 3579-8662.
Super Bubbles
Been a tough week? Drown your sorrows in bubbles. On Sundays, there are free flow champers and beer offers at The Mira Moon’s Supergiant all day—and from 6-8pm, they serve up free-flow Veuve Clicquot champagne for just $295 on the secluded “Secret Garden” open-air terrace. Order up the restaurant’s signature tapas, from traditional bites such as tortilla to Hong Kong takes such as egg waffles with serrano ham, and wash it down with glass after glass of al fresco bubbles. You’ll be feeling way better in no time.
Chill Out Factor: Ice buckets full of bubbly.
3/F, Mira Moon, 388 Jaffe Rd., Causeway Bay, 2643-8875.
Ocean Waves
The Pulse in Repulse Bay has seen plenty of new venues open over the last year, and they’re all great beachside locations with an easy-going, laid-back vibe. The newest is The Ocean, which serves modern interpretations of seafood of all kinds over two floors. Not chill enough for you? Soon to open is Cabana on the open-air balcony, with a wooden onsen pool so you can grab a cocktail and dip your feet when it all gets a little too hot to handle.
Chill Out Factor: A balmy day by the beach.
Shop 303-304, The Pulse, 28 Beach Rd., Repulse Bay, 2889-5939.
Café Cool
What’s cooler than a café set in an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok? A café set in an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok manned by one of Hong Kong’s coolest indie bands, of course. Tfvsjs Café, created by the post-rock band of the same (totally unpronounceable) name, serves up strong, homely Italian fare in this sprawling and unpretentious warehouse space that doubles up as the band’s rehearsal space. Food is creative and inspired—much like the band itself.
Chill Out Factor: Cooler than that band you’ve never heard of before.
Unit B, 10/F, Gee Luen Factory Building, 316-318 Kwun Tong Rd., Ngau Tau Kok, 2415-4999.
