Sheung Wan

Halfway Coffee feels distinctly cool. That’s a product of industrial interiors, vintage wooden furniture, handwritten (and hand-illustrated) menus, velvety cappucinos, friendly staff, and neon signage. The coffee here is really good, as are the teas and black sugar lattes. Order for here, and you’ll get your drink in a vintage porcelain cup or a colorful painted glass—part of a vast collection that the brand shows off next door at Halfway Museum.

You might not expect Hong Kong’s thrice-crowned best bar to focus on artisanal tequila and mezcal, but here it is. COA’s signature menu fuses flavors from Mexico (mole, ancho chile) with those of Hong Kong (bitter melon, Sichuan pepper, Chinese pickled cabbage), and every drink is fantastic. A line starts forming here about half an hour before opening, so if you don’t plan to arrive early, come prepared for a wait. Which, all things considered, is not that bad: You scan a QR code, and your phone shows where you are in the queue in real time, so you can explore Sheung Wan or drink elsewhere until it’s your turn.

Hollywood Road has long had a history rooted in the buying and selling of antiques. One of the city’s greatest resident collectors, Peter Fung, opened a 20,000-sqaure foot private museum devoted to showcasing his own personal collection, which includes 300-plus pieces from Ming and Quing dynasties and an assortment of jeweled powder boxes from the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. Exhibitions rotate, and unlike its traditional counterparts, visitors are encouraged to sit on and touch the items on display.

The front of Select 18 is packed to overflowing with an array of antiques, jewelry from local artists, and vintage pieces. Americana, typewriters, handbags, 1970's designer clothing...you could stumble upon pretty much anything and everything in the small space. There's also a trove of vintage sunglasses—it's hard to leave with just one pair.

When you've maxed out on dim sum and just want a simple café where you can tuck into the paper, and maybe a bagel and lox or some avocado toast, Classified is a nice choice. So welcome, in fact, that there are something like nine outposts scattered across the region. They do a reliably great English and Irish breakfast and the coffee is better than what you'll find in most joints. Other locations include Stanley, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Repulse Bay, Central, and Happy Valley.

When you’ve had too much pork, turn to this sweet, traditional Chinese tea house, which serves vegetarian dim sum. Beyond dumplings, they offer more than 100 varieties of tea (which are also for sale in the shop).

Yardbird allows reservations but holds 50% of the restaurant for walk-ins, meaning crowds line up every night. The menu is all about chicken, served yakitori style, and it doesn’t disappoint. While the focus seems specific, they’re unsparing in skewering and barbecuing every part of the bird, from the neck to the heart, to the liver (you can get basic breasts, too). For vegetarians, there are plenty of delectable options, including sweet corn tempura and eggplant salad.