The Cupping Room

I am not actually a coffee drinker but do love cafes and trying out non coffee and tea options. So when out shopping and in need of a coffee break this place seemed like a nice new place to try out.
It is super popular and the crowds attest to that. There is upstairs seating but that fills up very quickly so if you are looking for a nice chill spot to sit, relax and enjoy a drink then this is not the place to go.
They had two non tea/​coffee options I couldn’t decide between — the Rosemary lemonade and the ice chocolate. The lady behind the counter recommend the chocolate and I took her advice. It was served in a lovely mason jar with swirls of chocolate syrup or sauce all around the outside. Taste wise it was your pretty standard hot chocolate.
You can read Liz’s review about whether the coffee was good or not.

I love going out for a coffee with my buddies. Whilst having a Saturday mooch with Tracy we decided it was drink stop time. We headed for the cupping room as I’ve been to the sheung wan location and adored the coffee.
The central location is smaller. Like way smaller. The coffee is still just as tasty, but perching on a bench slurping my coffee surround by people milling around isn’t my idea of a splendid time.
They do have seating upstairs, but that was full. I appreciate that it’s a popular spot and demand is high — I would not recommend stopping in if your like a break, however grab a coffee to go!

For me, this is a yummy break from mainstream coffee chains. The cup size is smaller than my iPhone 5 but the coffee caffeine content is definitely a kick! Maybe my tolerance for caffeine has subsided but in any case, my mocha is super yummy today — a well balanced bitterness and sweetness.
Price wise– it’s about 5 $hkd more expensive than the mainstream cafes.
They don’t do decaf though but you can ask for a half shot!
The upstairs seating room is a bit crowded for me and can get a bit noisy with all the excited-hyped-up-I’m-on-caffeine conversation. Possibly not the best place to discuss serious business. But a cute place to catch up with a friend…

The Cupping Room is one of those establishments that causes you to do a double-​take the first time you walk past it on Wellington Street. It is almost literally an underground café, with limited seating downstairs if you’re just there for a coffee and a snack.
The coffee is served in large, thick ceramic teacups. The flat white was soft and silky smooth, made all the better with good latte art. A balance was achieved between the espresso and the milk — neither overwhelmed or overpowered the other, leaving the drinker satisfied and pleased. A very well-​made mild espresso drink.
The banana bread was mediocre. The size of it would be on the small side for most, but it was the perfect size on a Sunday afternoon a few hours after brunch. The bread itself, however, was rather dry and rubbery, which was a bit of a disappointment. The sugar sprinkled on the upper crust of the bread added to its texture, but not particularly to its taste; one might think it was a underhanded way of adding flavor and cheap delight.
The café itself was loud and relatively crowded, though this may not be the case when it is not Sunday afternoon. There is very limited seating area downstairs and no tables — only a small counter by the windows. There is unlimited free WiFi (somewhat slow), but no sockets for those who would want to spend a lot of time working there.

Overrated Coffee Spot with just something you can get at Starbucks or somewhere else.

If it is just for the food and beverage, I can easily give it a 5 stars. Great roast for coffee and fine smooth brew of latte. And the lunch /​brunch options are all tasty and comforting. I haven’t had such good Egg Benedict for ages.
However, I can only give a 2.5 stars for the service. The problem promptly shown when they are too busy to attend the customers who wanted to be seated at a table. They lost control of who get the seats first as they may have written down your name, yet other customers might walk in and seat in any empty table unattended. The unfairness generated from the poor service is just frustrating.

Wow. Big thumbs up here.
The vibe is much like the antipodean coffee shops that are all the rage in Manhattan at the moment. Simple cooked food options, breakfast-​y, available all day. Great location, and the option of an upstairs sit down service area with views of the mid levels escalator. Downstairs was takeaway only.
A multitude of shiny trophies on display downstairs claimed God-​like barista abilities. A bold claim in a town where the availability of a damn good shot of espresso is hard to find — and bad ones easy to spot.
The piccolo latte was great — not La Station silky smooth, but fast service and a cool presentation. I didn’t try a simple espresso shot, which is my yardstick for quality coffee. Maybe next time!
The avocado toast was amazing. Chewy fried sourdough, chunky avocado (and ripe — a bit of a novelty in HK!), with a creamy smear of ricotta on the side. The almonds didn’t work for me — they were
’unforkable’ (if there is such a word) and the extra crunch from them wasn’t necessary with the delicious sourdough base. Radish slices provided colour and a bit of zing.
Nice crowd to sit amongst too. A few tourists, some solo telecommuters and some early lunchers.
Great place for late breakfast or early lunch while you watch HK come to life at lunch time.

Finally in my neighbourhood… so new that there are no queues yet and they have the same menu as the other The Cupping Room cafés, friendly and helpful staff a huge and light upstairs area, and of course delicious coffee specialties and the infamous avocado and egg toast. Will be enjoying my Sunday mornings here before word spreads about the new location. Great view: escalators, groovily run down Wellington Street and Cochrane Street. Love it how cool places keep on popping up in no time.