The Cupping Room

Another great place if you want to try a very artistic looking meal. The coffee is freaking awesome.

I almost walked past this place without going in, but I paid a visit on my last morning in HK on my way to the airport.
The coffee was delicious and the service very efficient! I placed my order, paid, and within minutes heard my name called, and walked out to the street, coffee in hand.
Somewhere in there, I happened to use their bathroom (wash closet, for you locals). I have to say when, the exteriors, serving area, and general décor has an immaculately modern aesthetic, you sort of expect the restroom to match that. The bathrooms were better than many I’ve seen in Hong Kong, but I just walked out feeling unclean.
Not the best feeling to start your day with, particularly when you’re about to get on a plane.
Nonetheless, the rest of my experience at The Cupping Room was flawless, so next time I’m back in HK, I’ll be sure to stop in for their breakfast/​brunch!

Best coffee I’ve had in HK! Plus before we ordered we heard two Aussies exclaiming the same as they were leaving which always helps that argument.
My only negative point is that I typically go for drip coffee and the wait for a drip coffee was 15 minutes since they only had one so I opted for an Americano. Perhaps they should invest in some more? I did really enjoy it though and the espresso was nice and nutty and a bit fruity, not acidic at all.

I went there for breakfast and had the avocado bread with egg, an orange juice and a hot chocolate. I liked the little marshmallows in the chocolate. It s been a very delicious breakfast, but it was kind of pricy. But will go there again, definitely.

Nothing’s gonna change my love for you, Cupping Room! This was my go-​to brunch spot in HK because of the consistently great food and trendy yet laid-​back atmosphere. They have communal seating on wooden benches, so be sure that you’re comfortable with that, though they also offer bar style seating and have a few private tables.
Alright, now onto the most important part — food! My all time favorite is the Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon. I’m very particular about my eggs benny and they nailed it every time. The hollandaise sauce didn’t taste like pure butter and the consistency was just right. The smoked salmon was flavorful yet light and the egg yolk was perfectly runny. Bonus points for the grapefruit and citrus served on the side, which counterbalanced the eggs very well. Everything about this dish was an A+! Their chili scrambled eggs are also a great choice. Love how their dishes are so tasty and don’t leave me feeling like I need to gulp down copious amounts of water!
PS: Don’t forget that they have phenomenal award-​winning coffee. I personally loved their iced mocha, which came with ice cream in it. Yup, you read that right. ICE CREAM!
There aren’t enough words in my vocabulary to describe how much I adore this place… just come here! Your taste buds will thank you.

This avocado toast experience really killed and surpassed my last avocado toast experience (Montauk — you’ll have to read my review for reference).
I loveeee avocados in all forms… in tortilla soup, fried, sliced in burgers, homemade guac dip, and straight from a raw cut half sprinkled with sea salt. Just throw them at my face. I’ll eat it.
So I loved the combination of avocado diced with almonds, alfalfa sprouts, thinly sliced radish, and whatever else magic was on there. All that covered over one piece of sliced bread. The other slice had a perfect poached egg. A bite of egg and a forkful of avocado mix was just scrumptious. I will have to recreate that at home.
Iced soy vanilla latte was dynamite! I think it kept me up while adjusting to time change since it was day 2 of traveling.
Lastly, had to go with a take away dessert. The buttery baked fig dessert was gone in 4 bites. It was a little on the dry side. But I saw potential in the making… beautiful piece of baked good.

I was pretty excited to find this place in Hong Kong as I was starting to get real caffeine withdrawals. It feels just like a hipster coffee shop from Melbourne or Newtown which was a nice little slice of home and I can see that this place would be popular with expats in the area. The coffee was excellent and the food was also equally as good. I had the spicy eggs which were amazing and truly spicy which appealed to me greatly!
I was very amused by the little card with the tasting notes of the coffee beans that is presented to you with your cup of joe. I like little gimmicks like that.
My expat friend was excited to finally find this café, it’s a bit out of the way and if you are following Google Maps directions you’re most likely going to get lost. We did have to ask a couple of people along the way if they knew where it was. Make sure you go down the stairs next to the McDonalds!
We went for brunch on a weekday at around 11am and it was packed so I can only imagine what this place would be like on a weekend!

Being close to my office, I occasionally drop by for a coffee and lunch. If you need that morning coffee, the cupping room has incredibly aromatic coffees; perhaps 100 times better than a certain coffee chain that starts with «Star»!!
However, if you want to sit down, be prepared to be kicked out as they charge a service fee.
As for lunch, they serve yummy and very filling pastas (approx 100hkd). Because their breakfast goes on all day, I much rather opt for that, not only does it look amazing, it also doesn’t leave you with a mini food coma. Service is relatively good for Hong Kong.

Great coffee place right off the central mid-​levels escalator. An ideal place to grab a cup of coffee prior to work or starting an adventure around central. I got an espresso and a pour over. The espresso was really good. The pour over was good but really small compared to what I am used to. The price was a bit high, especially given the size of the coffee. They give you a card with the tasting notes for the beans that were used, which is nice.
They have food as well, on the second floor, but didn’t try anything so can’t comment.
Great third wave coffee shop.

First breakfast of our trip. Was looking forward to this and were out the front waiting as they opened «keeeeen» extremely hungry after a long flight and late check in without eating I jumped at the idea of the eggs benedict. As my luck would have it, they had run out of the sauce they needed to make it. So opted for the smashed avocado instead. My girlfriend ordered at the same time as me and got the chilli scrambled eggs which came out 6 – 7 minutes before mine which as a hangry individual really annoys me. Even more than the cooler than Luke warm late’ that we had. As all places in Hong Kong this wasn’t cheap either. Probably an off day maybe. I won’t try again however.

They certainly know how a hipster coffee shop should look. It has that Scandinavian finish to the décor it looks über cool, there is a flashy traditional espresso machine and a clunky industrial grinder. There is plenty of buzz the place and I should probably have tried a coffee, but I am afraid I gave it a miss. I am going to rate it on my food experience and I have to say I left a bit underwhelmed.
They seem to do two things. Pasta or eggs. I like that idea as they focus on what they do best and hopefully it should taste amazing. Unfortunately on this occasion it really did not. I had eggs benedict on sourdough bread. The salmon portion was sporadic at best, the bread was bland and the eggs were far far to runny for my liking. There was also random bits of fruit on my plate.
I came here as it seemed to be getting rave brunch reviews, perhaps I picked the wrong dish, but I am afraid I just did not like it very much. Add to the runny eggs, the long queue to get in and the slightly abrupt staff and it leaves me feeling that my lunch experience was very average!

I think their coffee is a bit overrated.
The queues have gotten a little out of hand, haven’t they?
And the food offerings feel somewhat limited.
But The Cupping Room does one thing extraordinarily well, and you really only need to do one thing better than everyone else in order to succeed.
That avocado toast though. A generous amount of ripe smashed avocado, a picture-​perfect poached egg, mayo, ricotta cheese, radish and almonds all sit atop two slices of honeymalt toast. ¹⁰⁄₁₀; no contest.
As long as they keep serving that avocado toast, I’ll keep going back!

Came here on Monday for lunch and they have a business lunch deal where they have the weekend pastas available with the choice of a drink for a mere $ 10 more than the price of these pastas on weekends!
Clearly I couldn’t go past this deal despite wanting to try their breakfast foods — can always come back for that avocado toast…
Onto the lunch set — the flat white I ordered was the best I’ve had in HK in the last 4 months. Being an Aussie I’ve endured many cups of horrendous coffee at astonishing prices. Here the coffee was smooth, froth ratio correct for a flat white and most importantly not burnt (wow my standards have dropped — I now commend cafes merely for not burning my coffee). Personally I prefer a stronger flavoured coffee but that’s to do with bean selection rather than the skill of the barista.
I ordered the chicken pasta in creamy sauce and it was very tasty! I’m usually not a fan of creamy sauce as I find it can be bland if not done well and often too creamy, so it becomes less enjoyable with each bite. The pasta here however was done well with few ingredients, al dente as it should, and a splash of chilli sauce with both ketchup and more chilli sauce on the table if you so desire (goes wonderfully with a little kick from the chilli). All for $ 118 — all in all not a bad lunch.

Maybe its the high ratings. Maybe its the recommendations by friends. Or maybe its the many websites posting this place high on their Hong Kong coffee lists. BUT!, I just dont see what the fuss is about!
Being an avid coffee drinker, its been my mission to try as many coffee places as possible in Hong Kong since I moved here. I came by The Cupping Room on a very hot Sunday afternoon, so anything cold would’ve tasted great. I tried their «Ice Coffee» and it was quite ordinary. To be honest, the coffee in my office taste better. Quite expensive as well, considering it was similar quality to other coffee chains, such as Starbucks or Pacific Coffee. I also got to try a little of their hot Latte, it was alright. Nothing special. Latte art was also ordinary in case it matters to the person reading this.
Perhaps I should’ve tried their signature coffee instead or special sets. But we didnt plan on staying long so we just ordered something for a quick in and out. I like the actual place since it was large and had many seats. It even has some seating for larger groups. Which is very nice since most coffee places in Hong Kong are tiny with limited seating. They also have a few seats for people waiting outside.
I will probably come back if I was right in the area and was aching for a cup of coffee. Maybe even try their signature cups. But until then, Cupping Room only gets 3 stars from me.

Hands down my favourite weekend breakfast place in Hong Kong. High quality food and reasonable pricing by HK standards.
Here you where you can be as healthy (avocados, poached eggs) or unhealthy (bacon, french toast) as you want. I’ll usually have one of the breakfast mains and add on a whole bunch of sides. I recommend the avocados which are delicious and an excellent healthy pairing to any dish.

This was my first visit and I will make an effort to try it again.
Not sure I fully embrace the other Unilocal reviews and high praises on this spot, but again, this place is in my neighboorhood and I will give it another chance at another time.
I am a coffee drinker. Nothing fancy, black, some milk, a little sugar… I drink it throughout the day. I actually prefer coffee from off the beaten, small coffee shops and not Starbucks/​Pacific Coffee chains when I am afforded the option. I stopped in around 3pm on a Friday for coffee and to read a magazine.
It was reasonably busy, but easy to get a seat. I was greated, I was guided to my seat and then I felt like I was kind of forgotten. In traditioinal Chinese custom, often the waiters need to be waved over versus coming over & checking in on you to see if you were ready, but I could not get anyone’s attention… for like 15 minutes. Just felt odd and not very welcoming. These things happen though and I can overlook.
I ordered one of their special single coffees, which indeed was extemely flavorful, more than any other coffee I have ever had. It is presented in a small glass caraf for you to pour into a small glass. So a pretty presentation. When I asked for some milk when I placed my order, the milk request was discouraged (I think they were saying this in order for me to fully enhance the flavor of the true coffee… which I understand and can appreciate… but the kind delivery of this message was lost a bit when it came off the lips of my server).
The portion of coffee is small, but indeed the flavor is large.
As a former reveiw stated as well, something truely odd about this spot is that it absolutely has no smell or aroma of coffee at all. You walk in to this coffee spot and restaurant and there is not a hint of coffee in the air. Kind of bizarre and clearly observed by me. When I arrived home later that day, my husband asked where I had been, because I smelled like a restaurant. He said a like greasy spoon, spicy, etc. It was in my clothes. I did not have any food from their restaurant, although it does seem like a breakfast spot to try, but clearly I picked up this scent while just being in their space. Kind of odd really.
So my thoughts on The Cupping Room are mixed.

Bel endroit pour un brunch branché !
Il faut juste attendre un peu car l’endroit est assez prisé.
Au menu :
— Œufs bénédictes, saumon fumé, salade, suprêmes d’orange et pain toasté, pas mal !
— Saumon cuit basse température, salade de kale et quinoa, radis
Jus d’orange (pas top) et jus de pomme frais
Des bons cafés, expresso,…

I left this place being very confused.
Is it a coffee house? Yes, the «artisan coffee» is done very well. They can decorate cappuccino foam like the best of them.
Is it a diner? Yes, they serve delicious comfort food like breakfast meals all day, and delicious pasta. At 4PM the girl next us was chowing bacon and eggs.
Or is it a Chinese remedy? Isn’t that what «cupping» is?
Tiny shop with a San Francisco/​Seattle vibe, but located in the heart of central HK.
But there is NO SMELL OF COFFEE. No delicious pastries. Instead we smell garlic and Chinese food.
So, is it a coffee shop? Hmmmmm…
Good experience, but hard to define. Maybe the malapropism is the concept they are trying to sell?

HK barista champion’s store? Must try! I had the Geisha set, which consist of the espresso and the cappuccino of their Cerro Azul Geisha. The espresso was well extracted, tasted their citrus and flowery after taste. The milk in the cappuccino, turned the geisha into a heavenly drink. Very delicious.

On entering Cupping Room I was struck by the smell of cooking garlic. Delicious, but not quite what I had in mind when entering what is supposed to be one of Hong Kong’s best coffee shops. Wafting coffee would have been much nicer!
That said, the coffee selection here is excellent with all manner of single origin roasts available to try filter style and of course a blend available on the the espresso machine. My friend enjoyed what looked like a really well made flatwhite, while I drank a delicious Columbian filter coffee served in a small glass beaker.
You can buy bags of beans to take home, but be prepared to spend up big as they start at around $ 150 for 200gm.

I have a love-​hate relationship with The Cupping Room — first of all, can we just agree that the name is a little misleading, I hope it’s not only me! The love part comes from the times it’s relatively empty, and I’m not sleep deprived (which was the first visit). The second visit it was jammed packed and I was suffering from a lack of sleep the night before. Obviously anyones experience will be drastically different depending on their mood!
Let’s get to it. The Cupping Room looks like it offers a lot of space but that’s all a deception, it fills up quickly and because of the design of it there are not many seats for bums. It reminds me a place that should be in Amsterdam or even New York where space is a little less coveted. Modern, inviting and spacious. On most days I wouldn’t go to a restaurant for it’s space, anyway.
The Cupping Room, as one might imagine, provides a decent cup of coffee. Unfortunately for me I don’t drink coffee. I focus instead on food, and the breakfast menus and pastas are really quite good. I can’t remember what I ate the first time I went but it must have been good enough to come back for! The second time I had a seafood pasta with tomato-​based sauce. The spaghetti was cooked well and they were generous in their seafood offerings, unlike some places that drape half a shrimp over the side of the plate and call it Seafood Paella, or something. The next time I go back I’ll be sure to try their Belgium waffles — I had major food envy the last time I walked by seeing some one by the window devouring one of them!