Holly Brown
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This is probably one of the bigger sized cafes you'll find in HK. Plenty of space and seats if you're in need of somewhere to chill with a group. Also a decent spot to start off a casual date if you're not fond of having adult beverages around the corner. The gelato is a-okay. There are decent flavors and you can get it in either a cup, cone, etc. It's a super hot day so I'm sitting here enjoying a small cup as we speak! Their coffee is just alright. Typical espresso based drinks along with some okay drip coffee. But it'll get the job done if you're looking just for a caffeine fix. The vibe is cozy and can get quite lively and loud after work hours. Either way, you can study, have a quick meeting or organize a meet up. Get your sugar and java fix at the same time!
I hadn't frequented Holly Brown since I packed up working for myself and got a corporate job (this was a sweet spot to bring you computer and get down to work), and I decided to head there with some friends for dessert. The place has had a much needed face lift, and I enjoy the long tables they've put in - kinda makes me want to work from coffee shops again. I have to say, I normally looked at the ice creams and steered away, opting for their delicious savouries, but the ice cream did not let me down. Big waffle cup, and they have an array of tasty flavours and banter full staff. I opted for a mint based scoop drizzled with caramel and splattered with honey comb. Delicious. Refreshing. Crunchy. Two thumbs up.
Deliciously creamy and thick gelato! Split the mini mo in a waffle cone cup with a friend and it was HKD $58 for a large. Had yummy bits of chocolate and Oreos all mixed into its luxuriously thick texture! Highly recommend this if you love thick ice cream.
Holly Brown's is very close to the central mtr station and extremely easy to get to. I stumbled upon here by accident with a group of friends. This is definitely a great place for big groups! I shared the monster looking shake with a friend and it was delicious. It was a chocolate banana milkshake topped with a donut, some brownie pieces, banana slices, and some whipped cream! It was quite a treat. What struck me was that the shake was not too thick. I was happy about that because I don't really like thick milkshakes. My other friend ordered ice cream scoops that came in waffle cones. Presentation was pretty on point! My friend had a good time and I will likely be back to try the other things they have to offer, especially since it is so centrally located!
Regardless of how big of a dinner I have, I somehow always end up here to "share" a large waffle basket of happiness with my girlfriend. Our no 1 go to is the chocothon with extra brownies. If you are a chocolate fan, this seriously does not disappoint. But hello patrons, the waffle basket is to be eaten! This is why it's in a paper cup. Why people leave it behind baffles me. Why not just ask for it in the paper cup if you never intended on eating it? Go figure. I've also had the giant toast with ice creams here too. Made from brioche it is also delicious. I would also highly recommend it!
Holly Brown, the world needs more places like you! A coffee shop, meets an ice cream dessert place but if you're wanting pasta, oh yeah, they have that too! That's not craziness, That's Holly Brown, my friend! No wonder why this place was packed the afternoon I brought my friend by for coffee/dessert. I had never heard of Holly Brown until another friend took me for my first time for an after dinner dessert. I was still raving about their honey toast months later. So, back to where it all started...Same location, same type of dessert, just different flavors of it. This time I let my friend pick her choice and it was their strawberry flavor! Omg! The dessert itself was stunning! Hope you're hungry, because it's enormous! The honey toast was perfectly cut, thick, but not too thick, lightly toasted, not too sweet but sweet enough to caress a fortress wall of picture perfect, pretty scoops of ice cream, along with drizzles of strawberry syrup, fresh strawberries, mini marshmallows, to top it all off! Umm,can we say it has total flaunting for an Insta-worthy foodie pic to boot! Who cares if we just ate lunch and complained we were "so stuffed" we tackled it like two starving kids hiding under the bridge! I'm sticking with my motto, we leave EVERY plate clean when armed with two spoons, no agenda, and a few hours to chat! Two levels with plenty of seating for lunch, coffee, a quick snack or a place to sit and chill amongst friends, solo or perhaps seated with total strangers! Hey, it's Central, it's your bestie, it's Holly! You know I'll be back to tackle that mint-chocolate one next so watch out! Open 7 days a week, opening hours are later on weekends, but M-F 7:30am until 11pm. They have various locations in Central, Sheung Wan, Kowloon, New Territories and even one in Taiwan! **check out their website for HB merchandise, clothing, and more!**
It's better than Starbucks around the corner but I have to day that I come here because it's close to where my appointment is and there is plenty of seating which allows me to get some work done. I haven't tried the food menu and have really only stuck to ordering the Americano and upgrading to the highlighted bean. I see that they have a full breakfast and gelato so both are positives in my book but I've yet to try so will have to update my post in the future if I ever do try
A friend of mine took me there yesterday because he was having a huge craving for ice cream. I knew the place but had never been there before. In fact, I didn't know it was Holly Brown because I had never paid attention and it looked completely different to its newly opened branch in Queensway Plaza, this one being a lot smaller and modern looking. My friend went on to the ice cream counter and got some vanilla and banana, which he's a big fan of! I had a green tea (nothing remarkable, maybe the price...35HKD...seriously?). I didn't order the black coffee because I was advised to avoid it here. Not worth the price. The fact that there are two counters and the ice cream one is strategically located by the door is smart. Most people just come in for a take away ice cream. We decided to stay in because it was so hot outside... One thing I love about this place is the size, it's just huge! And spacious, even more so upstairs where there's plenty of natural light especially if you sit close to the windows. Even though there were many free seats downstairs we went up to find comfier ones. I have to say that even though it's nice and comfy overall (especially the big beige armchairs) it didn't seem very clean. Our table, although empty, was filled with leftovers from previous customers and we had to put that away. I couldn't see any members of the staff around, for the hour we stayed there. It's definitely a nice place to grab a drink with a friend if you happen to be around Central but I suspect most people come here for the ice cream alone.
Always enjoyed the spacious lounge area and the staff is very polite and doesn't rush u like everyone else in Hong Kong! Had the chocolate today, creamy smooth! Music isn't drowning out conversations and people tend to be more civilized because it's close to Central unlike MK! Staff actually speaks decent English so that's a plus for foreigners!!
OK, it may be one of the most expensive coffee houses in HK, but I'm a fan of Holly Brown - especially the large store on Stanley Street in Central. What Holly Brown pride themselves on, is their expertise in coffee. According to their website, it is their "intention to fill a gap in the market with a coffee company who will take its product offering and clientele seriously". Sounds a bit poncy, but I think what they are trying to say is that they serve decent coffee. I think this much at least is true. Whilst pricey, the coffee is indeed very good, much better than the chain brands in HK. However, it is brewed quite strong, so you may prefer to opt for a latte or something milky to take the sharp edge off. The food is also good, my favourite of the moment being their pies, which are well filled, and have a crispy (as though fried) top. Unlike the other chain stores, they do serve proper hot meals. The Stanley Street branch is big, covering two floors. The ground floor has more comfy seating - sofas, armchairs, whilst the upstairs is more tables and chairs. The upstairs unfortunately has an open top kitchen (as in the walls do not go up to the ceiling), which means that the whole top floor smells of cooking grease. For all the tech heads, there is free wi-fi here, but it does get switched off over the busy lunch period. If you don't fancy coffee, the gelato stand in store is excellent.
First came to this place a couple of years ago with some friends. This is still a good place to talk as the music playing is not too loud, seats are pretty comfy. Coffee comes in a funky slanted mug. I ordered an Americano which wasn't as strong as I expected--it was like a watered down drip coffee. But since they're using quality beans to begin with, it turned out alright. I suppose if they added an extra shot of espresso it would have been perfect. Blue Vanilla is still the best gelato flavor for me. It takes awhile before they can assemble an order so check out the gelato queue before ordering.
We went to Holly Brown at 10AM on a Saturday for coffee and one of their advertised "New York" bagels. This place is huge by Hong Kong standards. Lots of seating, very open, appears to have an upstairs section for additional seating, then it is open at the door front too and kind of spills into the street. I am not certain if Holly Brown is a coffee place that sells ice cream or and ice cream shop that sells coffee. We had coffee and two breakfast sandwiches on their advertised "New York" bagels. As for the New York bagel, I don't think these bagels are in the direct lineage of a true NY bagel...maybe like a distant cousin twice removed of a NY bagel. It was OK and you could tell it was attempting to be a NY bagel, but missed the mark (not large enough, not doughy enough....with NY bagels it is all about the water used to make them!) Not sure if I could find a better NY bagel in Hong Kong, so the jury is out a bit on the bagel from Holly Brown. My breakfast sandwich was salmon, avacado and a poached egg on top of a plain bagel. Along with my regular coffee americano, something left me a bit flat about this place. The coffee was thin, no punch of flavor or fullness in the bean. My Holly Brown experience was average. Not great, not awful, not memorable, just average. My breakfast had no wow moment. I had no moment of customer service amazement. Coffe was average. Average is a 3 to me on Yelp. Maybe ice cream is really their thing and we will try that the next time. As a coffee option, I will not return. read more
I normally come here for ice cream because Hong Kong doesn't have a cold stone creamery and this place offers something similar (albeit more expensive). Overall, I like their ice cream and their service is quite good... but the focus of this review is going to be their breakfast menu. I came here for a quick breakfast before work. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and my mother went with the Chicken Avocado Bagel. Note that drinks have to be ordered separately. We both ordered Americanos. The Eggs Benedict overall was good- nice thick Hollandaise sauce, and good poached eggs. The side salad had a pleasantly tangy and fragrant dressing. I did however get a bit hung up on the fact that they used pieces of bread instead of English Muffins, but it sort of worked out as that bread was very absorbent and I was very careless with the handling of those very delicate yolks As for the bagel, I need to start with two negatives: 1. They used an avocado paste (I guess somewhat similar to an unseasoned guacamole). 2. The bagel wasn't very fluffy- in fact it was flat. Other than that the flavour was good, and the texture surprisingly wasn't too badly affected by its flatness. The coffee was okay, strong, and mildly acidic, which could be somewhat of an irritant for some diners. read more
This is probably one of the bigger sized cafes you'll find in HK. Plenty of space and seats if you're in need of somewhere to chill with a group. Also a decent spot to start off a casual date if you're not fond of having adult beverages around the corner. The gelato is a-okay. There are decent flavors and you can get it in either a cup, cone, etc. It's a super hot day so I'm sitting here enjoying a small cup as we speak! Their coffee is just alright. Typical espresso based drinks along with some okay drip coffee. But it'll get the job done if you're looking just for a caffeine fix. The vibe is cozy and can get quite lively and loud after work hours. Either way, you can study, have a quick meeting or organize a meet up. Get your sugar and java fix at the same time! read more
I hadn't frequented Holly Brown since I packed up working for myself and got a corporate job (this was a sweet spot to bring you computer and get down to work), and I decided to head there with some friends for dessert. The place has had a much needed face lift, and I enjoy the long tables they've put in - kinda makes me want to work from coffee shops again. I have to say, I normally looked at the ice creams and steered away, opting for their delicious savouries, but the ice cream did not let me down. Big waffle cup, and they have an array of tasty flavours and banter full staff. I opted for a mint based scoop drizzled with caramel and splattered with honey comb. Delicious. Refreshing. Crunchy. Two thumbs up. read more
11 years ago
Deliciously creamy and thick gelato! Split the mini mo in a waffle cone cup with a friend and it was HKD $58 for a large. Had yummy bits of chocolate and Oreos all mixed into its luxuriously thick texture! Highly recommend this if you love thick ice cream. read more
Holly Brown's is very close to the central mtr station and extremely easy to get to. I stumbled upon here by accident with a group of friends. This is definitely a great place for big groups! I shared the monster looking shake with a friend and it was delicious. It was a chocolate banana milkshake topped with a donut, some brownie pieces, banana slices, and some whipped cream! It was quite a treat. What struck me was that the shake was not too thick. I was happy about that because I don't really like thick milkshakes. My other friend ordered ice cream scoops that came in waffle cones. Presentation was pretty on point! My friend had a good time and I will likely be back to try the other things they have to offer, especially since it is so centrally located! read more
Regardless of how big of a dinner I have, I somehow always end up here to "share" a large waffle basket of happiness with my girlfriend. Our no 1 go to is the chocothon with extra brownies. If you are a chocolate fan, this seriously does not disappoint. But hello patrons, the waffle basket is to be eaten! This is why it's in a paper cup. Why people leave it behind baffles me. Why not just ask for it in the paper cup if you never intended on eating it? Go figure. I've also had the giant toast with ice creams here too. Made from brioche it is also delicious. I would also highly recommend it! read more
Holly Brown, the world needs more places like you! A coffee shop, meets an ice cream dessert place but if you're wanting pasta, oh yeah, they have that too! That's not craziness, That's Holly Brown, my friend! No wonder why this place was packed the afternoon I brought my friend by for coffee/dessert. I had never heard of Holly Brown until another friend took me for my first time for an after dinner dessert. I was still raving about their honey toast months later. So, back to where it all started...Same location, same type of dessert, just different flavors of it. This time I let my friend pick her choice and it was their strawberry flavor! Omg! The dessert itself was stunning! Hope you're hungry, because it's enormous! The honey toast was perfectly cut, thick, but not too thick, lightly toasted, not too sweet but sweet enough to caress a fortress wall of picture perfect, pretty scoops of ice cream, along with drizzles of strawberry syrup, fresh strawberries, mini marshmallows, to top it all off! Umm,can we say it has total flaunting for an Insta-worthy foodie pic to boot! Who cares if we just ate lunch and complained we were "so stuffed" we tackled it like two starving kids hiding under the bridge! I'm sticking with my motto, we leave EVERY plate clean when armed with two spoons, no agenda, and a few hours to chat! Two levels with plenty of seating for lunch, coffee, a quick snack or a place to sit and chill amongst friends, solo or perhaps seated with total strangers! Hey, it's Central, it's your bestie, it's Holly! You know I'll be back to tackle that mint-chocolate one next so watch out! Open 7 days a week, opening hours are later on weekends, but M-F 7:30am until 11pm. They have various locations in Central, Sheung Wan, Kowloon, New Territories and even one in Taiwan! **check out their website for HB merchandise, clothing, and more!** read more
12 years ago
It's better than Starbucks around the corner but I have to day that I come here because it's close to where my appointment is and there is plenty of seating which allows me to get some work done. I haven't tried the food menu and have really only stuck to ordering the Americano and upgrading to the highlighted bean. I see that they have a full breakfast and gelato so both are positives in my book but I've yet to try so will have to update my post in the future if I ever do try read more
A friend of mine took me there yesterday because he was having a huge craving for ice cream. I knew the place but had never been there before. In fact, I didn't know it was Holly Brown because I had never paid attention and it looked completely different to its newly opened branch in Queensway Plaza, this one being a lot smaller and modern looking. My friend went on to the ice cream counter and got some vanilla and banana, which he's a big fan of! I had a green tea (nothing remarkable, maybe the price...35HKD...seriously?). I didn't order the black coffee because I was advised to avoid it here. Not worth the price. The fact that there are two counters and the ice cream one is strategically located by the door is smart. Most people just come in for a take away ice cream. We decided to stay in because it was so hot outside... One thing I love about this place is the size, it's just huge! And spacious, even more so upstairs where there's plenty of natural light especially if you sit close to the windows. Even though there were many free seats downstairs we went up to find comfier ones. I have to say that even though it's nice and comfy overall (especially the big beige armchairs) it didn't seem very clean. Our table, although empty, was filled with leftovers from previous customers and we had to put that away. I couldn't see any members of the staff around, for the hour we stayed there. It's definitely a nice place to grab a drink with a friend if you happen to be around Central but I suspect most people come here for the ice cream alone. read more
11 years ago
Always enjoyed the spacious lounge area and the staff is very polite and doesn't rush u like everyone else in Hong Kong! Had the chocolate today, creamy smooth! Music isn't drowning out conversations and people tend to be more civilized because it's close to Central unlike MK! Staff actually speaks decent English so that's a plus for foreigners!! read more
12 years ago
OK, it may be one of the most expensive coffee houses in HK, but I'm a fan of Holly Brown - especially the large store on Stanley Street in Central. What Holly Brown pride themselves on, is their expertise in coffee. According to their website, it is their "intention to fill a gap in the market with a coffee company who will take its product offering and clientele seriously". Sounds a bit poncy, but I think what they are trying to say is that they serve decent coffee. I think this much at least is true. Whilst pricey, the coffee is indeed very good, much better than the chain brands in HK. However, it is brewed quite strong, so you may prefer to opt for a latte or something milky to take the sharp edge off. The food is also good, my favourite of the moment being their pies, which are well filled, and have a crispy (as though fried) top. Unlike the other chain stores, they do serve proper hot meals. The Stanley Street branch is big, covering two floors. The ground floor has more comfy seating - sofas, armchairs, whilst the upstairs is more tables and chairs. The upstairs unfortunately has an open top kitchen (as in the walls do not go up to the ceiling), which means that the whole top floor smells of cooking grease. For all the tech heads, there is free wi-fi here, but it does get switched off over the busy lunch period. If you don't fancy coffee, the gelato stand in store is excellent. read more
First came to this place a couple of years ago with some friends. This is still a good place to talk as the music playing is not too loud, seats are pretty comfy. Coffee comes in a funky slanted mug. I ordered an Americano which wasn't as strong as I expected--it was like a watered down drip coffee. But since they're using quality beans to begin with, it turned out alright. I suppose if they added an extra shot of espresso it would have been perfect. Blue Vanilla is still the best gelato flavor for me. It takes awhile before they can assemble an order so check out the gelato queue before ordering. read more
This place is a really good place for ice cream. I got the double chocolate ice cream. The chocolate ice cream that I had was very good. Each bite contain many chocolate chips which I enjoyed very much. They gave a lot of ice cream so it was worth the money. If I remember correctly it was around HK$40-HK$50. That's a pretty good price considering that the ice cream store was in Central. As for the space it was clean, cozy, and modern. There was quite a bit of people in this location. I really liked this experience. And I hope to experience this again the next time I am in Hong Kong. read more
9 years ago
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More info about Holly Brown
G/F, 22 Stanley Street
士丹利街22號地下
Hong Kong
Central, Hong Kong Island
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2869 9008
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9 years ago
