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Recommended Reviews - The Cupping Room
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Upstairs and downstairs seating. Pastries look good. We tried the cookie brownie - tasted prepackaged. Don't recommend. Had a drip black and it was bitter, acidic and tasted burnt. Don't recommend. Had a latte and it wasn't good either. Fresh orange juice was nice, small sizes only. Friendly staff. Decent atmosphere. Other patrons ordered food, they seemed to enjoy it.
After living in Hong Kong for a few years I have had the pleasure to try dozens of the specialty coffee shops and I think the Cupping Room still remains one of the best coffee shops in Hong Kong My review is based purely on the coffee and the pastries. I haven't had the brunch here and can't comment on the pasta or egg dishes. Based on appearance the hot food options do look appetizing. You can't go wrong with either the black or white coffee items. Of the espresso based drinks my preference is for less milk and more coffee and I typically would order the piccolo or the cortado. I've had the latte and cappuccino as well and can say that they are both good. The pour over options are divided into two categories either single origin and the champion selection. The single origin will set you back 50 hkd and the champion selection will set you back 100 hkd. I've tried the Geisha from the champion list and can say that although has much more distinct floral notes I don't think the quality justifies the doubling of the price. However if you really like your coffee and don't mind the price you should go for it. I will typically choose one of the single origin selections. The pastry and cake selection here is quite extensive for a coffee shop in Hong Kong. Some places you will be lucky to have more than theee options. I have had the matcha croissant and can attest that it's really good. If you are looking for a place for afternoon tea, the Cupping Room would be a good choice.
I've been meaning to try Cupping Room for a while, but since I don't work or live around Central, it seemed a bit out of the way for a cup of coffee. When a friend suggested Cupping Room before our mid-afternoon workout (also in Central), I thought "Why not?" You have the option of taking your orders "for here" or "to go". If you are dining in, you can order your drinks and pastries on the ground level and bring it upstairs during "Open Seating" (on a first come basis), which varies during the time and day. On Sat/Sun/PH, it starts at 2pm and till closing. If you are, however, ordering larger food plates (ie: pasta or breakfast plates), you can order when seated. I ordered filter black coffee (HK$32), which came with milk and sugar upon request, while my friends ordered an iced (genmaicha) tea (HK$40) and the creamy garlic chicken pasta. Overall, the Cupping Room is a solid place to catch up with friends or work upstairs on the second floor. Although, the tables are quite close to each other, so best to keep your voices low at times. The surrounding large windows are quite nice in that they let in a lot of natural light. They also offer free wifi.
Heard of this place from a travel blog, I was on my way to Victoria peak and noticed it was along the route so I gave it a try. It wasn't too busy so we were able to find a seat right away, the menu options all looked good. We ordered fluffy pancakes, smoked salmon eggs Benedict, chorizo plate, coffee and a matcha milkshake. Most of the food came out in a decent amount of time, the pancakes took the longest to come out. The food tasted great, flavors were great, I was really impressed by this restaurant. The pancakes came out and they looked amazing tasted even better, some of the best pancakes I've tried. If your in town check this place out, self seating upstairs.
Proudly Hong Kong. The Cupping Room sources coffee beans from all around the world and is roasted in Hong Kong. Their coffee is phenomenal in Asia. So if you're in town, you should grab yourself a flat white in central. These guys take their coffee very seriously. Breakfast is amazing as well. Go for a scrambled egg on toast if you're feeling peckish. You won't regret how creamy and soft their scrambled eggs are. But a simple reminder that it's a small shop. Most people grab their coffee and go. Their servers are happy to seat you - just be prepared to wait a bit. Congrats to Kapo Chiu - Owner of Cupping Room for winning 3rd place at the World Barista Championship 2017!
One of the best coffees I had on this trip. Excellent espresso pulled from a Black Eagle. Great food menu and pastries. Free WiFi, ample seating, retail coffee bags for sale. Will be one of my first stops next time I'm in town.
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.
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...
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!
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.
Don't dismiss The Cupping Room as "hipster/expat nonsense". They actually brew a pretty amazing cup of joe. Dare I say...maybe on par or even better than Blue Bottle or Philz in the Bay Area?! I ordered a Piccolo and my taste buds were singing. It had such an interesting flavor profile, a little bit of sweet, sour while still maintain that rich texture that I enjoy in coffee. No gross bitterness, so I'd highly advise not adding any sugar. It's perfect without sugar. My only complaint is that it wasn't hot enough. It was warm, but not as hot as I expected. I think other Yelpers have voiced similar complaints prior. It kinda bothered me initially but the flavor won me over. Considering how damn high coffee prices are in Hong Kong, prices are slightly more than Starbucks.For the quality, I'd say it's definitely worth it once in a while! My group also ordered some Single Origin Filter coffees and they had even more interesting profiles. One was a little bit too sour for my taste and the other one was a little sweet. Coffee aside, their food selection is rather excellent for a coffee shop. My group had Eggs Benedict and the French Toast w/ Caramelized Bananas. Both were restaurant-grade quality. The Eggs Benedict bread was a little on the harder side but it had a nice crunch to go with the smoked salmon. The Hollandaise sauce didn't break, so extra brownie points for doing it right. The French Toast was sooo good with the caramel-glazed bananas. I'm not usually a banana-in-baked-goods kinda gal but this was super yummy. I would love to come back again when I'm in Hong Kong next time!
A must visit if you are in Hong Kong. Delicious brunch and great coffee. Really high quality ingredients and friendly staff.
Cute lil coffee shop. Overpriced, maybe it's normal HK prices... Hojicha latte was good. They charge an extra 700HKD to make it iced and 5HKD for oat milk substitute. So about $8 USD total. Sitting room upstairs and they have WiFi. Extra star for the eco friendly paper straw! read more
I came to The Cupping Room to get some work done, and it's an ok place to do that. I didn't get any food, but the plates I did see made me salivate a little. I just got the cappuccino, and it was a good cappuccino. It was very smooth and didn't taste burnt. Burnt coffee is the cardinal sin of baristas. Anyway, I got here at around 10:30 and connected to Wi-Fi. The internet is really slow here. Within an hour, the place was packed, and people were standing waiting for seats to be free. While I was sitting by myself with my cappuccino waiting for my video to download from the slow internet. Were people giving me side eyes? Absolutely. But I got there early. For the reason that I came to The Cupping Room, this is not a great place to work, but it's ok if you need a place. It would probably be better in the afternoon when people aren't brunching. read more
Morning coffee will cost you in Hong Kong, but if you're willing to pay, come to the Cupping Room for a nice cappuccino. My Avocado Toast is a nice day-starter as well, ripe avocado with a side of impressive egg-poaching skills. The coconut Chia Seed Pudding is nice if you like fruit (seriously, who doesn't like fruit?!) and it's great if you'd rather start with something lighter. Poached apple and pear add natural sweeteners, and the dried orange and strawberry slices are great for tartness and texture. Expensive. That's the biggest complaint I see for this place, but it's no more or less costly than anything else in the city. Your money won't get you far here either, but at least it'll get you something good. read more
2 years ago
Upstairs and downstairs seating. Pastries look good. We tried the cookie brownie - tasted prepackaged. Don't recommend. Had a drip black and it was bitter, acidic and tasted burnt. Don't recommend. Had a latte and it wasn't good either. Fresh orange juice was nice, small sizes only. Friendly staff. Decent atmosphere. Other patrons ordered food, they seemed to enjoy it. read more
8 years ago
After living in Hong Kong for a few years I have had the pleasure to try dozens of the specialty coffee shops and I think the Cupping Room still remains one of the best coffee shops in Hong Kong My review is based purely on the coffee and the pastries. I haven't had the brunch here and can't comment on the pasta or egg dishes. Based on appearance the hot food options do look appetizing. You can't go wrong with either the black or white coffee items. Of the espresso based drinks my preference is for less milk and more coffee and I typically would order the piccolo or the cortado. I've had the latte and cappuccino as well and can say that they are both good. The pour over options are divided into two categories either single origin and the champion selection. The single origin will set you back 50 hkd and the champion selection will set you back 100 hkd. I've tried the Geisha from the champion list and can say that although has much more distinct floral notes I don't think the quality justifies the doubling of the price. However if you really like your coffee and don't mind the price you should go for it. I will typically choose one of the single origin selections. The pastry and cake selection here is quite extensive for a coffee shop in Hong Kong. Some places you will be lucky to have more than theee options. I have had the matcha croissant and can attest that it's really good. If you are looking for a place for afternoon tea, the Cupping Room would be a good choice. read more
I've been meaning to try Cupping Room for a while, but since I don't work or live around Central, it seemed a bit out of the way for a cup of coffee. When a friend suggested Cupping Room before our mid-afternoon workout (also in Central), I thought "Why not?" You have the option of taking your orders "for here" or "to go". If you are dining in, you can order your drinks and pastries on the ground level and bring it upstairs during "Open Seating" (on a first come basis), which varies during the time and day. On Sat/Sun/PH, it starts at 2pm and till closing. If you are, however, ordering larger food plates (ie: pasta or breakfast plates), you can order when seated. I ordered filter black coffee (HK$32), which came with milk and sugar upon request, while my friends ordered an iced (genmaicha) tea (HK$40) and the creamy garlic chicken pasta. Overall, the Cupping Room is a solid place to catch up with friends or work upstairs on the second floor. Although, the tables are quite close to each other, so best to keep your voices low at times. The surrounding large windows are quite nice in that they let in a lot of natural light. They also offer free wifi. read more
Heard of this place from a travel blog, I was on my way to Victoria peak and noticed it was along the route so I gave it a try. It wasn't too busy so we were able to find a seat right away, the menu options all looked good. We ordered fluffy pancakes, smoked salmon eggs Benedict, chorizo plate, coffee and a matcha milkshake. Most of the food came out in a decent amount of time, the pancakes took the longest to come out. The food tasted great, flavors were great, I was really impressed by this restaurant. The pancakes came out and they looked amazing tasted even better, some of the best pancakes I've tried. If your in town check this place out, self seating upstairs. read more
8 years ago
Proudly Hong Kong. The Cupping Room sources coffee beans from all around the world and is roasted in Hong Kong. Their coffee is phenomenal in Asia. So if you're in town, you should grab yourself a flat white in central. These guys take their coffee very seriously. Breakfast is amazing as well. Go for a scrambled egg on toast if you're feeling peckish. You won't regret how creamy and soft their scrambled eggs are. But a simple reminder that it's a small shop. Most people grab their coffee and go. Their servers are happy to seat you - just be prepared to wait a bit. Congrats to Kapo Chiu - Owner of Cupping Room for winning 3rd place at the World Barista Championship 2017! read more
One of the best coffees I had on this trip. Excellent espresso pulled from a Black Eagle. Great food menu and pastries. Free WiFi, ample seating, retail coffee bags for sale. Will be one of my first stops next time I'm in town. read more
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. read more
11 years ago
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. read more
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... read more
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! read more
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. read more
Don't dismiss The Cupping Room as "hipster/expat nonsense". They actually brew a pretty amazing cup of joe. Dare I say...maybe on par or even better than Blue Bottle or Philz in the Bay Area?! I ordered a Piccolo and my taste buds were singing. It had such an interesting flavor profile, a little bit of sweet, sour while still maintain that rich texture that I enjoy in coffee. No gross bitterness, so I'd highly advise not adding any sugar. It's perfect without sugar. My only complaint is that it wasn't hot enough. It was warm, but not as hot as I expected. I think other Yelpers have voiced similar complaints prior. It kinda bothered me initially but the flavor won me over. Considering how damn high coffee prices are in Hong Kong, prices are slightly more than Starbucks.For the quality, I'd say it's definitely worth it once in a while! My group also ordered some Single Origin Filter coffees and they had even more interesting profiles. One was a little bit too sour for my taste and the other one was a little sweet. Coffee aside, their food selection is rather excellent for a coffee shop. My group had Eggs Benedict and the French Toast w/ Caramelized Bananas. Both were restaurant-grade quality. The Eggs Benedict bread was a little on the harder side but it had a nice crunch to go with the smoked salmon. The Hollandaise sauce didn't break, so extra brownie points for doing it right. The French Toast was sooo good with the caramel-glazed bananas. I'm not usually a banana-in-baked-goods kinda gal but this was super yummy. I would love to come back again when I'm in Hong Kong next time! read more
10 years ago
A must visit if you are in Hong Kong. Delicious brunch and great coffee. Really high quality ingredients and friendly staff. read more
11 years ago
10 years ago
One of my favorite spots. Their coffee is excellent. The space is super cute and they serve brunch! read more
10 years ago
GREAT coffee, OK food. Expensive - we shared a single 30 USD breakfast. 5 USD extra for scrambling the eggs instead of fried! Typical Hong Kong "service with a scowl" read more
8 years ago
10 years ago
9 years ago
More info about The Cupping Room
G/F, 18 Cochrane Street
閣麟街18號地下
Hong Kong
Central, Hong Kong Island
Directions
2511 3518
Call Now
Visit Website
https://cuppingroom.hk
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
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