In light of the growing nostalgia and retro trend sweeping Hong Kong, these beloved eateries offer the perfect way to experience the city’s golden past. With their vibrant floor tiles, glowing neon, wooden booths, and unpretentious charm, these spots serve up more than just milk tea and pineapple buns, but slices of collective memory.
From century-old teahouses to revived ice rooms, here’s your guide to 15 beloved haunts that keep the city’s old-school spirit alive.
Boston Restaurant — Hung Hom
Tucked away in the basement of Full Wing Building, this unassuming 1980s Hong Kong fast-food gem is easy to miss yet impossible to forget. With its classic orange plastic stools, floral tiled walls, retro water bar, and pale floors, the interior remains delightfully unchanged.
Once a canteen for nearby workers, it now welcomes local residents serves as a filming location for numerous music videos, including Mirror’s member Edan’s solo song Shakespeare of Yau Ma Tei.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Hong Kong-style Western
📍 Where: B/F, Full Wing Building, 436-450 Chatham Road North, Hung Hom
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Cheung Hing Coffee Shop — Happy Valley
This 1950s institution exudes the refined charm of a true old-school Hong Kong cafe. From its modest exterior with a classic red sign and wooden bread cabinet to the interior’s cheerful goose-yellow walls, patterned mosaic tiles, and wooden booths, every detail radiates nostalgia.
No wonder it’s long been a favourite of celebrities like Tony Leung and Nicholas Tse. Freshly baked egg tarts, pineapple buns, and cocktail buns emerge continuously from the on-site bakery.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Traditional Cha Chaan Teng & Bakery
📍 Where: G/F, 9-11 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley
📱 Contact: +852 2572 5097
Cross Cafe — Sai Ying Pun
Blending nostalgic Hong Kong ice room charm with modern flair, Cross Cafe features eye catching neon signage, retro red brick walls, vintage window grilles, and walls adorned with old school handbills.
Centred around iconic Trappist Dairy products, a beloved Hong Kong memory since the 1960s, the menu offers classic cha chaan teng favourites alongside creative dishes. The flagship cafe is located in Sai Ying Pun, with two other branches now operates in Causeway Bay and Mong Kok.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Modernised Ice Room / Cha Chaan Teng
📍 Where: Shop 12, G/F, Hang Sing Mansion, 48-78 High Street, Sai Ying Pun (Flagship)
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Halfway Coffee — Mong Kok
Founded by barista Timmy Chui, Halfway Coffee stands out for its strong local character. Signature espresso drinks are thoughtfully served in beautiful antique Wan Shou Wu Jiang (Longevity) Chinese porcelain cups. The brand now has five branches across the city.
The Mong Kok branch on Soy Street perfectly captures this with its industrial chic aesthetic, exposed ceiling pipes, distressed concrete walls, and bold red Chinese characters. Mismatched stools, antique lamps, and quirky details like a pulley system for passing payments create a cosy, nostalgic atmosphere.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Nostalgic Specialty Coffee Shop
📍 Where: G/F, 6 Soy Street, Mong Kok
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Hung Wan Cafe — Mong Kok
This nearly 50-year-old cha chaan teng on Shanghai Street is a true survivor of old Hong Kong. After a brief closure in 2024, it triumphantly reopened in April 2025 at its original location, preserving the iconic signage, retro bread cabinet, green tables and chairs, vintage light fixtures, and especially its rare mezzanine seating.
Long cherished as a filming location for multiple classic Hong Kong films, including Stephen Chow’s All’s Well, Ends Well and the crime drama Election 2 starring Tony Leung, Andy Lau and Louis Koo, it remains a favourite for locals alike.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Old-school Ice Room (Bing Sutt)
📍 Where: 726 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Kung Wo Beancurd Factory — Sham Shui Po
Rooted in Sham Shui Po since 1960, this century old beancurd institution is a cherished part of Hong Kong collective memory. The shop floor is beautifully paved with white and green mosaic tiles, creating an instantly nostalgic atmosphere that draws locals, students and tourists alike.
While the brand has undergone thoughtful modernisation, including artistic wall murals depicting traditional production, the handmade soy products remain true to their roots. The shop has earned multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendations over the years.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Traditional Soy Product Specialist
📍 Where: 118 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Ladies Street Sik Fan Co. — Tsim Sha Tsui
Bursting with colourful neon, iron gates, and dai pai dong energy right by the Ladies’ Market, this vibrant restaurant pays a lively tribute to 1970s Hong Kong with its golden dragon and phoenix installations, retro tiled floors, folding gates, and nostalgic decor that makes you feel transported back in time.
Spanning a spacious 7000 square feet, the Tsim Sha Tsui branch stands out for its immersive atmosphere, classic Cantonese dishes, and fun touches like ice cold beer served in traditional rice bowls. The brand also operates a branch in Mong Kok.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Dai Pai Dong Style Cantonese
📍 Where: 8 Minden Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui (Highlight Branch)
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Lan Fong Yuen — Central
Founded in 1952 as a humble open air dai pai dong, Lan Fong Yuen is one of Hong Kong’s most historic cha chaan tengs and the birthplace of the iconic silk stocking milk tea. Its original Central branch on Gage Street still proudly displays the classic green stall front and retro iron signage from its early days, preserving the authentic street side charm even after moving indoors.
Famous for silky yuan yang, pork chop buns, French toast and chicken noodles, it remains a beloved institution.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Historic Cha Chaan Teng
📍 Where: G/F, 2 Gage Street, Central (Original Branch)
📱 Contact: Instagram
Lau Haa Hotpot Restaurant — Causeway Bay
This lively retro hotpot restaurant gained international attention when renowned Korean DJ Peggy Gou visited the Causeway Bay branch and hosted a collaboration event with Don Julio.
Step inside and you are instantly transported to 1970s Hong Kong through its meticulously recreated nostalgic decor, lively Cantonese music, and buzzing atmosphere filled with chatter and laughter.
The spacious venue offers an extensive selection of fresh seafood, beef, handmade meatballs, signature clay pot dishes and creative soup bases such as century egg coriander or coconut chicken. The brand also operates a branch in Tsim Sha Tsui.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Retro Hong Kong Hotpot
📍 Where: Shop J, B/F & G/F, Block A, Lockhart House, 440-441 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay (Highlight Branch)
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Lo Yi Faateng — Mong Kok
This whimsical two-storey cafe bar in Mong Kok feels like stepping onto a film set. Created by the art director of the hit movie Table for Three, along with his brother and creative partners, the space masterfully blends nostalgic Hong Kong aesthetics with playful modern touches.
From the humorous couplet at the entrance featuring lyrics from a classic Cantonese song to hand-painted murals of pandas, Zhu Bajie and Snow White, vintage Days of Being Wild stills, and traditional paper art, every corner radiates cinematic charm and genuine warmth.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Nostalgic Cafe-Bar (Artistic Fusion)
📍 Where: Shop 4, G/F, 22 Pak Po Street, Mong Kok
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Luen Wah Cafe — Sai Ying Pun
Tucked along the Central Street in Sai Ying Pun, this over 60-year-old cha chaan teng is a wonderful portal to old Hong Kong. With its preserved wooden booths, tiled walls, checkered floors, and narrow high ceiling space, the interior has barely changed over the decades. A small mezzanine loft upstairs offers a charming, intimate spot that feels like stepping back into the 1970s.
Locals and visitors alike come for the consistently good baked pork chop rice and classic milk tea, all served with genuine old-school warmth and quality that has stood the test of time.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Classic Cha Chaan Teng
📍 Where: G/F, 28 Central Street, Sai Ying Pun
📱 Contact: +852 2540 1563
Luk Yu Tea House — Central
Established in 1933, Luk Yu Tea House’s legendary three storey colonial interior blends Lingnan architecture with Qing style rosewood furniture, colourful Art Deco stained glass windows, ornate carved screens, and heritage ceiling fans. The walls showcase a rotating collection of classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy.
White jacketed waitstaff serve traditional dim sum and aged pu erh tea in an atmosphere that beautifully preserves the refined elegance of a bygone era. The ground floor welcomes visitors while the upper floors retain a more exclusive feel for regulars.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Traditional Cantonese Teahouse / Dim Sum
📍 Where: 24-26 Stanley Street, Central
📱 Contact: Website
Mido Cafe — Yau Ma Tei
Iconic since 1950, this classic double storey corner cha chaan teng is nestled in a tenement building on Temple Street. Its original 1950s decor remains beautifully preserved, featuring colourful stained glass windows, wooden booths, classic mosaic tile walls and floors, hand painted menus, vintage signage, old cash registers and traditional wooden furniture.
The upstairs mezzanine, with its charming green iron windows, offers lovely views over Temple Street and the banyan trees. Mido Cafe has also appeared in iconic films such as The World of Suzie Wong and Comrades: Almost a Love Story.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Classic Cha Chaan Teng / Bing Sutt
📍 Where: G/F, 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei
📱 Contact: +852 2384 6402
Tai Lung Fung — Wan Chai
Tucked on a quiet side street near the historic Blue House, Tai Lung Fung is a quirky neighbourhood bar that feels straight out of a Wong Kar-wai film. The 1960s-inspired space bursts with old Hong Kong personality through its glowing neon signs, traditional red lanterns, vintage posters and eclectic decor that perfectly captures the spirit of the 60s and 70s.
By day it offers a peaceful, nostalgic spot for meals, while at night it transforms into a lively bar popular with locals and visitors alike.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Retro Hong Kong Bar & Western
📍 Where: G/F, 5 Hing Wan Street, Wan Chai
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Tai On Coffee and Tea Shop — Yau Ma Tei
Originally established in 1969, Tai On Coffee and Tea Shop in Yau Ma Tei masterfully blends preserved retro charm with contemporary touches. The interior retains its authentic 1960s and 70s character with vintage patterned walls, beautiful mosaic floors, classic steel shutters and mottled signage, creating the feeling of stepping into an old Hong Kong movie set.
By day it serves specialty coffee, creative pastries and traditional cha chaan teng favourites, while at night the space transforms into a relaxed cocktail bar Clan & Company.
🍽️ Type of Cuisine: Cha Chaan Teng by day, Cocktail Bar by night
📍 Where: G/F, 830 Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei
📱 Contact: Facebook | Instagram
Header image credits: Hung Wan Cafe, Lau Haa Hotpot, Google)