Takeaway coffee in the fast-paced city — a café tucked inside an old Hong Kong tenement building!

Text and photos by /TravelBAG

Have you ever imagined that there’s a coffee shop in Hong Kong housed within a pre-war tenement building built in 1933? This building has been listed as a Grade III historic structure, and the café is called UNAR. In such an atmospheric old building, they’ve chosen to serve only takeaway coffee? Actually, takeaway coffee shops have long been popular in the United States — busy office workers snatch a moment to sip coffee and take a short break, chatting with those around them, even striking up new friendships. Sometimes, the owner joins the conversation. This lifestyle is actually a kind of culture, though it might seem a bit out of place in Hong Kong. The owner believes that culture can indeed be created.

Tai Hang is a small community with a strong historical vibe. Nearby, there’s not only a century-old Tin Hau Temple but also the over-a-century-old Lotus Pavilion. The area comes alive during the Mid-Autumn Festival with the famous fire dragon dance. It seems that authentic local culture can be found in this small neighborhood. There are custom-designed coffee cups here, and the owner, Wai-kwan, personally brews coffee every day. If you’re in a rush, this might not be the place for you, as Wai-kwan prepares each cup on the spot — which takes a bit of waiting time. For busy Hong Kongers, UNAR’s pace feels almost the opposite.

If you ask the owner about their signature coffee, she’ll tell you every cup is unique. But if you insist on picking one, she recommends the ginger coffee. Made with fresh ginger juice, this coffee has a strong gingery flavor and is more suitable for winter. The coffee beans here are very fresh — just look at the thick crema on top. The coffee is rich with a slight acidity. There are no comfy seats, as the assumption is that customers are here for takeaway. However, next to the shop, the owner has placed a long wooden bench where you can choose to sit and enjoy your coffee. On the other side of the café is a store, which is also part of UNAR, since all five owners are designers. The overall design of the space doesn’t clash with the old building, and it blends perfectly with the Tai Hang neighborhood, exuding the same warm, community-oriented vibe.

Everyone just goes with the flow, doing whatever they feel like at UNAR.

Technology often builds walls between people. One day, Sami and LO put down their phones and chatted with the owner, ending up needing to come back to Tai Hang again to finish what they had planned to complete that day. Was it a waste of time? No — we gained so much more.

Address: G/F, 4 Second Lane, Tai Hang
Tel: 2838 5231
Hours: Sun, Tue–Thu: 13:00–21:00; Fri–Sat: 13:00–24:00
Closed: Mon
Transport: 10-min walk from Exit B of Tin Hau MTR Station along Tung Lo Wan Road

UNAR Tsim Sha Tsui Branch
Address: Star Ferry, Tsim Sha Tsui

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