Sassy Tastes: Peel Street

Our picks for Peel

We’ve already let you know some of our favourite Wan Chai spots for any time of the day, so it’s time to head to one of our other favourite streets in the 852. Peel Street may be one treacherous hill to climb (especially once summer hits!), but we promise that the trek is worth it. With our roundup of breakfast and coffee spots, where to stop for lunch and the perfect places for dinner and drinks, no matter when you find yourself around the SoHo streets, we’ll have you covered…

Breakfast + Coffee

Any good day has got to start with coffee, and Peel Street has an array of great options. Whether you’re just passing through, or live and work in the area, Fineprint is the perfect pit stop to start your day. Serving up Redback Specialty Coffee, you know you’re going to get your morning buzz in the tastiest form possible. Couple that with the delicious selection of baked goods and pastries, avo toast, sweet treats and other breakfast delights. The major draw here is also the Sugar Sister’s cookies, though (devastatingly), as of the end of August, they have closed. Fineprint is sure to be getting a new cookie provider soon, though, so you’ll still be able to get your sugar rush. Along with serving up great coffee, Fineprint also has a curated menu of wine, beer and liquors. With a buy-one-get-one happy hour from 4pm to 8pm daily, and a new sommelier who seriously knows his wines, there’s nothing stopping you from hitting this cool and chic coffee house-cum-bar any time of day.

Fineprint, 38 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, fineprint.hk

Wander further up Peel and you’ll come across the boutique coffee shop, Hazel and Hershey, along with newcomer The Quad. Along with serving up gourmet coffee, H&H is also a great go-to destination for any coffee aficionado, with its stock of coffee tools, selling everything from beans to cups.

If you’re looking for a healthier option to kick-start your morning (or a tasty afternoon snack), Be-Juiced selection of juices, smoothies and acai bowls taste just as good as they look. We topped our bowl off with granola, raw honey and goji berries, but there are options to suit any gym bunnies’ tastes. The healthy salads here make it perfect for a quick lunch stop.

Be-Juiced, 45 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/Bejuiced

Lunch

Not just for brunch, Brunch Club is open from 8am to 10:30pm daily and serves up a very tempting lunch deal from Monday to Friday, between 12pm and 2:30pm. The menu changes daily (and has three options each day!), with your choice of starter, main course and dessert for between $70 and $100. Along with the set lunch, you can get your hands on classic brunch dishes such as Eggs Benedict and a range of other eggs, waffles, pancakes, club sarnies and more! We delved into the smoked salmon Eggs Benedict, as well as trying the famed “Marie’s Home Burger.” Consisting of a beef burger, topped with a sunny side up egg ‘n’ cheese, and served on a homemade donut, you’ll want to bring your appetite before tucking into this beast. A colleague of mine also claims that Brunch Clubs pasta carbonara is the best in the city (I personally haven’t sampled it yet, but will take her word for it!), and you can’t eat at this cosy café without trying out one of the home-made desserts – we enjoyed the carrot cake, but also saw a range of other sweet treats behind the counter.

Brunch Club, 70 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, www.brunch-club.org

If you can’t face walking far up Peel to reach Brunch Club (we understand, the struggle is real), have no fear as Cochin Deli’s French fare is more than satisfying. Not just to enjoy whilst you’re waiting for the ferry, White Beard Fish and Chips also has a branch on Peel Street, just what you need for a casual, cheap ‘n’ cheerful lunch.

Read more: Cochin Delicatessen: French Fare on Peel Street

Dinner

For a special occasion, a fun group dinner, or just a casual date night, La Vache! is always a good choice. With only one item on the menu, there’s no fear of food envy here (until it comes to the desserts!), so round up your steak loving friends and get ready to enjoy a lavish night out.  The classic trimmed entrecote steak, comes loving prepared and cooked perfectly to your liking (medium rare for me, please), alongside unlimited fries, “special” house béarnaise sauce, and a simple yet elegant green salad with walnuts – all priced at just $298 per person, you can’t go too far wrong. Wash your steak down with a glass of house red, or a classic cocktail, and get ready for the arrival of La Vache’s epic dessert trolley. Laden with a plethora of Parisian patisserie delights, the sweet toothed amongst you will want to save room for this! We love the silky-smooth crème brûlée and the indulgent chocolate cake – a fitting end to any dinner.

La Vache!, 48 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, lavache.com.hk

Situated at the very beginning of Peel is Uma Nota. Serving up Brazilian street food with a Japanese twist, head here with a crowd and make sure to try a selection of its sharing plates, along with a caipirinha or two. In the mood for Korean? Edition offers up an eclectic mix of Korean fusion (did we mention the Bulgogi duck sliders?), along with a kimchi fries, fried chicken and a happy hour from 12pm to 8pm on weekdays. Also ever popular on Peel is Vietnamese resto Chôm Chôm, known for its lively atmosphere, tasty drinks and authentic food. Although this spot does often have a wait list to get a table, we reckon it’s worth it, and can’t complain about having to enjoy a pre-dinner beer on the stoop – the perfect spot to people watch.

Read more: Uma Nota: A Taste of São Paulo on Peel Street

Drinks

Peel Street isn’t exactly short on drinks options, and with the streets of Soho so close by, you never need to travel far for your tipple of choice. Open for just over a year now, Japanese Izakaya inspired Chi Chi Cham is a great option for pre-or post-dinner drinks. Open until 1am every Monday to Saturday, and with a great happy hour from 3pm to 8pm, this cute and lively bar and restaurant keeps tempting us back for more. The happy hour features bottled beers for $30, and red and white wine, bubbles and house spirits from just $35, though if you’re feeling like a cocktail you only need to flip through the “Holy Drinking Bible” that is the menu, to find page after page of options. We loved the Fuji Spring ($115), made with Bombay Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liquor, Japanese Yuzu Juice, Mint and Freshness. The menu itself notes that it’ll “casts a spell to make you feel young again,” so it definitely promises to put a spring in your step.  After one or two of these, you’ll be in need of some of Chi Chi Chams delicious small bites, including yakitori skewers, sashimi and fried soft shell crab. In keeping with its quirky décor of emperor’s robes, hanging umbrellas and old-school Japanese films projected onto the walls, the bar also has a selection of traditional emperor hats (for want of a better word), so make sure to try one on and snap a pic for Insta whilst you’re there! 

Chi Chi Cham, 53 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, www.chichicham.com

Close by to Chi Chi Cham is also 65 Peel, which serves up a mean gin cocktail, along with a long list of local craft brews – sure to sate any beers lover’s appetite. Another one-stop-shop for a decent brew is 99 Bottles. The bottle-shop and bar proudly boasts that “happy hours are not needed,” and with pints of beer for just $45, it has most definitely won our vote. If you’re looking for a hole-in-the-wall bar with a relaxed vibe, head to Bobby’s Rabble. Whether you’re after a classic cocktail, a craft brew or a just a whiskey, Bobby’s neighbourhood feel and friendly staff is a refreshing and unpretentious antidote in our city full of rooftop bars.

With plenty of other options for drinks along this lively street, all you’ll need to worry about after one or two at these bars is navigating the steep stairs and slope that is Peel Street…