Here are our Top Nine Cafes of 2024.
This year, non-domestic cafes dominate the list due to our extensive travels to South Korea and Hong Kong.
Generally, we value three qualities when it comes to cafes – quality of food/drinks, ambience, and service.
Obviously, there were a handful of cafes that excelled in at least two of three of the criteria above – but among the many cafes we’ve visited this year, these are the ones that made a lasting impression on us.
Top Nine Cafes of 2024
Max is an avid coffee drinker who brews his own coffee at home – so he has an affinity towards microbrewers that curate their own beans. Cafes such as Momos Roastery and Hytte Busan excel in this regard.
As for ambience, most can’t beat a well-designed cafe with an amazing view of the ocean – and this is represented by Coralani Cafe in Busan, and Orrrn Cafe in Jeju.
There are also cafes that won us over with its amazing offerings despite no ambience or seating area, and the ones that stood out for us were Vission Bakery in Hong Kong, Jayeondo Salt Bread in Seoul, and Kia Lai Cake Pastry in Penang.
To be clear, this Top Nine Cafes of 2024 list includes cafes that we discovered during the year (regardless of when they first opened for business). This list is not in any order of preference.
Check out our previous 2023 list here.
Also check out our Top Nine Meals of 2024 here.
1. Vission Bakery, Hong Kong
[Pork-free] Priced at HKD30-50, the pastries at Vission Bakery are not cheap (even in a very expensive city) but these are worth every buck!
The Matcha Mochi Danish remains the best matcha-based pastry we’ve eaten in our lives, and the Pistachio Custard Tart is to die for. Max introduced Vission Bakery to his colleagues and they were equally won over. Read our full story here.
2. Coralani Cafe, Busan
[Non-halal] Coralani Cafe in Haeundae is one of our favourite cafes we visited in Busan. The cafe is located next to the coast – with four floors of seatings providing an expansive view of the sea.
The most coveted seats are on the deck of course – with lots of beanies to sit on, and chillax while sipping on coffee. Check out our Instagram reel here.
3. Momos Yeongdo Roastery and Cafe, Busan
[Pork-free] Momos Coffee is an acclaimed roastery based in Busan, and is home to the winner of the 2019 World Barista Championships.
Momos has a number of outlets in the southern city, but the Yeong-do branch (which occupies a warehouse) offers an amazing view of the dock. The coffee here is excellent, with a large selection of blended and single-origin beans.
4. KLCG Confectionary & Bakery, KL
[Pork-free] This popular bakery has relocated from Dataran Merdeka to a large bungalow lot off Jalan Ampang. The space is new, but the pastries remain excellent and there’s a kitchen for hot meals as well. Our post here.
5. Kia Lai Cake Pastry, Penang
[Pork-free] Kia Lai Cake Pastry 加来餅鋪 is a bakery chain known for its chicken floss cakes in Penang.
This bakery (and in particular, the Yam Chicken Floss Cake) was recommended by a dear friend, and we made sure to try it here during our recent trip. And yes – the floss cakes were good! Read our full story here.
6. Floccus Floccus, KL
[Non-halal] Floccus Floccus 福粿 is a new cafe in Chinatown KL that offers traditional Chinese kuihs in modern skins. Find chai kueh shaped like goldfish, and angku kueh shaped like nigiri sushi. More importantly, they taste as good as they look. Check out our post here.
7. Jayeondo Salt Bread, Seoul
[Pork-free] We had one of the best salt bread we’ve eaten at Jayeondo Salt Bread 자연도소금빵 in Seoul. We enjoyed this so much that we visited the spot numerous times this year. Read our post here.
8. Orrn, Jeju
[Non-halal] If you’re travelling to Jeju in South Korea, you have to check out Orrrn or Oleun 오른 Café. The cafe offers an amazing view of the deep blue seas as you indulge in the pastries and drinks. More details here.
9. Hytte Roastery, Busan
[Pork-free] Hytte Roastery is another locally-acclaimed roastery in Busan that was recommended by a friend. This particular branch in Jeonpo-dong is located on the first floor of a rustic shoplot, and offers a really good coffee selection.
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