Tai Ping Shan: Ultimate guide

For open-air, no-frills dining, head to Yuk Kin Fast Food, a long-standing eatery on Tai Ping Shan Street offering Cantonese fares like fried rice, sliced beef, chicken, shrimp and egg with rice that sells for $46 to $66 a plate. 

Embla I Photograph: TA

Embla is one of the latest and most exciting dining additions in the neighbourhood. Helmed by executive chef Jim Löfdahl, the restaurant serves a contemporary Nordic fine dining experience with a seasonally-driven menu and an excellent wine programme. 

Located opposite Embla is the Italian restaurant Crit Room which is a perfect venue for intimate dates. The restaurant offers a menu of classic Italian favourites like risotto, pasta, and seafood dishes, including panna cotta and gelato for desserts.  

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Tai Ping Shan is littered with coffee shops that attract cafe habitues daily. Almost all of them are dog-friendly, so you can bring your pup while you enjoy a cuppa. If you're lucky, you'll even spot the popular pack of Shiba Inus, WE5-Shibaland's Mochi, Toro, Mini, Yakult, and Yobi hanging out in one of the cafes.  

Shiba Inus Mochi, Toro, Mini, Yakult, and Yobi I Photograph: TA

Grab a seat near the French windows of Hö-ah and savour freshly brewed coffee and artisanal teas with toasts, pastries, and desserts. Just across the street, Indigo Coffee is great for whiling away slow afternoons with your pooch. This pet-friendly spot serves bagel sandwiches with customisable fillings and various hot and cold coffees and teas, including their signature iced tiramisu latte and iced earl grey tea jelly latte. Beyond serving coffee, Stain+ sells cold brewed teas, candles, and coffee-making wares. They also hold coffee tastings and workshops and regularly partner with local artists for fun activities and exhibitions which usually turn their exterior walls into Instagrammable mural art. 

Stain+ I Photograph: TA

For lactose-free drinks and treats, head to cafe Soul Fresh. They serve coffee and tea with oat milk and offer weekly specials of dairy-free chiffon cakes, including their signature fluffy pandan cake.  

If beer is what you're after, bar-slash-bottle shop Craftissimo is the best place to be. Their fridge stocks imports and local releases of IPAs, stouts, sours, wheat beers, ciders, and alcoholic ginger beers.

Mixo I Photograph: TA

If you're hankering for something boozier, drop by at cafe and a yakitori bar Mixo, and sip on their happy hour offerings, including Aperol spritz, gimlet, Tom Collins, Martini, and G&T. 

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Satisfy your sweet tooth at Sbakery by Mama Soo's flagship takeout shop in Tai Ping Shan. They offer classic baked New York cheesecakes sold by the slice. But if you're buying for an occasion, pre-order whole cakes online and pick them up at the store.  

Sbakery by Mama Soo I Photograph: TA

For French artisan products, La Guinguette stocks farmhouse cheeses, cold cuts, artisan grocery products, beers and ciders and boutique wines from France that you won't easily find elsewhere.

Cycling enthusiasts can check out Rapha Hong Kong’s clubhouse and café, where you can drink freshly brewed coffee while shopping for cycling apparel and gear. The shop also hosts regular events, including workshops, live race screenings, and weekly rides open to both regular riders and one-off visitors.  

Mount Zero is a hidden gem for bibliophiles. This small shop supplies an eclectic, hand-picked range of beautiful books from a variety of sources available in Taiwanese and English titles. Their second floor space provides ample seating where you can sit and read books all afternoon. 

Mount Zero I Photograph: TA

Nelles Gemmes is an eye-catching crystal shop on the quiet corner of Tung Street and Tai Ping Shan. Here, crystal collectors can buy all kinds of healing stones and crystals like quartz, amethyst, citrine, pyrite, amazonite, and more, in various shapes and sizes.  

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Explore the historical grounds and visit the old temples in the area. If you’re looking for a place to get your prayers answered, including finding your true love, head to Pak Sing Ancestral Hall and pray to the Chinese Gods. 

Pak Sing Ancestral Hall I Photograph: TA

Brew and taste tea like a master at tea specialist Yuan Yuan Tang. The shop specialises in aged Pu'er tea and sells ceramics and tea-making accessories. Book their tea workshops - available for two to 10 people – and learn about the art of brewing and drinking tea. 

Yuan Yuan Tang I Photograph: TA

There are a lot of Instagrammable places in Tai Ping Shan, so if you're looking for an artsy background for your Reels and posts, you'll be spoilt for choice. From quirky storefronts to colourful murals, you'll find photogenic gems on every corner. For a dose of art, you can check out the private gallery Artyze, located beside the temples in the area. The gallery showcases various artworks from talented and up-and-coming contemporary artists. 

Artyze I Photograph: TA

Ceramic lovers can check out Sean Gallery, an art gallery and a ceramic studio. The gallery hosts solo, group shows and collaborative projects featuring work from emerging and established artists from around the world. Those who want to learn the basic skills of creating beautiful ceramics can join intimate ceramic workshops on the second floor. 

Get your creative juices flowing at Chillax Place, an art jamming space for both adults and kids. The relaxing space holds regular free-flow art jams, including outdoor sessions during cooler seasons. 

Chillax Place I Photograph: TA

Occasionally, the tight-knit community of Tai Ping Shan participates in street-wide activities, including last year's art exhibition, Discovery Art in Tai Ping Shan Street, organised by metaverse art platform TCE Hub where select shops in the area showcased works of local artists from photography, digital art, illustrations, graffiti, and glass arts.  

Declutter your mind and relax in the meditation space of Samadhi Training Centre for the Soul on Tai Ping Shan Street. The studio welcomes anyone who wants to meditate any time for free during their open hours. For group or private training classes, you can book crystal sound healing, craniosacral therapy, divine healing, and a unique yoga class designed for both body and soul.

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