Brunch Restaurants in Hong Kong- Flying Pan, The Brunch Place, Pickled Pelican, Habourside Intercontinental Hotel, Top Deck , Isola, Jaspas, Fringe Club Rooftop

The Best Brunch Places in Hong Kong

Brunch Club

The Brunch Club is well-known restaurant which is a favourite weekend haunt for locals and mid-levels residents. The Brunch Club looks like a brunch spot should. The walls are covered with a whopping array of magazines. The soft white sofas along with an open back patio make for an extremely relaxing atmosphere.

Surprisingly, the Brunch Club is actually open until midnight, serving (gasp!) food other than brunch; however, late morning is the best time to go. The combination of the restaurant's fresh-squeezed orange juice, omelets and eggs benedict with salmon cures hangovers from the night before.

The only drawback of the Brunch Club is its size. In terms of its popularity, the restaurant is small, and on weekends diners will inevitably have to wait for a table. This also has to do with the fact that once people sit down they do not want to leave. (You can easily spend all day there, reading magazines and drinking coffee.) The staff remains friendly and accommodating, even if huge a crowd forms outside while waiting for a table.

The Brunch Club is all about unwinding. Go to this neighbourhood hangout with a smile, and if you don’t want to wait around for a table, remember to make a reservation beforehand. The Brunch club is located on the upper part of Peel Street around the corner from Elgin Street.

The Roof Garden is an extension of the Fringe Club's Fotogalerie, which has rotating photography exhibits by local artists, who often fit under the "aspiring" category. During the week, the Roof Garden offers a set vegetarian buffet for all the hipsters in the area. And on the weekend, the space is a brunch-lovers dream come true - outdoor setting, great location and shaded dining under tent-like canopies. A bit of greenery makes the space a garden, but the Fringe Club has also put down astro-turf to resemble grass for added emphasis.

The cuisine is reasonably prices and supplied by SoHo SoHo of HK Dining, the crew behind gastropub The Phoenix, located above Caine Road on the escalators. It is a chill-out place, where you will probably run into someone you know, one of those old acquaintances who seemed to have been lost from your speed dial. If you've had an easy weekend, make it to the Rooftop Garden before 11am for the early bird special, priced at $99.

To take in a little culture with your brunch, head to this urban oasis. Brunch is served until 4pm every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday.

Fringe Club Rooftop Garden, 2/F, The Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central.
Tel: 2147 2618
www.hkfringeclub.com.hk

The Flying Pan

The Flying Pan is to brunchers what Ebeneezer's is to Lan Kwai Fong partiers - a sure bet for consumption satisfaction, albeit not the healthiest or classiest, which hits the spot whenever you need it. With this kind of description it is needless to say, the restaurant has a branch in Wan Chai as well as Central.

Open 24 hours a day, The Flying Pan has evolved into a weekend walk of shame for many expats, but for others it is joyfully reminiscent of home. Blue and white tile floors and booth seating create a 1950s diner comfort that is reiterated in its food. The restaurant maintains its popular appeal with its menu of all-time brunch favourites. Often there is a line outside, but service is quick so waiting time goes by before you know it. Bring along a newspaper just in case.

Dishes come with the works - toast, beans, potatoes and tomatoes. And the drink list pleases with a wide selection of juices, smoothies, milkshakes (the banana is delicious), beers and spirits. If you're smart, make sure to have a clear head when ordering. They say your eyes are always bigger than your stomach, and The Flying Pan proves this to be true with the ultimate brunch feast - the 4x4, which has four of everything, four eggs, four toasts, four tomatoes and so on. It's almost unmanageable, even to the burliest of men. For a brunch offering good old favourites, gorge in an all-American diner atmosphere at The Flying Pan.

The Flying Pan, G/F 9 Old Bailey Street, Central.
Tel 2140 6333

The Flying Pan Wan Chai, 3/F 81-85 Lockhart Road, Wanchai.
Tel 2528 9997

Jaspas

In the heart of Staunton Street, Jaspas, run by a couple of Aussies, is identifiable by its coloured lettering and open front. The restaurant is a SoHo staple, serving up a pleasant brunch with a bright and airy ambiance. The space is larger than one would think at first glance and the tables facing Staunton street are great for people watching.

The cuisine is characterized as modern fusion, so a diverse selection of brunch options, from pizza and fajitas to sandwiches and standby breakfast options- muesli, omlettes, french toast, is on hand. Scenic tables are available at the front, while sizeable booths for larger parties take up the back. These booths are ideal for special occasion brunch gatherings.

The Jaspas group also runs Cru Wine & Grill, just up the road. Both are popular on weekends and are a great solution if you and your friends cannot decide on where to go. The two are as akin as siblings - they similarly serve fusion fare, are comfortable, sit on the same street and have large, open exteriors. However Cru is slightly more modern in design while Jaspas is easy and laid-back - the perfect spot for a no-brainer brunch.

ISOLA Bar + Grill

Friends in town for the weekend? A hot daytime date? ISOLA Bar + Grill is where diners go for a brunch to impress. Fresh design, a stunning view of the harbour, an al fresco terrace and first-rate Italian cuisine give the restaurant an unparalleled niche in the saturated Hong Kong dining market. The all-white 7,000 square foot restaurant is crisp, clean, and contemporary, and it is not uncommon to spot Executive Chef Gianni Caprioli, former star chef to Italy's rich and famous, in the open kitchen areas.

Housed on Level 3 of the IFC shopping centre, ISOLA is a favourite among the bigwigs (shoppers and bankers alike), but the atmosphere remains unpretentious. Its location also makes it a great spot for brunch between some weekend shopping at IFC and Lane Crawford.

The food at ISOLA is delicious - the menu never fails to astonish. The oven-baked pizzas are the restaurant's selling point. Even the simplest tomato and mozzarella pizza is to die for. The desserts are delightful and are constantly changing. Keep your eye out for the tiramisu. After brunch stroll along the public space on top of IFC to digest and relax.

It may be the cuisine, or it may be the view, but something about this restaurant makes you not want to leave. Maybe that is why ISOLA remains one of the hottest eateries in the city. Unpretentious eating in an ostentatious setting makes ISOLA Bar + Grill a true brunch experience.

The Press Room

When the Press Room first opened, it was buzzing. Even though the initial attraction has faded a bit, the restaurant is still packed for weekend brunch. Taking over the space from a former newspaper-printing site, the restaurant and its neighbouring cheese room and food shop Classified are located a stone's throw away from the Man Mo Temple along Hollywood Road. This area is becoming one of the hippest in Hong Kong, especially with the arrival of the member's only club M1NT, which is next door to The Press Room. You can spot the restaurant with the Ferraris and Mercedes parked in front, just to prove the restaurant is the place to be.

The service at The Press Room has a long way to go. You may feel ignored at times, but at least the cuisine and the atmosphere are attentive. A modern chic French theme is played out with the restaurant's decor. High ceilings, wood panelled walling, and an open front allude to a French countryside cafe, but only in the most metropolitan of ways. It is a favourite among tai tais for weekday gatherings.

A larger than life chalkboard indicates the day's specialties for wine, cheese and brunch. The board merely adds to options the menu, which focuses revitalising conventional Continental dishes with new touches. The oeufs au plat with French jambon, the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and black caviar and the lobster and avocado club are all great picks for brunch. The house Bloody Mary, made with ten secret ingredients, is also a brunch gem. The wine list is colossal, creatively dividing wine according to its taste with such headers as 'Light-hearted and Friendly' and 'Robust and Serious'. Might as well take a glance; the saying goes that nothing is wrong with drinking wine after noon.

Hit up Classified after the meal for an impressive selection of cheeses that are great to bring home.

The Press Room, 108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
Tel: 2525 3444
http:// www.thepressroom.com.hk

Only in Hong Kong can you have brunch under a pagoda atop a floating Chinese boat.
Jumbo Kingdom describes itself as with the cringing title "a theme park on the sea", but fortunately Top Deck, on the top floor of Jumbo Kingdom, avoids the resemblances to Disneyland, despite its colourful nature.

Docked in Aberdeen harbour, Jumbo Kingdom has been afloat since 1976, thanks to Stanley Ho. It is an ornamental attraction and just returned from million-dollar repairs in China in time for the summer season. Rumour has it the restorations were needed to mend a huge hole in its belly, but all is now patched up.

Gaudy Chinese restaurants take up the majority of the boat, but Top Deck caters to the weekend brunch crowd. The menu features Asian and Western cuisine with a focus on seafood specialties with a raw bar and grill. Large, circular seats and cosy cushions line the deck, while diners gaze at the boat-filled harbour. Its weekend promotions are endless. There's the Big Breakfast on Sunday and public holidays with unlimited servings of Bloody Mary until 11am, the Sunday Brunch with unlimited champagne for a guaranteed headache by early evening and on Saturdays diners receive a free bottle of house wine after they order the first. Yes, please!

The bright south side sea setting makes Top Deck a top choice for a brunch getaway.

Top Deck, Top Floor, Jumbo Kingdom, Shum Wan Pier Drive, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen
Tel: 2552 3331
www.cafedecogroup.com

Stanley Main Street is a perfect place to come for a relaxing weekend brunch, unfortunately, nobody served a decent brunch until the Pickled Pelican Pub opened. Actually there isn't an extensive brunch menu at this upscale pub. The only option is the all day breakfast which comes with eggs, roast potatoes, thick slices of bacon and beans. In any case, the food is great quality and it's exactly what the doctor ordered to cure your hangover. And, if that doesn't work, you can always order a beer to go with your meal.

The Pickled Pelican has a few outdoor tables and an air-conditioned upper level overlooking the sea. The place is constructed with light wood, so the venue doesn't have that dark, pubby feel. In addition, it's so new, the floors don't smell like a brewery yet.

The kids can play darts whicle you watch TV on their big screen plasma. Or you can just have a chat. It's a great place for a loungey brunch with your mates or your family.

90 Stanley Main Street, Stanley
Tel: 2813 4313

Bright and airy with a spectacular view of the Hong Kong skyline, this informal venue is a great place to have a champange brunch feast. Harbourside has an elaborate array of classic brunch items like eggs, cereal, toast and made-to-order crepes. There are also Chinese, Thai and Japanese choices as well as a roast carving station, seafood station, a salad bar and dessert bar. The price of brunch includes free-flow champange, wine, beer and fesh juices.

Every Sunday 11:30 am to 3:00 pm
HK$618.00 per adult
HK$298.00 per child under 12 years old

18 Salisbury Road Kowloon Hong Kong
Tel: 2313 2323