10 of the best: Hong Kong’s best- kept secrets - the insider’s guide you really need

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Hong Kong, you’ll stumble across something new that will remind you it’s full of surprises. From hidden waterfalls and vintage toys to specialist boutiques tucked away in little alleyways and the best street food stalls, our writers are always on the look out for the city’s best kept secrets. Here are ten of our favourites.

1. All-day breakfasts for HK$48 in a sleepy border village

A cha chaan teng with a British twist serves cheap full English breakfasts – including breakfast tea or French press coffee – just minutes away from Bride’s Pool nature trail.

2. Hong Kong’s best kept secrets: a treasure trove of vintage film cameras and lenses

This store in Sham Shui Po store has been developing film and selling second-hand film cameras since the 1970s.

3. Traditional sweet treats from ABC Cake House

If it’s sweet nostalgia you’re after, stop by ABC Cake House, founded in 1951. Must-trys include freshly baked traditional egg tarts, cookies, pineapple buns, carrot cake and their famously addictive nougat with walnuts.

4. Where to watch free film screenings – with free popcorn too

On the last Thursday of every month, you can enjoy a showcase of the best of contemporary Mexican cinema, at the Mexican consulate in Hong Kong: free of charge, with free popcorn thrown in.

5. Ma Dai Stream, the hidden waterfall

Amid the craggy cliffs inside Ma On Shan Country Park, scramble over some rocks and you’ll find a picturesque waterfall where you can even enjoy a dip in privacy.

6. Where to get a classic wet shave

With down-to-earth but attentive service and a complimentary gin and tonic, Fox and the Barber is the perfect spot for a beard trim, hair cut, or straight razor shave.

7. Where to find original vintage film posters

Film buffs will love this online store offering vintage movie posters and collectors’ items from Japan, Europe and the US at a reasonable price.

8. Streetside waffles, made to order

While most waffles sold on the street these days are premade, this Wan Chai stall makes them fresh to order, drizzles them with peanut butter and condensed milk, and sprinkles them with a house blend of toppings.

9. Antique tin toys from the ’50s and ’60s

A tiny hole-in-the-wall store sells antique tin toys made in Shanghai during the 1950s and ’60s, from wind-up robots and alarm clocks to racing cars and spinning gymnasts.

10. Mum’s Not Home - bric-a-brac with love

An upstairs shop in Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei, Mum’s Not Home is full of plants, clothes and products from local designers. It’s also a great place to hang out and catch visiting local indie bands performing.