Vegan
American
Pizza
International
Western
Beer/Wine

Waterfront casual restaurant featuring full bar and live music. Under current ownership since 2017 and serves all-vegan food since 2018. Menu features a mix of cuisines comprising mostly western-style dishes like spaghetti bolognaise, veggie burger with fries, nachos, pizza, loaded potato skins with vegan cheese, and vegan shepherd's pie. Desserts are brownies and cheezecakes. Directions: Take the ferry to Discovery Bay from Central Pier #3, and walk one minute from the pier. Reported closed July 2022.


Venue map for Hemingway's By The Bay
© OpenStreetMap contributors

27 Reviews

First Review by TerriChrisman

BonnieCalanchini

Points +18

Vegan
22 May 2022

Delicious vegan pub food

Food is consistently good. Great selection of foods. Popular with non vegans as well .

Pros: Plenty of options, Great location with outdoor dining seaside, Nice staff

Cons: None really

kateleext

Points +968

Vegan
15 Oct 2021

A whole other world

Visited twice as part of a weekend staycation in DB. There was a super talented musician playing songs all night long, and the hype in the atmosphere transported me to another dimension. I felt like I flew to Europe!

Food highlights were definitely the light bites/ starters. The Thai fish cakes were so insanely flavourful, and the omnipork gyozas were some of the best I’ve ever had! I also really loved the cheese quesadilla. Comfort food at its finest.

However, the curry puffs were not as curry-spiced as I’d liked, and the drink I tried was also suboptimal. Generally a good experience with incredible vibes, but not all dishes are as spectacular as they could be.

Really appreciate the existence of such a place though!

BethDaCunha

Points +16

Vegan
14 Oct 2021

Great food

Yummy, well prepared food. Buddha bowls are amazing

Pros: All vegan food, Some gluten free options

soojung

Points +121

Mostly Veg
21 Sep 2021

Enjoyed 1+1 weekdays promotion

They offer 1 plus 1 and other weekdays promotion. I had 1 plus 1 Bowl and 1 plus 1 pizza. It’s quiet impressive😄Mexican bowl was better than Greek bowl personally. And Thai beef pizza looks good on pictures, but so bad.. however chicken pizza was so good!
Im gonna try other food like Beyond burger in weekdays ^.~
I didn’t have dine in service, so I have no idea of their service in the restaurant, but the delivery man was so cool and kind!

Updated from previous review on 2021-09-06


Updated from previous review on 2021-09-06


Updated from previous review on 2021-09-06

Pros: Lots of vegan options, Weekdays promotion, Tasty

Cons: Some good few bad

Ashni

Points +2231

Vegan
16 Jan 2021

Worth making a trip to DB for this one :)

Lovely setting on the bay with a view of the DB beach, 1 min walk from the ferry terminal. Indoor and outdoor tables, with comfy casual low seats or high stools. Great atmosphere and music.

I was excited to see this kind of menu with excellent labelling. All food now vegan, and clearly marked. Gluten free labelling. Alcohol now labelled with most wines vegan (and a few vegetarian).

In several visits, we have tried the following all vegan dishes (big portions!)
- Babaganoush dip with breads: bit pricy but good taste, nice for sharing
- Pulled jackfruit burger with sweet potato fries: yum sauce with great flavours
- Shepherds pie: loved this!! Had lentils and veggie mince, with creamy fluffed potato topping
- Vegetable curry: Thai style coconut curry, delicious with a bit of a chili kick
- Beyond Burger: my non veg friends were keen to try this and were impressed with the texture and flavour. Nice vegan coleslaw and fat chips on the side
- Nachos: fully loaded with vegan cheese and sour cream, guacamole, mince, jalapeños and olives. Wow. Literally everything you could need. Some of the mince went to the bottom so don’t forget to scoop as you eat.
- Texas BBQ pulled jackfruit pizza: completely unique through the taste of the sauce and topping combination. Vegan cheese melted really well. We loved it.
- Chocolate Brownie: we loved it. It’s got a nutty base (maybe some quinoa grains in there too) with thick chocolate layers. Good for sharing.
- Lemon and Raspberry Cheesecake: base of dates and nuts, and the filling is made of coconut cream and cashews. Bit heavy and a bit icy for me. Flavours great including the raspberry sauce and lemon rind.

Drinks: love the NZ wine (vegan, organic). Crisp and citrusy. Good range of draft and bottle beers. Also tried their deliciously creamy coffee (with Califia barista blend almond milk).

Excellent friendly service. The owner, Gary, came to talk to us on one occasion and was enthusiastic about the new menu and it’s transformation!

If you spend more than HKD 120 per person, show your receipt to the free ferry stand opposite Pizza Express by the ferry, to get a free ferry ticket loaded onto your HK Octopus card.

Pros: lovely setting incl. view, atmosphere and music, delicious vegan comfort food and drinks, excellent service

Cons: No cons!

JoelinLam

Points +19

Mostly Veg
10 Oct 2020

Good food but BAD service

This is 2nd time we came to this restaurant, we love the food and environment here.

However, the service here is really bad which the staff will not offer you water to drink. Since my husband and I don't drink alcohol, we need to feel thirsty after eating the nice pizza and dessert. Until we asked for at least 3 times, we finally get glasses of water to drink. But we tried to ask someone to refill the water for us while the staff pretended they did not see us.

I think all staff need training about customer service again. I also saw quite a lot of bad reviews about the service in another restaurant review, i.e.openrice

Pros: Good vegan food

Cons: Bad service

DanFivey

Points +188

Vegan
21 Jul 2020

So good

Great choices, all vegan, manager was so nice

Pros: Dogs allowed , Wedges all the way, Nice smoothies

jonahramone

Points +128

Vegan
11 Jul 2020

Good food but pretty bad experience

The positives are this is a vegan restaurant that is gonna serve vegan food to non vegans because of its fantastic location. And the Thai salad and pizzas we had were very, very good.

The negatives are that's not much good considering they (2 pizzas and a salad) took over an hour to come out and the waiters were pretty rude and arrogant. My friend asked three times within that hour for a coke she'd ordered. They were clearly understaffed, but we went on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon on the day of a very popular market- could they not have anticipated it would be busy? And if they just can't provide an adequate level of service to such a large number of people, then they need to put fewer chairs and tables out.

The waiter (first language English) seemed almost apologetic when informing us the pepperoni is vegan. Making it clear to avoid confusion is understandable, but the way it was actually expressed isn't a good look for vegan food.

I also have prior experience of it not being open on a Monday lunch time when it was advertised as being open. As it's a bit of a journey for most people in HK, this could be a pretty big deal.

My friend told me that when she went with her dog later, they informed her they didn't allow pets and they'd have to go take the dog back home. Inside, I can completely understand that it may be an unfortunate necessity, but they were sitting outside! My friend tells me pretty much every restaurant in DB is pet friendly, even inside, so it's peculiar and maddening for the one vegan restaurant to not even allow pets outside, well away from the kitchen.

All in all, this place needs some pretty big changes. Publicly sharing such a bad review is not something I want to do to a vegan restaurant. They're obviously very popular and successful because the food is nice and location is great, but they should want to do much, much better. I really hope they do because it could be such a positive beacon of veganism.

Pros: 100% vegan, Food is good, Location is lovely

Cons: Slow, slow service, Some staff were rude, Not pet friendly

Snevin90

Points +39

Vegan
12 Jun 2020

Consistently great food

Awse venue, great staff, happy hour drinks and great vegan food. Love the sizzling tikka fajitas

Ashjurrius

Points +16

Vegan
24 Apr 2020

Great place

Good food always!

Pros: Everything vegan. , Great pizza!!

Veggiesgood

Points +94

Vegan
10 Jan 2020

Good, but...

Generally great vegan, love the spaghetti bolognese, but jack fruit sandwich is marginal...somewhat gooey consistency and marginal flavor. Service was nice and fast, and I'll be back to taste more and post more.

Pros: All vegan food

Cons: Jack fruit sandwich

FlyingTofuMonster

Points +175

Vegan
07 Sep 2019

Pretty Good

Food was very good and in our case brought out pretty quick even though it was very busy. Nachos, Quesadillas and potato skins were very good. Beyond burger was good but a little dry, could’ve done with some aioli or sauce. Service was okay, a little cold. A simple smile would’ve helped!

Pros: Lots of options, Food tastes good

Cons: Service average

vanessaxh

Points +291

Vegan
17 Aug 2019

Great food

I have been here many times. It's in a nice spot overlooking the DB beach and lots of people do come here for a late afternoon/evening drink. My favourite dishes include the jackfruit pulled pork, the potato skins, spaghetti bolognese, rudeboy chili and falafel pita. The only issue I have is that I have not enjoyed some of the other dishes as much - eg. the Beyond burger (patty was very dry, there didn't seem to be any sauce/seasoning?), the pizzas (I don't really like Daiya cheese), and the cheesecake (very cashew-y and wasn't very exciting to be honest). Overall though it's a solid vegan spot.

Updated from previous review on 2019-08-17

TerriChrisman

Points +258

Vegan
31 Jul 2019

You gotta eat here!

Hemingways has been part of DB forever and recently took all seafood and meat off the menu. The owner is part of the Sea Shepherd conservation groups. They have pub style comfort food with daily specials. I spoke to the owner who assured me the restaurant is currently in a transition period between vegetarian and Vegan and it will be fully vegan soon. Regardless, everything with and without dairy is clearly marked on the menu.
I have been 4 times and so far have had the potato skins: filled with vegan chilli and topped with vegan cheese, sour cream and guacamole. So yummy! I can't stop ordering them.
The jack fruit pulled pork was not to my liking but I noticed lots of other people ordering and enjoying.
The spaghetti Bolognese is FANTASTIC! I make spaghetti bol at home and think it is pretty good. This blew mine out of the water. So yummy. I'm told it has a little cashew parmesan in it.
The chilli is also good. Features big fat hot chips to dip in. There are also pizzas, appetisers and a few salads.
2019 Edit: Hemingways has been fully vegan for over a year now. The menu continues to evolve with weekly
Specials. There are now desserts and tonnes of yummy things. If you are vegan and you find yourself in Hong Kong, you MUST eat here.

Pros: Very tasty. , Great location overlooking DBay beach., Full bar with yummy cocktails

Cons: Zero cons

TerriChrisman

04 May 2018

Update: the menu is constantly evolving with daily specials such as burrito bites and arrancini. It just keeps getting more and
More yummy. There are desserts such as cashew cheesecake with raspberries and chocolate cake and mango ice cream.

VeganExpression

Points +1728

Vegan
02 May 2019

Great food and experience

The waiter introduced me two kinds of dishes. The first is the Curry Laksa. The sour taste is very appetizing. The ingredients inside are very good. I especially like the "meatball", which is like homemade. My friend likes to have cheese, so we ordered a cheese sandwiches, the cheese is very rich, and it is also equipped with three sauces, my favorite one is the homemade sour cream; this is the first time my friend tries vegan food and vegan CHEESE, she was surprised!

visit date: 2018-12

JohnWedderburn

Points +54

Vegan
22 Dec 2018

We had a great lunch

Good food (all vegan), friendly efficient service, comfortable seating, beautiful surroundings. What more could you want?

RunEatWorld

Points +2898

Vegan
04 Dec 2018

Best restaurant in Hong Kong

Relaxed, beach front dining with great service and amazing food. The fat chips were probably the best in Hong Kong, the tandoori chick'n pizza was huge and delicious, and the mezze plate was enough for two. Will definitely be coming back here again.

DeimantėHennelly

Points +33

Vegan
18 Nov 2018

Incredible place in an incredible place!

Situated in an amazing spot by the beach in Discovery Bay, Hemingway's does a large range of mouth-watering vegan food. It also has live music and serves alcohol! So many vegan places don't serve booze and just create a stuffy, pretentious environment only serving green health drinks and no fun in sight! You can actually have a wonderful night here!!

Pros: Amazing food, great location and live music!

NikkiBotha

Points +18

Vegan
26 Jun 2018

I am in love!

As a vegan chef I am particularly critical of any vegan food I eat. I travel regularly and not only have I eaten at countless restaurants, I have cooked in many countries too.

Hemingway's has a special place in my heart. The owner is one of those people who walks the walk and talks the talk. He is a compassionate activist making a tangible difference and for that alone I support his restaurant.

His chefs are attentive and caring and clearly care about their food. I am a big believer that the key secret ingredient in any dish is love and attention and in Hemingway's dishes, I can taste it.

My favourite item on the menu is the Beyond Burger sliders. Yes, the patties are commercially made (something which I don't usually approve of) but the burger fillings are just so simple which means that I can enjoy each flavour individually. It just WORKS.

I do hope more people (visitor's and locals alike) support this establishment more and more. Hemingway's is a genuine and true ethical business and such businesses is where people should spend their money - thus it comes as no big surprise that this restaurant won Asia's first PETA compassionate business award. It is WELL deserved!

Soul2Soul Educare

Points +1090

Vegetarian
07 Jun 2018

Okay Food, Bad Service

We saw online that they were open from 2:00 pm so when we got to Discovery Bay it was a bit early - we milled around for an hour and made our way to Hemingways since that was our chief reason to go to Discovery Bay. We were horrified when the owner said that they would open at 3:00 pm! Which meant we would have to wait around in the heat for another hour! He didn't so as offer us to sit and maybe have a drink - the restaurant was open - he just didn't want to serve! So we went to another place to have drinks and returned at 3 pm. We were sadly disappointed when the food turned out to be mediocre. We had the BBQ jackfruit sandwich and the Tandoor chikn pizza - both were average. The service was terrible and I wouldn't go back! The restaurant next door Zaks was also by the bay and had really good service. We should have eaten there instead!

Pros: by the bay

Cons: bad service

iFreeze

Points +560

Vegan
06 Jun 2018

Must-visit!

The food is great, the location is nice and the staff very friendly.
Lots of "comfort food" which tastes really good. The owner is a member of Seashepherd and started going vegan a few months ago. He seems to be very passionate about vegan food and running a sustainable restaurant (e.g. no plastic straws). I think sooner or later this place will be fully vegan and I can't wait to visit again if I get back to Hong Kong!
Can get busy on weekends so call ahead to make a reservation if you're a group.

Pros: Great comfort food, Owner is passionate about what he's doing, Friendly staff

mt19

Points +339

Vegan
08 May 2018

Worth the trip

Get the bus there from Tung Chung or ferry from Hong Kong island, all vegan now (except for drinks as noted below, barnivore is your friend).
Had the burger & pizza, both good, location right by the beach, very different from the rest of Hong Kong so defn. worth a visit for chill out.

Listed as opening at 2pm on google etc, when we got there told didnt open till 3om just hadnt bothered changing the hours listing.

Pros: Options, location

ChristineAY

Points +43

Mostly Veg
24 Mar 2018

Lovely new vegetarian menu!

This place used to be a grill bar now turned completely green. We were very impressed by the motive and encourage the owner had to make such a drastic change. The food is very reasonably priced with a nice view of the beach. We ordered veggies curry that came with mixed brown rice. The slightly spiced coconut curry sauce was nice and creamy. Veggie burger was juicy served with fresh sweet potato fries and salad. Overall a very nice surprise. Will come here often!

AndreaRichey

Points +42

Vegan
18 Feb 2018

Excellent vegan food

Not only is the food vegan and excellent the atmosphere by the water is wonderful and makes for a great day out.

VeganjourneyHK

Points +20

Vegan
18 Feb 2018

Great location, great food!

Great outdoor location by the bay. Really relaxed setting. The meat free menu is refreshing to see in such a location.

They have a wide variety of "traditional" dishes made vegetarian (in most cases vegan) friendly. From Salads to Shepherds Pie, Curry, Nachos, Burgers and Pizza's. Definitely something for everyone.

I had the BBQ pulled Jackfruit Burger served with sweet potato fries, vegan coleslaw & salad. Great taste and decent sized portion.

My friend had the Quinoa salad with Beets, Avocado, Pomegranate and Sunflower seeds. Really tasty and filling too.

The menu clearly marks Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten Free items which is great. I'm told they will be going full vegan in the coming months. 

Will definitely be heading back to sample the rest of the menu!

Pros: Wide selection of food, Friendly staff, Location

ChrisJoyce

Points +78

Vegan
17 Feb 2018

Quick ferry to an awesome establishment!

A quick ferry will take you over to beautiful Discovery Bay, where the owner recently changed the menu at Hemingway’s to vegan fare! He explained 2-3 items remain vegetarian until cheese stock is depleted, then his two very focused and talented chefs will cook up 100% entirely vegan comfort food. Totally LOVED the Indian “chicken” tikki Masala, The Shepherd’s pie will bring you back to a warm pub on some English or Australian coastal town. My fav, was simply the yummy chips (steak fries) with curry sauce!! Hemingway’s owner is also a marine life activist and that’s another reason to support his new endeavor. Live entertainment some nights and a lively mix of friendly locals and ex-pats, great cocktails and beers. Definitely worth the escape from HK, with frequent ferry service back throughout the evening.

jasonbaker

Points +602

Vegan
05 Feb 2018

Vegan pub - go here now!

The vegan nachos or the vegan chix marsala or, well, so many amazing things to get.

Pros: vegan cheese, mock meats, beer




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