Second Draft

Should You Book Second Draft?

If you've been to Causeway Bay before and written off the area for serious eating, Second Draft is worth a second look. May Chow's gastropub at Fashion Walk has appeared on the Opinionated About Dining Asia rankings three consecutive years; Recommended in 2023, Leading Restaurants in Asia in 2024, #116 in the Casual in Asia ranking for 2025; which puts it in a different tier from the average bar-kitchen in the neighbourhood. Come for a casual weeknight drink and you'll likely stay for food.

What Second Draft Is, What It Isn't

Second Draft operates as a gastropub, which in Hong Kong's context means a venue where the drinks programme and the kitchen carry equal weight. This is not a restaurant that happens to serve beer, nor a bar that offers perfunctory snacks. The Fashion Walk address puts it in a shopping-adjacent strip that skews younger and more casual than the fine-dining corridors of Central or Wan Chai, Second Draft leans into that positioning without apologising for it. The room's energy during peak hours, Friday evenings, Saturday afternoons, runs warm and loud. If you're planning a long conversation, arrive before 7 pm or manage expectations about the noise floor.

For a first-timer, the format is worth understanding before you go. This is a counter-and-table operation built for groups who want a proper drink alongside food that takes the kitchen seriously. The gastropub category in Hong Kong doesn't have many genuine reference points, which makes Second Draft's OAD recognition more meaningful, the panel behind that list is specific about what earns a spot. Comparing it against international gastropub peers like The Jugged Hare in London or Gilt Bar in Chicago, the category standard is high, Second Draft is evidently meeting it on a regional level.

Location and the Causeway Bay Context

Causeway Bay is one of Hong Kong's densest dining districts, but much of what's on offer there skews toward chain operators, quick-service Japanese, mid-range Cantonese. Second Draft occupies a specific gap: a venue with a credible food programme in a neighbourhood that doesn't have many of them at this level. Fashion Walk itself is a pedestrian-friendly stretch that makes it easy to arrive without thinking too hard about transport. If you're coming from Central, the cross-harbour journey is direct on the MTR. If you're already on Hong Kong Island for the day, Second Draft works well as a destination in its own right rather than a detour.

As a neighbourhood anchor, it serves a dual purpose. Locals in the Causeway Bay catchment use it as a reliable regular; visitors who know the OAD list use it as a deliberate stop. Both groups are right to do so. There are very few gastropubs in Hong Kong with this kind of sustained critical recognition, that scarcity matters when you're deciding where to spend two to three hours on a given evening.

Practical Details

Second Draft opens at 3 pm Monday through Friday and at 12 pm on weekends, closing at midnight every night. The weekend lunch window is the most practical entry point for first-timers who want a quieter introduction to the room. Booking difficulty is low, this is an easy reservation to secure, walk-ins are plausible on weekday afternoons and early evenings. No price range data is available in our records, but the gastropub category and Fashion Walk setting point toward mid-range spending. Chef May Chow is the name attached to the kitchen.

For a broader picture of where to eat, drink, stay around Second Draft's neighbourhood, see our full Hong Kong restaurants guide, our full Hong Kong bars guide, and our full Hong Kong hotels guide. If you're building a wider itinerary, our Hong Kong experiences guide and wineries guide round out the picture.

Quick reference: Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, open daily from 3 pm (12 pm weekends) to midnight, easy to book, OAD Casual Asia #116 (2025).

How It Compares

More Hong Kong Dining

If Second Draft has you exploring what Hong Kong's food scene offers at different price points, the city rewards looking further. For fine dining, Amber and Caprice represent the French Contemporary top tier, while Ta Vie and 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana cover the Japanese-French and Italian ends of the high-end market. For Cantonese, Forum is the reference point. If you want something more casual before or after, Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon at ifc mall in Central is a practical stop. See our full Hong Kong restaurants guide for the complete picture. For international gastropub context, Nowon in New York City, Damn the Weather in Seattle, Camden Spit & Larder in Sacramento, High West Distillery & Saloon in Park City, and Mad Dogs & Englishmen in Tampa show the range the category covers globally.