The Pawn

Fancy cocktails about $ 100 each, wine, cigars. An exhaustive list of each. Not your typical cocktails like cosmopolitan, The Pawn’s cocktails are crafty.
For example, Blooming HK $ 120
Citadelle reserve gin washed with honey comb, Monkey Shoulder whisky, Kina L’Avion d’Or Apéritif, chrysanthemum bitters.
Milk Tea $ 100
vodka infused with Lapsang Souchong tea, Mancino Biano vermouth, white chocolate, lemon, Boker’s bitters, cotton candy.
My friend had two sour cocktails, both were pretty good! So all four cocktails were nicely made, very strong. Blooming HK is as nice as it sounds. Unfortunately Milk Tea (served in a super cute mini milk jar) just tastes like creamy lemon juice.
Alright with cocktails aside, I think the bar is just another typical lounge that I see everywhere in America, Canada, and Europe. It’s the same thing, just located in Hong Kong. People who visit here are all foreigners either working here or just visiting friends. There’s a b*ch blonde waitress who takes over serving all the tables, behind her are all the Asian waitresses who are trampled over. They are waitresses too but their job is to clean the table while the blonde girl doesn’t. The Asian waitresses speak perfect English.
There is nice DJ near the patio. By nice I mean he’s really kind. However I think it’s weird he’s on the same floor as everyone, personally I think DJs should be in a cool-​looking-​upper-​stage-​booth-​kind-​of-​thing. And yes there is a patio. Overall the atmosphere is not bad.

Not a big fan of the new décor — a little too bright and breezy. Good selection of gins and whiskeys. Outside seating is very uncomfortable, always find myself hunched over the low tables in some hard metallic chair. So just an A-​OK from me.

What you rarely ever find me at is a hipster bar. And there are a lot of those in San Francisco. More than one of my old dive bars got bought out by a restauranteur who immediately turned it into a hipster bar.
From a design perspective, the Pawn is very much your hipster bar. A pre-​war building that was renovated and repurposed as a bar and restaurant.
The décor is dark. So I can’t tell you what it looked like for the most part. The alcohol may have also clouded my memory. More on the alcohol later. I can tell you that the two bars are very well stocked and well designed. While I know HK to be hot and humid, the large open (what I assume to be French Doors) opens out to the balconies overlooking Johnston Road. Worth going out an watching the street from a few floors up.
The drink menu is extensive from shots to cocktails. There’s a rather elaborate drink menu which also features the mixologist who crafted the drinks. Oh man, it speaks to my inner-​wannabe hipster. Notwithstanding the hipster nature, the drinks are quirky and are very very well thought out and not just a rehash of the inverse mojito or whatever that is.
Food is interesting, but definitely limited. I would not recommend coming here for dinner. Bar food, maybe. It is rather pricey, but the ingredients are still worth a go.
Because of its size, even at full capacity, it did not seem too noisy and I could talk with a person at one of the end table and still comprehend someone on the other end.
Finally, the service is definitely its worst point (not the bartenders). This poor girl who was waiting our rather large party of 10 could not keep our orders together. She tried really hard to get everything proper. The drinks and food were fine for the first round, but she started tilting as the night went on. Bartenders were knowledgeable and awesome when I ordered my own drink at the bar.

I’m always willing to give a place a second shot, but The Pawn ran out of chances tonight.
I don’t like giving bad reviews. Mostly because it’s an admission that I went to a bad restaurant. But I try to be responsible and let people know what they may be getting themselves into.
First off, the bar (especially the bartender) were the best thing about the Pawn. The two stars I gave are principally for the pre-​dinner cocktails.
The décor reminded me of a taco cantina. Dark tile floors and wood tables. Not good ambiance for such an expensive place (more on that later). The menu was pretty limited. I got the filet. It was tender and tasty, but I ordered a side that did not come out with my meal. After asking about it twice, it finally came out after I was ²⁄₃ of the way done with my steak. I no longer wanted it and asked that they remove it from our bill.
The bill came and it was an eye opener. $ 1500 HKD for two entrees and 4 drinks. The quality of the food and service did not even approach the cost. I’m willing to pay a premium for a great meal. This was not a great meal or experience. I do not recommend The Pawn.

Came here for the weekend brunch. Service was great, but the meal was highly disappointing. I guess since Tom Aikens’ name is on the menu, I had expected so much more.
We shared four appetizers all of which were below average, except for the avocado toast — which isn’t rocket science to compose. The ceviche was not marinated properly, The chicken salad was way over-​dressed. Lobster mac n cheese was dry and bland.
The main courses were all dismal. The steak dish had seriously hard Yorkshire pudding which was hard to cut into. The roasted potatoes on that dish were so overcooked the exterior had separated from the interior when you cut into it.
The English Breakfast had a piece of black pudding that was like a hockey puck, burnt to a crisp and crumbled when I tried to cut into it.
The roast chicken had rubbery skin and the presentation was appalling.
Hollandaise sauce on the salmon Benedict (called Eggs Royale here) had a strange dark yellow hue and had a glossy, shiny finish.
They offer a dessert buffet which is great if you have a sweet tooth. The best item on that dessert buffet was the treacle bar.
All in all, the only thing I loved about the restaurant was the location. Housed in an old pawn shop, the décor and atmosphere is awesome. The setting is comfortable with both inside and patio seating. Only wish the food was better.

The Pawn’s renovation must have cost a lot because the prices have inflated and the service is still mediocre. With the ship street options around the corner, we won’t even bother to come here anymore. I should have left when the bartender with the early 90s high school haircut rolled his eyes and judged me when I requested a double bourbon. Isn’t it your job to pour the drinks when I’m paying? Sorry if I’d rather have a nice stiff drink instead of one of your over priced cocktails. Sheesh.

It’s OK if you happen to be in Wanchai and you like to have a few drinks and hang out with some expats without having to go to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), and you don’t mind the high prices relative to the location.
It’s nice that it’s located in a preserved historical building. Other than that, there isn’t much to write home about. Place was cool with a distinct British flavor, but not particularly trendy or hip.
The servers were cool and friendly, but the service was mediocre and confusing at best.
Minutes after our drinks arrived, our server brought us another drink that we didn’t order, so we let her know. Within the next few minutes, several servers brought that drink to our table even after we repeatedly told them we didn’t order it. And you’ve probably guessed it – that drink appeared on our bill.
A few minutes later, they asked us to move to another table because the one that we’re seated at was reserved. Really? So why did you seat us there in the first place?
Meh…

I went there yesterday for an afternoon coffee. I found this place via a blog post on the best «wifi café“s of Hong Kong. Boy was I disappointed.
Firstly, the place was not hard to find. Only a few minutes away from the MTR subway, and right on the footstep of the tram line, The Pawn is a building that you wouldn’t really miss if you tried. It is an old historical building, as the name might suggest, it might have been a pen shop in the past. The façade is old, with Chinese features, you go up through an unmarked narrow staircase — very cool to begin with.
Upstairs, the restaurant has a modern yet cosy décor. I can’t really describe it for my lack of interior design vocab, but think of it as a loungy bar/​restaurant type with modern but tropical accents (geometric patterns, lime green and earthy hues). I was immediately impressed.
I was seated and ordered coffee, of which starts at HK$ 50. Expensive. But I thought, ok, if I can actually stay here a while and get some work done, then that’s fine. I proceeded to ask the waitress for the pword for wifi upon ordering. She told me the the password is very long, so she has to type it for me. That was basically code for giving me limited access to wifi no? Needless to say, I was disappointed to not get the chance to use my laptop. I mean, the place was empty, I could’ve just pulled out my laptop and asked for the password again… but to get stares and the attitude from the staff? I guess this wasn’t the place for what i wanted to do.
I’ve also noticed that, although less than 5% occupied, it WAS occupied only by expat tai tai’s at that time. Tai Tai’s for those who are not from HK, mean (google definition) «ladies who lunch.» In other words, a tai-​tai is a woman who is married to a wealthy man, loves to shop, and goes to spas.
So in other words, my experience there was tainted with snob appeal.
From my guess, this place probably attracts (wannabe) hipsters, snobby expats and the like. I probably won’t be going back despite the really nice décor/​atmosphere.

East meets West
This is an old pawn shop building. You enter the second floor through a narrow unmark staircase.
The balcony is open air. English is widely spoken here and the service is at par in the Central area. However, the drinks is just mediocre. Come here for the ambience.

Nice atmosphere, the service will let you WAAAIT and the food is awful and overpriced. Get used to second hand cigarette smoke while sitting there, waiting for slow service. They do have free wifi.

One of my favorite restaurants in HK! This British gastropub offers a tasty gourmet meal in a fancy retro setting but you pay $$$ for it. My British boss loved this place, and he used to take his team here whenever he can on our business trip. I love their braised ox cheek on mash and lemon trifle, sooooooo good!!!

Great place to have drinks with friends. Music not too loud. Great drinks. Great ambiance. I would definitely go back.

The Pawn is in a renovated pre-​war building that actually was Woo Cheong Pawn Shop. It has a very hip ambiance. Great craft cocktail drinks — definitely worth the visit. I had Jet lagged #2 — which was apropos after a transpacific flight. The noise level is pretty decent given it is a bar — was able to hold a conversation without having to yell.
Recommend for foodies, hipsters, etc…

The Pawn is actually, well, a pawn. I should add «was” — this is one of the very last buildings in Wanchai which still has the old colonnade style corridors underneath and it is on the register of listed buildings.
It opened up a few years ago and back then there was a huge hype about it– and indeed the hype was sort of justified. Being able to wine and dine in a location like this, with the promise of top notch British cuisine sounded too good to miss.
Unfortunately, I still haven’t been there for food.
I have gone, however, for drinks on several occasion and as soon as you enter the location you would be hit with a sense of history and appreciate how old buildings seem effortlessly classy. the décor inside is much like a pub (or gastropub these days) and I just found myself distracted from the conversation when I couldn’t help but just admire the location for what it is. there is seating on the balcony for those who could stand it and I presume it would be a brilliant place for brunch on weekends.
This place is not cheap– standard drinks will cost you around HKD100 and more but I would say that its probably worth it as much as you would pay entrance fees to a museum. At least you could drink here…

I am not sure why this place reminds me so much of the Heritage 1881. Maybe because they are both listed as local heritage conservation site and now we have actually enjoy our meal up there. Before I talk about the restaurant, a little bit on its history: pawn shops used to be so common in traditional history where people can offer their possessions in exchange of loans. Back then it was seen rather embarrassing to be seen in such places (implying financial difficulties possibly), so you will see a wooden screen, which is called Dong Zung, at the entrance and before the counter. This is to block the customers from being seen outside so that they can be safely concealed by the board.
Nowadays, that screen was fashioned in a rather contemporary ‘door’ and yet did not lose its aesthetic. This four-​storey building captures the essence of the old time Hong Kong. As for the food, there are really lots of choices (and very costly just to warn you first). Personally, I love the Mussels, clams and calamari as they are very fresh and nicely seasoned. For a seafood fanatic, that is just PERFECT for me. What I like to do there is to bring some friends along, enjoy a good old meal while looking at cars driving back and forth on the busy street of Wan Chai. Though it is rather pricey, I will see that one of THE experiences in Hong Kong. So make a reservation and come and see!

I’ve been to the Pawn a few times, but don’t expect a full review on the bar-​restaurant itself. It’s basically a great hang out for drinks with a cool terrace overlooking the tram rails. This is rather a review on the building architecture. You may have noticed the building distinctive features but haven’t been so curious as to look into its background? You’re in the right place. Keep reading.
The Pawn, as it is colloquially known, was initially partly occupied by a Chinese pawnshop called ‘Woo Cheong Pawn Shop’, dating from 1888 and classified as a tong lau. Tong laus are pre-​war Chinese style apartment buildings typically found in Hong Kong, Macau, South of China and Taiwan — the Blue House is also one of them (read review for more info). They would devote the lower ground for commercial purposes and the rest of the building for residential uses. Throughout history, the pawn has also been the site of various shops selling hats, shoes and birds. Even though it looks like a single block, it’s comprised by four different ones all sharing a common façade. It went through restoration, which gave it a more British looking appearance, although not everyone was happy with this makeover. A few years ago the building underwent yet another change — this time Stanley Wong was picked to design the interior of the Pawn, giving it an even greater British flavor and turning into one of the favorite bars in the Wan Chair district.
And just as a curiosity, the Woo Cheong Pawn Shop is still around; I haven’t been able to find out where they are operating nowadays but I’m still on the hunt, stay tuned!