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Shanghai Nightlife and Drinking Guide: Best Bars & Clubs
Posted on April 18th, 2010 15 comments
Being a busy commercial center during day time, Shanghai transforms into a sparkling seductress after dark. Welcome to Shanghai, Pearl of Orient and Paris of the East .
Shanghai has the reputation as the city that never sleeps, as mainland China’s nightlife capital, Shanghai transforms after dark into a sparkling seductress. This is a party town from way back. Yesterday’s opium joints and gambling dens are today’s private members clubs and Giorgio Armani’s. Shanghai has returned to its rightful place as one of the world’s great sin cities – and one gets the feeling that the party has only just begun. Barflies now have a choice of everything from glamorous Art Deco lounges to the seediest watering hole; live rock and jazz can be heard into the wee hours and the dance club scene now employs DJs , foreign and local, to keeping the younger set raving. Welcome to Shanghai by night.
- The Bund, the old financial district that lines the Huangpu river’s west bank, is home to some of the city’s best bars, restaurants and views
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The Bund and the beautiful
After a half-century of neglect, Shanghai’s iconic Bund waterfront is being dug up and transformed into a luxurious after hours destination. Shanghai nightlife mavens can trawl posh restaurants, cocktail lounges, jazz clubs, boutique hotels, day spas and the fashion flagships dotted between old banking headquarters along the main stretch of Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, as well as in the atmospheric backstreets. More dilapidated heritage gems are set to be gussied up by top global brands in the years to come. The thoroughfare itself is undergoing renovation for the 2010 World Expo that will see traffic diverted underground and new landscaping along the famed riverbank.
- The pink-tinged Glamour Bar has a sophisticated 1930s vibe and excellent straight-up martinis.
It’s a far cry from a decade ago when restaurateur Michelle Garnaut opened Shanghai’s first independent international restaurant in the old Nissin Shipping Building on the waterfront. Back then, the Bund was a long shot – but M on the Bund proved to be a very popular pioneer. This eminently stylish institution is still one of the Bund’s best, serving contemporary European fare such as its signature slow-baked, salt-encased leg of lamb, accompanied by an excellent seasonal wine list. Downstairs, the pink-tinged Glamour Bar has a sophisticated 1930s vibe and excellent straight-up martinis. It also plays host to a diverse collection of artists, panel discussions, musical recitals and an annual writers’ festival (tel: [86-21] 6350-9988, 7/F, 20 Guangdong Lu).
- The most amenable of the big three Bund bars, New Heights offers the best views of the River and Pudong Skyline.
Five years after M, Three on the Bund opened right across the alley (tel: 6323-3355, www.threeonthebund.com, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu). The Michael Graves-designed beauty is home to some of the city’s top tables, an Armani flagship boutique and the first Evian spa outside France. This building is where the local cognoscenti start or, perhaps end, their Shanghai nightlife carouse, casually tousled yet immaculately chic. On the top floor, New Heights (tel: 6321-0909) serves Western food with a nod to Southeast Asia. It’s the most casual and affordable option and boasts the best view in the house from the wraparound terrace.
On the fourth floor, Jean Georges (tel: 6321-7733) is the three-star Michelin chef’s only signature restaurant outside New York. Inspired by old Shanghai grandeur, the moody lounge is filled with pony-hair club chairs and eel-skin benches leading through to a luxurious burnished copper and cobalt blue dining room. If you’re not dining on an expense account, try the Nougatine experience nightly from 6-11pm. Seated at white-clothed tables in the more relaxed bar area, you can sample a selection of JG favourites starting at just Rmb58. We recommend the black truffle and fontina pizza. This is Shanghai dining at its best.
The Gothic castle at 6 Bund (6 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu) is also home to several upscale restaurants and a couple of fun lounges. Our pick is Japanese Sun with Aqua on the second floor (tel: 6339-2779), which is remarkably good value for the Bund. Its adjoining Aquarium Bar has a cool underwater vibe, curtained beds – and sharks. The bijou Dolce & Gabbana Martini Bar (tel: 6323-2277) between the men’s and women’s D&G boutiques on the ground floor is a fashionable spot for a restorative espresso or ‘tini between shopping.
Bund 18 (tel: 6323-7066, www.bund18.com, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu), in the powder-grey neoclassical former Macquarie Bank Tower, features Hong Kong chef To Chi Hoi’s trendy Cantonese cuisine at Tai Wan Lou (tel: 6339-1188) on the fifth floor.One floor up, Mr and Mrs Bund (tel: 6323-9898) is a show-stopping Shanghai restaurant. Taking a break from the molecular cuisine that made his name at Shangri-La’s Jade on 36, French chefs Paul Pairet returns to his roots offering modern French bistro fare – some rustic, some glammed-up – with over 200 dishes meant for sharing. It is open for dinner nightly and continues as a supperclub until 4am five nights a week. Be sure to book a window seat and save room for the excellent desserts.
- For Shanghai insiders, Party Headquarters these days is Bar Rouge on the waterfront Bund
Bund 18’s top-floor Bar Rouge (tel: 6339-1199) is party – and promiscuity – central. Designed by Imaad Rahmouni, a protege of Starck, the bar features 33 hand-blown Venetian chandeliers, Sino sirens splashed across the walls and a scenic terrace. Between show-off bottle juggling and setting fire to the bar, the bartenders may deign to make you one of their signature ginger melon martinis. Downstairs, Lounge 18 (tel: 6323-8399) attracts a similar crowd.
- You might be used to pool sharks, but are you ready to party next to the real thing at M1NT Club?
M1NT Club’s venues in Hong Kong, Cannes and Shanghai are owned by shareholding members and come with an exclusive members-only door policy. The macho Shanghai club sprawls across a 2,000sqm, 24th-floor penthouse, offering 360-degree views from behind the Bund. It also features a 17-metre shark tank, raunchy pop art murals and shareholders-only hot tubs on the rooftop terrace. A good concierge should be able to get you in. (tel: 6391-3191, 24/F, 318 Fuzhou Lu) an
LAN Club (tel: 6323-8029, 102 Guangdong Lu), which occupies an entire four-storey neoclassical mansion near the Westin hotel, is another highly ambitious mega-venue offering Chinese, French and seafood restaurants, multiple lounges and a small nightclub. Down the road, at the glorious intersection of Fuzhou and Jiangxi Lu, Hamilton House (tel: 6321-0586, 137 Fuzhou Lu) is a trendy French brasserie and cocktail lounge in a soaring 1934 Art Deco mansion. Their marmalade-laced Breakfast Martini is a good choice – at any time of the day.
- The brainchild of New York nightlife entrepreneur, Norman Gosney and his dancer wife, Amelia Kallman, the classy but quaint Gosney and Kallman’s Chinatown lounge adds live burlesque shows to Shanghai’s nightlife repertoire.
Just past the Bund, in the historic Hongkou district formerly home to the Japanese concession and Jewish Ghetto, Gosney & Kallman’s Chinatown (tel: 6258-2078, 471 Zhapu Lu) brilliantly references Shanghai’s 1930s “Sin City” days. The burlesque club transforms a heritage Shinto shrine with theatre boxes, hard-hitting cocktails and high-kicking show girls. Open Wednesdays to Saturdays, it’s a bit off the beaten track but there is no cover charge and shows feature New York crooner Frank Brae, Shanghai acrobats and a six-strong chorus line. Good fun.
- A drink at the the highest bar in the world with jaw-dropping views – 100 Century Avenue, Shanghai World Financial Centre, Pudong
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Highs and lows in Pudong
Pudong has perked up considerably and some of the Shanghai nightlife throb has moved here. It is steadily becoming a viable option for a good night out. Park Hyatt’s 100 Century Avenue (tel: 6888-1234, 91-93F, Shanghai World Financial Centre, 100 Century Ave, Pudong) is the highest restaurant and bar on the planet, stretching from the 91st to 93rd floors of the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre. Despite its high profile, it’s not the least bit highfaluting. Filling the 91st floor is a very cool and convivial tavern with Western, Chinese and Japanese show kitchens and a 750-label cellar. The à la carte menu here allows you to mix-and-match different cuisines, and highlights top quality produce including seven types of US oysters, Australian Wagyu beef and fresh fish from Tokyo’s Tsujiki Market. The 92nd floor hosts a jazz bar and quieter Oriental lounge with a small dance floor and ballroom dancing four nights a week, while the uppermost level is a private dining space for 100 people adorned in mod-Nordic style and lorded over by mischievous ceramic mooseheads.
In the basement of the Shanghai World Financial Centre (2/B, 100 Century Ave, Pudong), celebrity chef Salvatore Cuomo’s 3,000sqm upmarket food hall incorporates eight different restaurants including an Italian Restaurant and Grill, Japanese Yakiniku, Crystal Jade dim sum counter and a relaxing lounge bar. Gourmet European grocer Bottega is a great place to pick up picnic supplies.
Perched on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, Cloud 9, the Grand Hyatt’s hotel bar, offers one of the best views in Asia. Make sure you get a table facing west for views of the Bund, Pearl Tower, and the lights of Puxi; windowscapes of its new, taller neighbor, the Shanghai World Financial Center, are to the southeast. Drinks at Cloud 9 aren’t as expensive as you might think, with prices starting at around ¥75 for a small draught Tiger, while cocktails start at about ¥90. There’s a two drink minimum after 8pm and a 15% service charge.
- Prepare to be wowed by the Shanghri-La’s stunning and sexy bar – Jade on 36
Tucked away by the riverside behind the Oriental Pearl Tower is Salvatore Cuomo’s original Pudong location, The Kitchen (tel: 5054-1265, Unit D, 2967 Lujiazui Xi Lu), another Shanghai dining favorite. The airy Italian is a great place for sundowner drinks looking across the water to Puxi, and its woodfired oven turns out arguably the city’s best pizza.
Jade on 36 is a restaurant that must be experienced to be believed. Perched on the 36th floor of the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel tower, the Jade lounge/restaurant is simply beautiful. Drinks don’t come cheap but neither does real glamour.. Downstairs, the Japanese institution Nadaman serves teppanyaki and yakitori in a Zen-like setting with sleek granite surfaces and big paper lanterns. Yi Café is buffet brilliance, with 10 show kitchens presenting cuisines from China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. (tel: 6882-8888, Pudong Shangri-La, 33 Fucheng Lu, Pudong).
For laid-back happy hour drinks, head to Blue Frog alongside the enormous Super Brand Mall. This popular Shanghai chain offers 2-for-1 house pours daily from 4-8pm, good burgers, free Wi-Fi and a pleasant terrace surrounded by skyscrapers.
Located within People's Park, Barbarossa is a chic bar & restaurant with a Moroccan theme.
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Playtime in People’s Park
Constructing an Arabian palace on historic green space in the heart of the city was a questionable move by Shanghai’s town planners – but the party people aren’t complaining. Deep in People’s Park, on the edge of a still lake, candlelit Barbarossa (tel: 6318-0220, 231 Nanjing Lu) glimmers like a mirage. Step inside to find three storeys of maharajah chic filled with North African antiques and the European trip-hop beats. Food and service can be lacklustre but you won’t much care after a cappuccino-flavoured sheesha pipe on the terracotta rooftop.
The same group has also opened a sprawling club next door to the Four Seasons. Sin (tel: 6267 7779, 23/F, 211 Shimen Yi Lu) lives up to its name with a suitably decadent design incorporating a dance floor, hot pink cushiony nooks and city views from the 23rd floor.
On the rooftop of the old British Racing Club, now the Shanghai Art Museum, Kathleen’s 5 (tel: 6327-2221, 5/F, Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Xi Lu) is an elegant restaurant in a glassed-encased terrace beneath the original clock tower. The food plays second fiddle to the ambience. The Backroom Bar is a charming place for cocktails and the occasional tango milonga.
Also on People’s Square, JW Marriott’s 40th-floor Champagne Bar (tel: 5359-4969, 399 Nanjing Xi Lu) is a top spot to kick back in style and drink in the vertiginous views of the Square (which is actually round) and the city radiating beyond. It’s a good spot to contemplate your Shanghai nightlife options.
Great drinks, design, décor and dining - T8 in the ultra-hip shopping and dining district of Xintiandi is a don't miss.
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Shikumen chic – Xintiandi bars and clubs
Site of the Communist Party’s first clandestine meeting in 1921, the 19th century shikumen neighbourhood of Xintiandi (Lane 181, Taicang Lu) is now a hub for all manner of glamorous delights. If you have the cash, you can’t really go wrong with the venues here – there are more Shanghai dining options here than you can shake a stick at – but some are more memorable than others.
T8 Restaurant & Bar (tel: 6355-8999, No 8, North Block Xintiandi, www.t8shanghai.com) serves global cuisine in a lacquered Zen setting, with an impressive list of boutique wines. If you’re craving Chinese, Xintiandi has two worth trying: Crystal Jade (tel: 6385-8752) and Din Tai Fung (tel: 6385-8378). Casual American bistro KABB has a faithful following and great hangover brunches on weekends.
Fans of Liuligongfang will love Taiwanese owner Yang Hui Shan’s showcase restaurant TMSK (tel: 6326-2227, www.tmsk.com, Unit 2, House 11, North Block).
Perch on a crystal stool at the bar or head up the carved staircase to a sumptuous dining room complete with musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments on a small stage.
The dark, sultry DR Bar (tel: 6326 8008, House 15, North Block) next door is owned by the architects of the Xintiandi development, Ben Wood and Carlos Zapata.
Their minimalist venue showcases design materials sourced in China, from the ink stone slabs to the trio of vodka shooters served in a Chinese “cricket jar”.
Cotton's is popular with many expats for its friendly vibe and quintessential Shanghai setting in a romantic French Concession mansion.
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To the manor born in the former French Concession
Shanghai bars and restaurants have made full use of the city’s rich architectural heritage and many of the city’s finest old villas are now atmospheric tippling grounds.
Private members club KEE Shanghai (tel: 3395-0888, 3/F, 796 Huaihai Lu) occupies the upper floors of twin 1920s French Concession villas just off Huaihai Lu. The club is part of Richemont Group’s luxury headquarters, and sits above flagship ‘homes’ of Alfred Dunhill and Vacheron Constantin. Its classic European restaurant and luxe scarlet lounge adorned with art and antiques, lead out to a colonnaded balcony overlooking a quiet garden. A good concierge should be able to get you in to this posh Shanghai dining venue.
Sasha’s (tel: 6474-66289, Dongping Lu) has been the long-time resident of a big red villa formerly home to the infamous Soong family. The bar offers a relaxed, colonial vibe, pool table, reasonable happy hours and an expansive courtyard with comfy wicker chairs. Steakhouse, Prime, sits on the second floor. Sharing the garden, Mexican cantina Zapata’s (tel: 6474-6166, 5 Hengshan Lu) is still the place to be on Wednesdays – free margaritas for the girls, ’80s house music and dancing on the bartop assured.
Cocktail gem Constellation II (tel: 5465 5993, 1-2/F, 33 Yongjia Lu) is a more refined affair. Taking its interior cues from the roaring 1930s its two floors joined by a spiral staircase are filled with quiet nooks and leather armchairs bathed in the glow of antique lampshades. Immaculate cocktails are shaken by Japanese-trained barman/owner, Kin. Down the road in a two-storey heritage villa on quiet Anting Lu, Cotton’s exudes warmth, with four open fireplaces, a large garden terrace and genuinely friendly vibe (tel: 6433-7995, 132 Anting Lu).
A Future Perfect has the style and ambience, and most importantly, good food.
Another alfresco Shanghai dining option is A Future Perfect in the popular B&B, Old House (tel: 6248-8020, No 16, Lane 351 Huashan Lu). A wholesome, organic approach is evident in the recycled decor and a healthy menu of steaks, salads and smoothies. Best of all is the spacious walled garden under a leafy canopy where Panton-inspired cantilevered chairs and a futuristic outdoor bar are strikingly juxtaposed against the original 1930s facade.
South Beauty 881 (tel: 6247-6682; 881 Yan’an Zhong Lu) combines artfully presented Sichuan and Cantonese dishes and cutting-edge designs by Japanese architects SuperPotato. But the real gem is the property’s original 1930s mansion, home to 19 dramatically decorated private dining rooms around a lipstick-red bar. Rooms seat from two to fifty people and there’s a lovely rooftop terrace.
Another excellent option with an Asean kick is Lost Heaven (tel: 6433-5126, 38 Gaoyou Lu). Tracing the folk cuisines of the Dai, Bai and Miao ethnic hill tribes through China’s Yunnan province and into Burma and Laos, the richly spiced curries are served in a suitably exotic villa setting.
Casa 13 (tel: 5238-2782, Rm 13, 1100 Huashan Lu) is a dash of Mediterranean in the courtyard of a heritage Spanish villa. This warm, romantic venue with chandeliers strung from high ceilings serves hearty seafood, roasted meats, risottos and pasta, accompanied by an impressive wine list. The Casa’s owner Eduardo Vargas, is a Shanghai dining powerhouse – among his other popular Shanghai restaurants are Vargas Grill (tel: 6437-0136, 3/F, 18 Dongping Lu), Bistro Burger (tel: 6170-1315, 1/F, Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu) and Osteria (tel: 6256-8998, 226 Jinxian Lu), where the excellent Rmb198 Italian prix fixe menu is complemented by a well-priced wine list.
Catalan chef Willy Trullàs Moreno helms delightful villa restaurant, El Willy (tel: 5404-5757, 1/F, Diage, 20 Donghu Lu). Innovative dishes on the menu here include scallop with ceviche, avocado and crispy shallots, and chocolate coulant with green tea ice cream and tomato cardamom jam. A tucked-away garden hosts alfresco seating and occasional organic farmers markets.
Designer Wang Xingzheng has a passion for Chinese culture and his three bars should not be missed. Yongfoo Elite (tel: 5466-2727, www.yongfooelite.com, 200 Yongfu Lu) is a rarefied members club in the old British consulate evoking the Shanghai of popular imagination rendered in mahogany, old leather, crystal chandeliers and Chinese lanterns. The Shanghainese cuisine is nothing to write home about, but an evening spent draped across a canopy bed in the garden sipping gin-and-tonic and listening to Beijing opera in the background certainly is. The Door, way out in Hongqiao (tel: 6295-3737, 4/F, 1468 Hongqiao Lu), and Xian Qiang Fang (tel: 6351-5757, 5/F, 600 Jiujiang Lu), located in an old theatre near People’s Square, are similarly decadent.
Big Bamboo is Shanghai's best sports bar. Malone's, which attracts a similar if slightly older clientele, is just around the corner.
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A walk on the wild side – Julu Lu and Tongren Lu
Time to dive into the seed or, at any rate, skirt past it. That’s right. The cheap lipstick heart of Shanghai nightlife, Julu Lu caters to all tastes. Near the junction of Changshu Lu is a row of down-at-heel girlie bars with names like Goodfellas and Badlands and propositions by the yard. However, the Fumin Lu end is infinitely classier. For its jaw-dropping industrial-chic interior and nouvelle Japanese cuisine, book one of the mezzanine tables at Shintori Null II (tel: 5404 5252, 803 Julu Lu). The same group also owns bar/restaurant People 7 (tel: 5404-0707) next door, known for its fun password-protected entrance and trick toilets.
Nearby, an old electronics factory retains its buzz as the well-heeled watering hole Manifesto (tel: 6289-9108, 748 Julu Lu). Be sure to try one of their creative cocktails like the Belgian white chocolate martini. The downstairs restaurant, Mesa, has a good modern Australian menu and fabulous weekend brunches.
For booze, babes and beats, the seedy masses head to Tongren Lu bar street. The most sophisticated of the bunch, Blue Frog (tel: 6247-0320, 86 Tongren Lu) wins points for its slick but super-casual ambience, daily happy hours (4-8pm) and famous 100 shooters. Within stumbling distance, Malone’s (tel: 6247-2400, 255 Tongren Lu) is a beefy American bar popular with the beer-swilling masses for its super burgers, sports and Filipino house band. The top floor of this massive bar has been refitted as a slightly more sophisticated chill-out zone, complete with a country-western crooner. Big Bamboo (tel: 6256-2265, 132 Nanyang Lu) and The Spot (tel: 6247-3579, 331 Tongren Lu) kick on until late with a variety of sports on big screens, bar sports and beer swilling.
Also on Tongren Lu, City Diner (6289-3699, 2/F, 146 Tongren Lu) is open 24 hours. Their hearty portions of all-American comfort food go down a treat after a long night of drinking.
Babyface: Probably the best nightspot to hit up for some Chinese-style clubbing complete with loud thumping music and patrons playing table-side dice games.
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Shanghai clubbing – dance until dawn
Packed to the gills and reeking of parfum and pretension, the enormously popular Baby Face (tel: 6375-6667, Unit 101, 138 Huaihai Zhong Lu) consists of two separate dance areas, a central bar that you’ll be lucky to get to and exclusive mezzanine lounges requiring a Rmb2,500-Rmb3,500 minimum order. There’s a cover charge on weekends, brutish bouncers manning the door and floor, and a largely local crowd.
In Fuxing Park (2 Gaolan Lu), Muse at Park 97 (tel: 5383-2328) and club Guandii (tel: 3308-0725) attract a glittery Chinese crowd – don’t forget your dice and aviator specs. Velvet Lounge (tel: 5403-2976, Bldg 3-4, 913 Julu Lu) is a favourite late-night lounge for expats and locals alike with curtained enclaves, a DJ, dance floor and great thin-crust gourmet pizzas.
MAO Livehouse Shanghai (tel: 138160-95660, 46 Yueyang Lu, www.maoshanghai.com) stands for Music Art Oasis, and features a recycled chrome and concrete interior, all-natural cocktails and a grassy backyard chill-out zone. At the end of the night head to the tiny Dragon Club (tel: 5404-4592, 156 Fengyang Lu), which kicks on until 7am at weekends.
When it's all about the jazz, man, the gimmick-free sublte charms of JZ club can't be beaten.
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Mellow mood – all that jazz
Shanghai and jazz are synonymous and two of the city’s best-loved live jazz clubs are within a stone’s throw of each other on Fuxing Lu. The plush JZ Club (tel: 6431-0269, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu) hosts a varied weekly line-up of vocal jazz, Big Band, Latin and Shanghai jazz, headlined by popular Shanghai-based musicians, such as flamboyant Chinese vocalist Coco Zhao and guitarist Lawrence Ku, while the long-running Cotton Club (tel: 6437-71108, Fuxing Xi Lu) is a much rawer venue with a dark, smoky interior and righteous blues.
In a heritage villa behind the Bund, House of Blues & Jazz (tel: 6323-2779, 60 Fuzhou Lu) revives the golden Shanghai Jazz Age, complete with wood-panelled walls, art deco furnishings, fat cigars and stiff G&Ts. The musical roster brings top jazz and blues bands from the international circuit for three-month stints, along with ‘mellow Monday’ gigs by local performers, and jam sessions on Sundays.
Shanghai nightlife waits for nobody, so strap on your beer goggles and enjoy the ride.
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What to See & Do in Shanghai
Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions
Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark
Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai
Exploring the Water Villages – Excursions from Shanghai
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Where to Dine in Shanghai
Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food
- Where to Shop in Shanghai
Shop till you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide
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Where to Stay in Shanghai
Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai
Arts and Entertainment 娱乐, Feature, Food and Drink 美食与美酒, Guide 指南, Nightlife 夜生活 100 Century Avenue, Bar Rouge, bars, Glamour Bar, Jade on 36, Jean Georges, Jin Mao Tower, M on the Bund, Nightlife, Shanghai, Shanghai World Financial Centre, The Bund15 responses to “Shanghai Nightlife and Drinking Guide: Best Bars & Clubs”
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Been a few times to M1NT (318 Fuzhou Road, The Bund). Twice for dinner and drinks. Once just for drinks in the lounge.
PROS: Views are top-notch, no matter where you are in the place. Food is unique Asian/Fusion combination of flavors, result is mouth-watering, excitement to try each new dish as it arrives. Crispy squid and the steak worth going back for again and again. Martinis mixed to perfection, strong. Ask for Chinese bartender Cross – he won some awards. Service good, friendly, no problem in English or Chinese. Decor cool and sleek.
CONS: Toilets are dark. Some don’t care for the hedonistic larger than life painting in part of the lounge. Not a lot of beer options. -
Madlyn Mastel April 24th, 2010 at 00:14
The most civilized bar in Shanghai, largely thanks to the venue, Face bar is located inside an elegant 1939 colonial mansion on the ground floor of the Ruijin Hotel in the old French Concession. It’s quiet, the lighting is low, the decor is opium den chic against persimmon-colored walls and the crowd is smart, casual and loaded. Cocktails RMB65, happy hour (half-price drinks) 5-8pm. Outside is a glorious manicured lawn hedged in on all sides by skyscrapers, A great place to take a date on a summer evening.
Bldg 4, 118 Fuijin Er Lu, 021/6466-4328
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Philippe S. April 25th, 2010 at 02:17
T8 Restaurant And Bar: Open Kitchen, Great Ambiance, Excellent Food.
Original but expensive fusion experience in a trendy setting. An oasis in the middle of bustling Xintiandi. A safe option for first timers in Shanghai.
Sit by the open kitchen and watch the masters prepare dazzling dishes or grab a table upstairs in the old school shikumen (stone gate) house to feel as though you’re in a movie.
Best buy is the set menu and include the accompanying wines. Great combos with lots of imagination – always a delight. Service trying to be pretentious – but they don’t even know how to spell it. Just ignore them and enjoy the food! Worth the prices and the wait.
The main bar is really a lounge, upstairs from T8 restaurant. There is a small “waiting” bar at the back of the restaurant; the atmosphere upstairs in the T8 Club Lounge is quite different: tranquil, comfortable and beautiful. The lounge serves a great selection of unique drinks, using top-shelf brands. If you have the money to spend, T8 should be on your short list.
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TJBotta May 16th, 2010 at 16:57
The Shanghai nightlife scene has a new addition, the “Obama Club” (2088 Yan’an Xi Lu, at the Garden Plaza, 6082 5511). It opened last month. The owners say they named the club after the American president because they admire his message of “change.”
Designed by Las Vegas-based club and resort designers Cagley and Tanner, who are behind the Bellagio’s Salon Prive, the club is somewhere in between an ultra-expensive KTV upstairs and a medium sized club downstairs. The music is extremely, extremely loud (much louder than the old M2) and generally uninteresting. Drinks were slow. An 88 RMB piña colada was just okay. Beers are 48 RMB. The place is full of oversized mirrors (plenty of opportunities to admire oneself) . If you were drunk enough, oversized chandeliers and potted fronds might pass for executive flare.
If you like clubs, Obama Club is likable. The great uniter of Shanghai nightlife? Hope, change, that whole rigmarole? Nah.
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SoccerGuru June 13th, 2010 at 12:28
Where to watch World Cup 2010 in Shanghai
Pretty much every bar has a special going on, you can even catch a match at the South Africa and Brazil Pavilions at the Expo, but a special few deserve recognition for going above and beyond the call of World Cup duty.
Watch at the Shanghai Expo: Both the South Africa and Brazil Pavilions are planning on showing World Cup games. Rumor has it South Africa will show it in 3D. Catch is you’ll have to fight your way into the Expo grounds with the rest of the crowds, and more importantly, the Expo will still only be open to midnight with the last admissions at 9pm.
Windows Scoreboard
The newly reopened sports bar cuts the grime of other branches, with a massive bar area, nine televisions (expect more soon), and a pretty view of Fuxing Park. Anticipating crowds to fill the restaurant, Scoreboard is sectioning off a VIP area with free-flow drinks. Prices aren’t set yet, but expect something around RMB 250-300.
11/F, 527 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Chengdu Lu 淮海中路527号11楼. 近成都路, +86 21 5382 7757
The Camel
For selected matches they’ll have an entry fee of RMB 100, but that comes with three drinks. There are also deals on buckets of beer. With 16 televisions and two large-screen projectors, there is no way you can’t see every play of your favorite World Cup match. There is even one in the toilet. Anticipating huge crowds, the Camel has added two extra bars — giving you a total of four places to get a drink.
1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu 岳阳路1号, 近东平路, +86 21 6437 9446
Zapata’s and Sasha’s
Zapata’s and Sasha’s are teaming up to bring a refreshing, outdoor barbecue experience to Shanghai World Cup crowds. In the legendary garden, there will be two big screens broadcasting the match. RMB 120 gets you two drinks (Carlsberg draft or wine) and a chance to wine a trip to Sanya. RMB 150 for an all-you-can-eat barbecue. Get the combo deal for RMB 250. Also, there’s talk of giving away a plane ticket to Frankfurt, courtesy of Lufthansa.
5 Hengshan Lu, near Dongping Lu 衡山路5号, 近东平路, +86 21 6474 6628
O’Malley’s （欧玛莉餐厅)
Although O’Malley’s a pretty much a given viewing spot for any major sports tournament, we’d be remiss if we kicked it from our list simply for that reason. The World Cup setup is huge here, the Mecca of Irish Pubs. We’re talking stadium seating huge. O’Malley’s has a capacity of 1,700-2,000, and they expect to use it. Amazingly, it’s arranged so as not to be overwhelming. There is a 150-seat stadium (tickets are RMB 200 and includes two liters of Carlsberg), a garden with a 5.5 meter screen, and the bar. Not to mention a VIP terrace where RMB 350 gets you three hours of free-flow beer wine, and house pours. Sounds good?
42 Taojiang Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu 桃江路42号, 近乌鲁木齐路, +86 21 6474 4533
British Bulldog (英国斗牛犬俱乐部)
With its Filipina barmaids and by-the-book English pub styling, this place is not so much British as firmly located in expat land. Nevertheless, it pulls in sports fans when there’s a big game on, thanks to the big screen, while the upstairs pool table has a loyal following. The pub food is so-so, but there’s McEwan’s Ale, Kilkenny and cider on tap. Happy hour is 11:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday and 18:00 to 19:00 on the weekend. 1 South Wulumuqi Rd, French Concession, Xuhui, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区乌鲁木齐南路甲1号, + 86 21 6466 7878
Big Bamboo: Multiple locations make this chain of sports bars an easy go-to for any sports, and the World Cup is no exception. You’ll find more Americans here them most Shanghai World Cup viewing locales, and good food and drink specials to boot.
Blue Frog: Break out of the bar concept all together with the Blue Frog locations, all of which will be showing the games. The Blue Frog in Super Brand Mall is also kicking things up a notch with a beer garden as well. Food and drink specials in all locations, and you get a free Tiger if you wear your team colors on game day (with another purchase). Multiple locations, Blue Frog at the Super Brand Mall, 1/F, Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu, near Lujiazui Huan Lu 陆家嘴西路168号, 正大广场1楼, 近陆家嘴环路, + 86 21 5047 3488
Watch the World Cup online: Tudou (土豆网), one of China’s largest online video platforms, has cut a deal with CCTV to stream the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Tudou will be able to stream all World Cup games, opening and closing ceremonies, as well as all official programming around FIFA produced by CCTV. If you don’t want to leave home to watch the World Cup and don’t have satellite TV, this is your best solution. -
上海夜店完全手册
兰桂坊Park 97 (California Club)
在欧式电音里摩拳擦掌
PARK97是复兴公园时尚腹地的重要组成部分(另外一家就是官邸)它的空间不大，可是奔放的风格非常的欧化，音乐也是一样，经常会有欧洲的闻名DJ来这里作现场 表演。Park97的拥挤也是声名在外，一楼的舞池，到了晚上的高锋时段甚至要关门控制人数，因为里面已经挤到只能人挨人的站着，想伸展一下身姿扭动起 来，那么就是人撞人了。也许正是这份摩拳擦掌的热情让夜色中的红男绿女趋之若骛吧。
地址：卢湾区皋兰路2号甲复兴公园内BABYFACE
BABYFACE不算是一个海派的夜店，在中国的很多一线城市都能看到他熟悉的红蓝对开的LOGO，而在上海，这个名字也足够招摇，不仅因为他夜夜都 是人满为患，如果说ARK是一部地下电影，ROJAM是一曲青春MTV，那么BABYFACE绝对是一部老少咸宜的电视剧，因为他够商业。无论从内装上， 音乐曲风上，各种各样耐人寻味的小机关上，既有一点高于生活的情趣又恰当好处的激发隐藏于夜色背后的情绪，这里当之无愧是夜生活入门的最佳场所。
上海市卢湾区淮海中路138号上海广场101室
上海市卢湾区雁荡路109号复兴公园内
上海市长宁区长宁路449号钱柜 Party World
作为一家KTV，钱柜可是当仁不让。不仅因为他的昂贵，他的资深，还因为在上海的夜色中，他的霓红闪耀酷似一座灯塔。为那些不 喜欢在CLUB里的热舞派对上乱蹦乱跳的年轻人，找到一种相对斯文的方式，用声音而并非肢体去发泄多余的激情。当然，在钱柜的自助餐也是一大特色，有的 吃，有的玩，这个夜晚还有哪个地方比这里更像天堂？
上海静安店：乌鲁木齐北路459号（临上海宾馆） TEL 6248-6888
上海黄浦店：浙江南路68号（宁海东路/浙江南路） TEL 6374-9909
上海卢湾店：雁荡路109号（复兴公园内） TEL 5306-3888
上海普陀店：新会路139号（临玉佛寺) TEL 5172－1888
上海虹口店：虹口区四川北路1661号 TEL 5128-8300
上海徐汇店：天钥桥路580号(近零陵路) TEL 6161-9888官邸
最吸引明星的夜店
官邸是一家私密式酒廊俱乐部，独门独院,对着喷水池,依着公园内的游廊, 低矮的白色院墙, 低矮的屋顶, 一排排很低的玻璃窗,深褐色的百叶帘,体现了一种开放式俱乐部与私人隐密式VIP包厢完美结合。官邸应该是明星们最爱光顾的地方了，它也一直都是时尚圈的 宠儿，总能最快最多地引来时尚聚光灯和标榜时尚的人们。
地址：皋兰路2号甲（复兴公园内）JZ Club
这里有最正宗的爵士
上海最具影响力的爵士酒吧。掩映在梧桐树阴里的这幢透着酒红色灯光的小楼，是爵士乐迷们来上海必到的膜拜之地。周末的大乐队仿佛是放在家里的点 唱机，平日不定期的小乐队则带着听众进行世界爵士巡回之旅。舞台总是小得装不下乐队，布鲁斯的节奏都要在房梁上绕行；然而它又似乎很大，总能容纳几个 high得跃上舞台的听众，与乐手一起激情互动。
地址：复兴西路46号亚科音乐餐厅酒吧. ARK Live House
石库门里的地下音乐
被誉为上海地下乐队演出最好场所的ARK酒吧，藏在新天地石库门的陈砖旧瓦里，与老上海的温馨不同，夜晚的ARK显现出几分叛逆。说这里是藏龙卧虎之 地，一点不为过，一批又一批新生代的原创歌手在此露面，还引来了一大批唱片公司的星探，不时在现场挖掘着最动人的音乐元素。当然，你也可以身临其境尝试最 新鲜的的音乐。怎么样，如此一个介于小资与小众之间的ARK酒吧可是让时尚人士不容错过哦。
地址：太仓路1181弄新天地广场北里15号Dkd
这里有最好的电音
DKD算得上是上海比较早的真正意义上的CLUB，昏暗闪烁的灯光，舞动摇摆的人群，劲爆激烈的音乐声，一切都显得很神秘。DKD是上海捍卫电音的重 要阵地。传说中这里有上海最好的跳舞音乐——高科技电子舞曲。通过电脑合成器，制造出大量带有迷幻风格的音效。很cool的DJ在忘情的演绎。并不算太大 的舞池里总会聚集着各种不同肤色的男 男女女，尽情摇摆，全然无视周遭的一切。
地址：上海市卢湾区茂名南路172号,瑞金宾馆ROJAM
日系电音，青春无敌
用四个字来形容在香港广场上的著名的ROJAM，那就是“不如跳舞”。ROJAM无论是从格局的设计还是音乐的选择，宗旨只有一个那就是跳舞。时尚人 士把这里当作一个纯粹蹦的的地方，一点也不为过。身处火暴的动感地带你想不动，还真的是满困难的。除了巨大的舞池，ROJAM的另一个引以为豪的地方就 是，ROJAM Disco是由日本著名音乐教父小室哲哉亲自策划，冷色调的舞池，日系的电音，这一切似乎都论证了一句：年轻无敌。
地址：淮海路香港广场4楼新旺茶餐厅长乐店
不是夜店，胜似夜店
借问午夜消遣去出，除了PUB，CLUB之外的第三个选择就是新旺长乐店。午夜2点种走进这家澳门茶餐厅，喧闹热烈的场面会让你怀疑自己的表是否显示正 确。凌晨2点的新旺其热闹程度达到了一天中的鼎盛状态。可能因为地处夜店地图的中心，长乐路新旺便成了夜游神热舞得饥肠辘辘之后奔赴的灯塔。定义新旺为夜 店既贴切又不正确，不过随便就能瞥见的帅哥美女，使得它更适合“型人食堂”这个名字，实在是非常另类的夜店。
地址：上海卢湾区长乐路175号(茂名南路瑞金一路间)Muse
刘嘉玲的MUSE酒吧尽人皆知，就坐落于上海的时尚宝地同乐坊，这里是城中所有资深夜行动物的交汇点：黑红两色装修、阶梯 舞池、十点钟的Lady GaGa和两点钟的“我爱台北”大合唱，甚至女洗手间的鸟笼，一举网罗上海夜场众生品位。而底层迪厅、二层band的设置则古今中外、男女老少通吃。一到 周末，VIP包厢里的明星热度剧升。
地址：余姚路68号Music Room
上海柏悦酒店92楼的Music Room绝不是一般的夜店。冲着“世界上最高的酒吧”这一响当当的名号就值得一去。在云雾缭绕的400多米高空俯瞰上海，这种人在峰巅的感觉，告诉你这儿 绝不是一般的摩天大楼。之后，你可以在“不端着”的环境里热舞整夜。不过，千万别随便喝高了，因为你有太多机会砸坏这里到处放着的艺术品。
地址：世纪大道100号上海柏悦酒店Bar Rouge
Bar Rouge是外滩夜店群的首席代表。位于外滩18号8楼的一个上海最 佳景观的酒吧。坐在酒吧内可以俯瞰整个黄浦江面的一切景色。酒吧内部更是令人惊讶，酒吧上燃烧的火焰, 经常可以看到吧 台里调酒师的酒瓶旋转表演以及点火表演。音乐始终都是很棒，更有来自Buddha Bar厂牌的DJ，每天的营业日，都人满为患。由于它的地理位势，适合于带外宾参观。
地址：中山东一路18号外滩18号7楼No. 88 Bar
从东湖路远远望过去，巨大的“88”招牌充满喜感，再走几步，震耳的迪高音乐就足够让人脚趾发痒。在讲究情调的长乐路/新乐路酒吧带，这里却能连夜放着王 力宏，就这么“低俗”！，不过，也正是这股子狂放不羁的年轻劲儿，令得门口永远呈现法拉利和自行车“轧闹猛”的奇观。坐在这里长长的木楼梯上边吃烤串边看 90后美女的小男生们，往往就是楼下某辆豪华跑车的主人。
地址：富民路291号悟锦大厦2楼M1NT
去M1NT的首要法则是dress up，不然实在对不起这家会员制酒吧里每夜的的fashion show，女士最好别上一朵鸡蛋花，装点海边度假屋风情的VIP包厢；第二是穿8厘米以上的高跟鞋，不然从酒吧经理到顾客的“欧洲平均海拔”只能让人整夜 仰视；第三是熟练的英语。要是这些都没有也无妨，开一瓶唐培里侬香槟王，十里洋场的新浮华就此开场。
地址：福州路318号高腾大厦24楼Barbarossa
漂浮在人民公园的湖面上，Barbarossa用中东的香艳气质打造出一座藏在城市中心的卡萨布兰卡。这里提供躺着往上看上海的最好视野。你可以在底楼一 直赖着，吃完午餐，再喝下午茶，一直晒到夕阳西下；傍晚，搬上二楼的露台，就着湖面拂来的清风享受暮色中的happy hour；入夜，在三楼的迷幻灯光中和着chill out音乐曼舞，或窝在楼顶的沙发上，悠悠地抽一壶阿拉伯水烟。
地址：南京西路231号人民公园内Velvet
这里大概有全城最好喝的鸡尾酒，醉人功力自然也数一数二。穿过小别墅的门，闲荡在迷宫般的房子里，五彩灯光下的俊美酒保已令人心醉；至于花园里捧着糖果色martini闲聊着的异国美眉们，总像刚从某个古董盒子里跳出来的精灵。
地址：巨鹿路913号3—4号楼1楼 -
TMSK Restaurant & Bar in Shanghai is short for Tou Ming Si Kao, which means “transparent thinking.” From your first step into this exquisite place, it’s easy to see the transparency of the atmosphere the owners are trying to create. This ultra-hip hot spot has a bar made almost entirely out of colored glass, the vision of owner Yang Hui Shan, a former Taiwanese actress who has a trendy boutique glassware shop in town. The lounge area has cozy Baroque booths to sit in and flowers floating in a water pool, while ‘that’s Shanghai!’ reckon the glass bar looks like ‘a 3D piece of contemporary art!’ There are dozens of great wines and cocktails on offer and can be drunk out of frosted martini and wine glasses – all of different colors and sizes. A true gem, not to be missed.TMSK 透明思考
Address: Unit 2,House 11,North Block Xintiandi,Lane 181 Taicang Lu, Shanghai
太仓路181弄新天地北里11号楼2单元
Directions: near Madang Lu, Metro Line 1 Huangpi Nan Lu Station
近马当路, 地铁1号线黄陂南路站
021-6326-2227
Open: 1:30pm-12am
Price: More than Y400 -
JasonH12192 September 16th, 2010 at 16:03
Shanghai is a vertical city, so you should climb up and enjoy the view. The aptly named Vue Bar, located on the 32nd and 33rd floors of the new Hyatt on the Bund, offers tremendous vistas of both the historic waterfront and Pudong, the futuristic business district on the other side of the Huangpu River that looks like it was designed by George Jetson. The best seats are by the Jacuzzi on the terrace, but the day beds are pretty cool too, ideal for kicking back and surveying the urban sprawl like a minor deity. Cocktails are quality creations, though their prices are very much in line with the location. In warmer weather you can even don a bikini and take a dip in said Jacuzzi, which I’am sure you’ll agree is pretty damn cool.
VUE Bar 非常时髦
32/F, West Tower, Hyatt on the Bund, 199 Huangpu Lu,Shanghai
黄浦路上海外滩茂悦大酒店西楼32楼
021-6393-1234 ext.6348
http://www.shanghai.bund.hyatt.com
5pm-1am
Y200-Y299 -
John A. Kriner September 18th, 2010 at 03:54
Located in the famous Bund 18, this lounge bar is wonderfully well-designed. Open and airy inside with stunning views of the bund through its large windows, the space is peppered with eclectic tables and chairs. The drinks list is small but solid, though as with many venues in Shanghai prices are capable of making your eyes bleed. Probably best as a start-of-evening stop off to have a one drink and savor the space and the views before moving on.Try the Grape Affect and Vanilla Sky cocktails. Beautiful. Highly recommended.
Lounge 18
4/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai
021-6323-8399, 136-6181-1818
http://www.lounge18.com
Y300-Y399
2pm-2am -
JasonH12192 September 18th, 2010 at 05:04
The Glamour Bar 魅力酒吧
Two ultra-cool restaurant-bars in one – possibly the hippest spots in Shanghai according to the stylish ‘that’s Shanghai!’ entertainment mag. M on the Bund is the more established of the two, a style-bar trailblazer that announced itself with classy cocktails, gorgeous views and a fine modern-European menu some years ago. Now the adjoining Glamour Room just adds to the magic. Located in the renovated Rollo di Pollo and based on art deco lines it features, silver columns circling a sunken lounge area, dark parquet underfoot, and orange back-lit steps ringing the whole scene. The idea is a 1930s Hollywood film set relocated to 21st Century Shanghai, but take it from me: whatever the vision the drinks will blow you away. Try their signature Glamour cocktail that mixes vodka, cherry brandy, blood orange and splashes of lime, all for a cool 86RMB.6/F, 5 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, The Bund, near Guangdong Lu, Shanghai
中山东一路5号6楼, 近广东路
6350-9988
http://www.m-theglamourbar.com
Open Mon-Sun 4pm-late
Price Y100-Y199 per couple -
PGSydney October 10th, 2010 at 15:59
It has been 99 years since the Shanghai Club at No.2 on the Bund opened in 1911 for Shanghai’s rich and fabulous with guest lodgings and its famous Long Bar. The building has been restored by Waldorf Astoria, and there are 20 suites upstairs and a 250-room hotel in a new building in the back, but anyone can use the downright beautiful bar.
Long Bar is a very ’20s-ish, jazzy, art deco lounge, replete with deep, serious leathers and deep, serious woods. With a capacity of 80 seats, the space is occupied by clusters of tables, and the centerpiece is their massive bar, which is indeed “long”, and measures in at 34 meters (110ft).
Drink: a massive list of over 500 offerings. The majority of the drinks menu is split up according to alcohol base: ample selections of whiskey, gin, vodka, brandy, and champagne-based cocktails. Cocktails are RMB88 (standard Bund prices).
Food: Food menu is a two-pager, featuring luxury gastro fare — snacks, lunch, and dinner — and, most notably, oysters. During lunch and dinner hours they have an oyster bar with four varieties available.
The Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria Club
Address: Waldorf Astoria Club, 2 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Lu, The Bund, Shanghai
Tel: 021-6322-9988
Open:Daily 11am-2am
Website: http://www.waldorfastoriashanghai.com/long_bar -
tuxvujl October 23rd, 2010 at 15:15
A converted bomb shelter, the Shelter is the place to come for underground dance music, including frequent appearances by international DJs. A dark, hot main room complemented by a comfortable chill out area in the back and inexpensive bar.
The Shelter
5 Yongfu Lu,Xihui District, Shanghai
Metro Line 1, Changshu Lu Station
021-6437-0400上海唯一放电子音乐的地下酒吧 （确切地说是防空洞），这里是上海techno的圣地，当然平时还有hiphop等其他音乐。里面空气不好，有点闷。潮人蛮多的，老外超级多。入场费50RMB，进去之后的酒水价格也都算很平民。基本50以下，啤酒很便宜。
庇护所
地址: 上海徐汇区永福路5号,近复兴路,地铁1号线常熟路站 -
marcco December 20th, 2010 at 12:49
8 Watering Holes in Shanghai’s Pudong Financial District
1. Snow Bar at Binjiang One
If you catch an RMB 2 ride on the Shanghai Ferry from the Bund, you’ll be dropped off just steps from the Binjiang One compound. With more than 140 varieties of ice-cold vodka to choose from, name a flavored shot of vodka, and they’ll probably have it.
Drink to order: The most popular is a shot of Van Gogh Espresso (RMB 70), but we also dig the 42 Below Honey (RMB 70).
The Binjiang One, Youlong Garden, Shibu Jie, Fucheng Lu, near Huayuanshiqiao Lu; walk from Lujiazui metro station (Line 2) or, take a five-minute, RMB 2 ferry ride from the Bund and to Dongchang ferry pier next door 滨江富城路拾步街由隆花园, 近花园石桥路, +86 21 5877 7500
2. Hooters
The iconic U.S. chain dishes out great wings, beer and hospitality at their Lujiazui location, just a few blocks from our first stop.
Drink to order: Beer goes best with wings, and pitchers start at RMB 140.
Hooters, 1/F Superbrand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu, near Fucheng Lu 陆家嘴西路168号正大广场1楼, 近富城路, 地铁2号线陆家嘴路站, +86 21 5049 0199
3. Blue Frog
Right around the corner from Hooters is Shanghai’s well-known diner, Blue Frog. Blue Frog has one of the best happy hours in town — from 4-8 p.m. you can enjoy their buy-one-get-one-free drink specials. Besides their regular happy four-hours, they offer a variety of other deals, like a jug of sangria and any dish for RMB 220.
Drink to order: “Anything and everything on Tuesday nights,” says Adam, an English teacher in Pudong.
Blue Frog, G/F, No. 27, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu, near Fucheng Lu, Metro Line 2 Lujiazui Station, 陆家嘴西路168号正大广场1楼GF27, 近富城路,地铁2号线陆家嘴站, +86 21 5047 3488
4. Flair
Flair is the newest bar in the Pudong sky. The reason this place made our crawl — instead of the perennial favorite Cloud 9 or the bar at the Park Hyatt — is because this bar at the recently opened Ritz-Carlton has an outdoor space. You can enjoy drinks and take in the view without having to look at the skyline through glass. It’s just about the best view of the Puxi side of the Bund.
Drink to order: Any of the pink signature cocktails (RMB 90) or a Bellini (RMB 120).
Flair, Shanghai IFC, 8 Century Ave., near Lujiazui Huan Lu 世纪大道8号上海国金中心, 近陆家嘴环路, +86 21 2020 1717, http://www.ritzcarlton.com/shanghaipudong
5. School Dinners
Set back from Lujiazui, this dive bar attracts the few college-aged pool sharks hiding out in Pudong. With more than half a dozen tables to shoot on, the wait is never long for a game.
Drink to order: Beers start at RMB 30.
School Dinners, 31 Changyi Lu, near Jimo Lu 昌邑路31号, 近即墨路
6. Sugar Shack Bar and Grill
Right next to School Dinners is the Sugar Shack Bar and Grill. Although Sugar Shack caters more to traveling businessmen, the beers are cheap and TVs with every sport are many.
Drink to order: San Miguel beer for RMB 28.
Sugar Shack Bar and Grill, Changyi Lu, near Jimo Lu 昌邑路, 近即墨路
7. Ricky’s Sports Bar and Grill
Even further into Pudong, Ricky’s Sports Bar and Grill has plenty of beer flowing and pub grub frying. The bar offers wooden mini-kegs of any draft, as well as darts and video golf to keep your mind off the slightly off-key Filipino band on stage.
Drink to order: Draft Tiger beer for RMB 40.
Ricky’s Sports Bar and Grill, 968 Pudong Ave., near Yuanshen Lu 浦东大道968号, 近源深路
8. The Office
The Office, a stone’s throw from Ricky’s, is a three-floor stand-alone building dedicated to fun. They have pool, a stage for nightly bands, an outdoor patio upstairs and somewhere in the place a “fine dining” experience (we couldn’t find it).
Drink to order: The standard RMB 40 for a brew.
The Office, 968 Pudong Ave, near Yuanshen Lu 浦东大道968号, 近源深路, +86 21 5028 0029 -
DJ caddy September 5th, 2011 at 13:21
Shanghai’s 6 best new cocktail barsThe following six bars all opened their doors in 2011 and demonstrate the best of Shanghai’s blooming cocktail culture.
1. Zeal
In true Bund lounge/club style with an “unparalleled” view of Pudong skyline, Zeal is a slick, contemporary, minimalistic space where beautiful people and their admirers rub shoulders on the dance floor while local and international DJs provide the musical inspiration for their gyrations.
Zeal, 6/F, 22 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Jinling Dong Lu 中山东二路22号，近金陵东路, +86 21 6328 8668, 7 p.m.-3 a.m., http://www.zeal-shanghai.com2. Apothecary
This Beijing institution has brought an extensive cocktail list south to almost universal acclaim for Shanghai’s cocktail aficionados.
Apothecary, Sinan Mansions, Building 2, 4/F, Lane 507 Fuxing Zhong Lu, near Chongqing Nan Lu 复兴中路507弄思南公馆2号楼4楼, 近重庆南路, +86 21 3368 9419, 6 p.m.-midnight3. CVRVE
Occupying the space that housed Shanghai institution The Long Bar for 20 years, high-end cocktails have officially arrived on Nanjing Xi Lu.
CVRVE, No. 206 Shanghai Center, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Tongren Lu 南京西路1376号上海商城206室, 近铜仁路, +86 21 6289 8298, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. (Sunday – Thursday), 11 a.m.-3 a.m. (Friday and Saturday), http://www.CVRVE.com4. Brownstone
Another veteran of the Shanghai scene, Bob Boyce is behind this unpretentious cocktail venue in Surpass Court, and he has tapped cocktail whiz Lomas Gration to be Bluestone’s front man/manager/martini-slinger/DJ/whirlwind extraordinaire.
Brownstone, Building 4, 570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu 永嘉路570号4号楼, 近岳阳路, +86 21 6073 7740. 2 p.m.-2 a.m.5. Craft
This out-of-the-way bar on the south side of the Donghu Hotel (head down the lane opposite Sichuan Citizen and then head upstairs to find it) proves the old adage that good things come in small packages.
Craft, Donghu Hotel south wing, 7 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai zhong Lu 东湖路7号东湖宾馆西翼, 近淮海中路, Wednesday and Thursday: 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday: 5 p.m.-late6. Upper East
Most people looking for a fine cocktails probably wouldn’t think of heading to Xujiahui as their first port of call, but if you happen to be in the area and suddenly feel thirsty, Upper East may be the perfect solution.
Upper East, 15 Dong’an Lu, near Zhaojiabang Lu 东安路15号, 近肇嘉浜路, +86 21 6417 6160, 5 p.m. till late (closed Sundays)
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Jason W. April 21st, 2010 at 21:53