Entertainment in Shànghǎi
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Sasha’s
Housed in a fine old villa that once belonged to the Soong family, Sasha’s large garden is one of Shànghǎi’s most splendid summer spots. Inside there’s a vague French colonial feel with wicker furniture, wood floors and a cosy bar to perch at. Upstairs there’s an expensive restaurant offering Western food. Given the prices here, it’s worth checking out the happy hour, from 5.30pm to 7pm, when all drinks are half-price.
reviewed
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Big Bamboo
This is a huge, extroverted sports bar ranging over two floors with a mammoth sports screen backed up by a constellation of TV sets, Guinness, pool and darts.
reviewed
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People 7
Getting into this superstylish bar/restaurant is an achievement in itself. That’s not because there’s a door policy, rather it’s because the shiny steel doors will only open if you insert your hand (twice) into one of the nine holes set into the wall (we’re not saying which one). Once inside, there’s a backlit, long steel bar on which to rest the oddly shaped glass your cocktail will arrive in. With white armchairs scattered throughout the darkly lit interior and bathrooms that are even harder to work out than the front door, this place could be oppressively trendy. But it isn’t. They do affordable minimalist fusion food (Y35 to Y60) too.
reviewed
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Constellation
The bow-tied staff at the Japanese-run Constellation (or, as the original name translates, ‘Constellations in a pool of liquor’) take their drinks seriously – you’re not going to get any watered-down cocktails here. A choice selection of whiskies (including a samurai-helmeted Nikka), Van Gogh prints on the walls and overhead black lights make this a classy yet appealingly weird place. Its small size necessitated the opening of Constellation 2 (33 Yongjia Rd; 永嘉路 33 号 ).
reviewed
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Mural
If those crazy Buddhist monks ever had a raging 8th-century party out in Dūnhuáng’s Thousand Buddha Caves, this is probably what it would have looked like, minus the funky beats and DJ of course. Mural’s big claim is not really the Silk Rd decor, but the all-you-can-drink Y100 bar every Friday night (10pm to 2am). There’s a fun reggae night on Thursday. It’s more popular with locals than expats, which is another reason to check it out.
reviewed
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Mint
Mint occupies the 2nd floor of Woo Villa, known as the Green House, designed by Ladislaus Hudec in 1938 and previously owned by the family of architect IM Pei. It's a stylish, intimate place that attracts both Western and local hipsters. On Thursdays there's a popular salsa night, while Friday is R&B. The rest of the time it's house. There's a cool feel to the place, but you need to get here early on weekends. It's closed on Sunday.
reviewed
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Enoteca
Wine bars are the latest fad to hit Shànghǎi, but retailers may have been a little too eager to enter the market – most are conspicuously empty throughout the week. Enoteca has proven to be an exception, and while its strategic location across from a gigantic office tower doesn’t hurt, the keyword here is affordability – plenty of bottles fall into the Y100 to 200 range, and glasses of smooth, new-world wines go for as little as Y38.
reviewed
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California Club
Located on the ground floor of the Upstairs at Park 97 complex, this place is rather more sophisticated than most of Shanghai's clubs. The dance floor is tiny, but the surrounding area is stylish. The 2nd floor hosts a different live band each night and is very popular with Hong Kong Chinese, well-heeled Shanghainese and expats, who pack it out on weekends. Get here before midnight, or be prepared to queue. Admission prices vary.
reviewed
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Blarney Stone
More intimate than O’Malley’s and more authentically Irish, the low ceilings, stone floor and wood panelling give the Blarney Stone a genuine pub feel. It’s a friendly place that attracts a slightly older expat crowd, who enjoy the fish and chips (Y85) and pints of Guinness and Kilkenny. There’s also a small roof terrace, live Irish music every night except Tuesday and lots of sport on the telly.
reviewed
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Number 5
The only view from this easy-going Bund bar is of people’s shoes on the pavement outside. It may sound anticlimactic compared with the rest of the strip, but it’s actually one of the nicer places to kick back and relax after a busy day of seeing the sights. There’s free pool, foosball, big leather armchairs, live music (Wednesday to Sunday) and a good selection of Asian and Western pub food (from Y48).
reviewed
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Anar Pomegranate Lounge
This out-of-the-way bar is one of the cooler dives in town, attracting a mix of dressed-down locals and foreigners. The front room is a chill spot for drinks and food (wraps, curries and tapas, from Y35) while from Wednesday to Saturday the back room hosts DJs and occasionally live groups like Magnetic, a trippy band that crosses Xīnjiāng sounds with acid jazz (or something like that).
reviewed
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O’Malley’s
With an all-you-can-eat barbecue on Tuesday (Y60), an all-you-can-eat European-style brunch on Sunday (Y85), a Thursday-night quiz, good (though somewhat expensive) pub food and nonstop sport on the many TVs, O’Malley’s spares no effort to pack in the punters. Families like the lawn area and kids playground. Happy hour is from 5pm to 8pm, when pints of Guinness and Kilkenny are Y44.
reviewed
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I Love Shanghai
Despite the name, this bar has little to do with Shànghǎi and everything to do with getting hammered and having fun along the way. Pitchers of beer (Y85), Strong Island Tea (Y55) and absinthe shots (Y40) are all the ammo you’ll need. Each night is a theme night of some sort, the climax coming with Saturday’s open bar (Y100). It’s above the Orchard Restaurant.
reviewed
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Glamour Bar
Comfortably gorgeous, Michelle Garnaut’s bar moved down a floor from her restaurant above, and up the wish list of Shanghai socialites. A steady flow of elegant people enjoy tantalising martinis at the window seats midweek, avoiding the weekend crush. It also hosts film screenings, the annual literary festival, chamber music performances and China-related book launches.
reviewed
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Pirates
This out of the way bar is one of the best in town and attracts dressed-down hipsters, who could be called the anti-Bar Rouge crowd. The front room is a cool white space to drink in, while on weekends the back room hosts DJs who play the sort of cutting-edge sounds you won't hear anywhere else in Shanghai. It gets busy on Fridays and Saturdays, when it's around Y40 to get in.
reviewed
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Time Passage
Tucked down a small street, Time Passage is that rare thing in Shànghǎi, a pub that could be your local back home. With friendly staff, cheap drinks and a faithful clientele of local musos, students and expat teachers, it’s a businessman-free zone. There’s live music on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and a daily happy hour from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
reviewed
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Enoteca
Wine bars are the latest fad to hit Shànghǎi, but retailers may have been a little too eager to enter the market – most are conspicuously empty throughout the week. Enoteca has proven to be an exception. The keyword here is affordability – plenty of bottles fall into the Y100 to 200 range, and glasses of smooth, new-world wines go for as little as Y38.
reviewed
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Long Bar
Taking its name from the bar at the old British Club, this place is rather less sophisticated but still popular with the after-work crowd, who are drawn in by the easy-going atmosphere, sports TV and occasional model contests, in which young women parade around the bar in bikinis. Happy hour is from 17:00-20:00 on weekdays and 15:00-20:00 on weekends.
reviewed
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Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre
The best place in Shànghǎi to catch English language plays, or Chinese adaptations of Western classics with English subtitles, this theatre has a reputation for pushing the buttons of the censors. Recent productions include The Heidi Chronicles and The Tempest. Some of China's finest thespians, such as Ge You, have trodden the boards here.
reviewed
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Mao
Don’t arrive here too early (before midnight) unless you want to stake out your spot on the designer Italian sofas. MAO gets going late, sometimes stays open till dawn and has an outdoor garden going for it – it’s more for fashionable imbibing than dancing, though. It’s one of the more high-end clubs in the city.
reviewed
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Jin Du Billiards Club
Walk up the stairs past the poster of Stephen Hendry in his permed pomp and grab a game against the lads dreaming of becoming the next Ding Junhui, the young Chinese snooker player many believe will be world champion one day. This place never closes and the tables, from around Y14 to around Y35, are in good condition. They serve beer, too.
reviewed
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Ark Live House
Incongruously located in the yuppie heart of Shanghai, this venue for Chinese bands, generally with an alternative edge, is the best place in town for live music. Weird Japanese acts and the occasional Western band end up here, too. Gigs get going on Friday and Saturday from 21:30, but there are also occasional weekend afternoon concerts.
reviewed
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YY’s
Once home to the Shànghǎi underground scene (like, back in the ’90s), YY’s has successfully remained on the fringes of the city’s consciousness without ever becoming too hip. It still attracts an alternative crowd and has its own rough-edged appeal, which increases with the onset of the witching hour.
reviewed
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Paramount Ballroom
This old art-deco theatre was the biggest nightclub in Shanghai in the 1930s before transforming into the Red Capital Cinema in the Mao years. An unusual throwback in today’s Shanghai, it has low-key tea dances in the afternoon as well as ballroom dancing in the evening. Dance partners are Y35 to Y45 for 10 minutes.
reviewed
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Barbarossa
The implausible Moroccan vibe of this secluded bar eagerly taps into Shanghai’s eclectic desires. Its inviting ground-floor dining area gives way to an oasis of scattered cushions, hookah pipes and a terrace bar upstairs, and the music is set to chill. Target happy hour (5pm to 8pm) to elude staggering prices.
reviewed
