French Concession
Speak Low is a speakeasy within a speakeasy within a speakeasy. Once you find your way in through the Ocho bar equipment shop, start with a drink on the…
Must-see nightlife in Shanghai
French Concession
Parisian-style cafe, with round wooden tables, a long marble bar and simple art deco images on white walls, Ars & Delecto is, without a doubt, one of the…
French Concession
Enter this Xintiandi speakeasy via a wall of rainbow LED lights and an enormous Pac-Man screen at the top of the stairs. Inside it's an intimate, thin…
The Bund & People's Square
For a taste of colonial-era Shanghai’s elitist trappings, you’ll do no better than the Long Bar. This was once the members-only Shanghai Club, whose most…
French Concession
This popular oasis of Francophilia is decked out in hip 'olde worlde' charm with a bar made from stacked suitcases and bistro-like decor, plus windows…
French Concession
This excellent bar is one of the most pleasant spots in the concession to raise a glass. Ensconced in a converted 1930s villa, the bar's interior has cosy…
French Concession
Big Brother might be watching, but he'd be hard-pressed to find you in this hidden nook of a bookshop-cafe off Hunan Rd. There's no sign, just a metal…
The Bund & People's Square
Set back in People’s Park alongside a pond, Barbarossa is all about escapism. Forget Shanghai: this is Morocco channelled by Hollywood set designers. The…
French Concession
Tiny Café del Volcán offers a refuge from the bustle of Yongkang Rd. The minimalist cafe has just a few wooden box tables sharing the space with the…
Shanghai
Originally a modest convenience store opened by a local woman (Mrs Zhang), this 24-hour drinking hole stocks around 200 varieties of craft beer. The…
French Concession
From the team behind Sichuan Citizen comes this classy 1920s Prohibition-style cocktail bar in a quiet spot on Wuyuan Rd. Slink into a dark-wood booth…
Shanghai
Run by a bright and sunny bunch, good-looking Sumerian packs a lot into a small space. The real drawcard here is the coffee – the cafe roasts its own…
Shanghai
Part of the trendy Zhang Garden eating and drinking complex, this brewhouse has a nice outdoor area, rooftop terrace and 20 craft imports on tap. Food is…
Shanghai
Wow your date with Shanghai’s most intoxicating nocturnal visuals from the outdoor terrace on the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, where Flair nudges you…
French Concession
A popular three-floor microbrewery, with a rotating line-up of top-notch beers that range from the Standing 8 Pilsner and Black EyePA to the Right Hook…
The Bund & People's Square
The decor here is decidedly bohemian and its cool retro feel makes it one of the Bund's most atmospheric spots for a drink. Cocktail prices are accessible…
Hongkou & North Shanghai
Take in the extrasensory nocturnal views of the Bund and Pudong from Vue bar at the Hyatt on the Bund, while you raise your glass of bubbly. The cover…
French Concession
This speakeasy is located inside the Green & Safe restaurant on the 2nd floor, behind a wooden palette–style door. This sophisticated spot is a top choice…
Shanghai
Hidden away on a residential side street, Mokkos is a long-running local fave that specialises in nothing but shōchū (a Japanese spirit). Intimate and…
Shanghai
One of the more elegant lounges in town, with a mock copper ceiling and low designer chairs. There's an emphasis on beer, cocktails and food from the sea…
Shanghai
Beer Lady’s sister joint and Mrs Zhang's second beer venture, this Kaixuan Rd location is bigger, better and stocks even more bottled good stuff …
The Bund & People's Square
An exclusive penthouse-style club with knockout city views and snazzy fusion food, but not a lot of dance space. Dress to impress or you’ll get thrown…
The Bund & People's Square
Bar Rouge attracts a cashed-up young party crowd who come for the fantastic views from the rooftop terrace and the all-night DJ parties (tickets from ¥220…
French Concession
Getting into this superstylish bar-cum-restaurant is an achievement in itself. That’s not because there’s a door policy, but because the shiny steel doors…
Shanghai
Ale connoisseurs can earmark this nifty microbrewery bar in the Kerry Hotel, where resident brew-master Leon Mickelson dispenses six on-tap handmade beers…
The Bund & People's Square
On the top floor of Three on the Bund, Pop's splendid roof terrace is divided into multiple entities, all with choice views of Pudong’s hypnotising neon…
Shanghai Old City
Next to the entrance to the Yuyuan Gardens is the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, once part of the gardens and now one of the most famous teahouses in China,…
Shanghai
Pudong keeps its edge honed with two of the highest bars in the world at 100 Century Avenue. It's pretty impressive inside, but the restaurant on the 91st…
French Concession
The French Concession’s go-to sports bar, Camel has pool tables, dartboards, foosball, big screens at all angles and nightly meal and drink offers, plus a…
French Concession
Beer enthusiasts should stop by hop house Daga to sample the mostly Chinese craft beer on some 40 rotating taps. The brews are a bit hit and miss, but you…
Shanghai
With charmingly eclectic mismatched furniture and musical instruments on the wall, this laid-back cafe serves reasonably priced noodles, drinks and snacks…
Shanghai Old City
This stretch of the Bund is ideal for a rooftop bar and Char ticks all the boxes. The outdoor terrace has some of the finest views over the Huangpu River…
Shanghai
You'll likely spot this beer brand all over town, and this two-floor warehouse-style space is where it's brewed in enormous vats. Choose from dozens of…
French Concession
Next door to the Muji flagship store, Seesaw is the spot to fuel up on great coffee from single-origin beans, mostly from Africa and South America. The …
Shanghai Old City
A bit like the attic of an eccentric aunt, this wonderfully decrepit 2nd-floor teahouse, overlooking the throng of Old Street, is a temple to the 1930s,…
French Concession
White concrete walls decorated with stovetop espresso makers leave no guessing as to what design-savvy Fumi is all about: good coffee. Single-origin beans…
French Concession
Designed like a Brazilian favela, Barrco is a great summer spot with plenty of Latin energy. It's colourfully painted, with a corrugated iron roof,…
Shanghai
Large tap room serving craft brews from California, with seating for more than 100 drinkers in an industrial-chic layout with exposed concrete beams and…
French Concession
This eccentric, unconventional boho haven is a delightful Tianzifang hideaway, with creaking, narrow wooden stairs leading to a higgledy-piggledy array of…
French Concession
By day this is a lovely little cafe to enjoy a book and single-origin coffee. Opt for beans from Costa Rica, Kenya and beyond, and have them brewed via…
