Must-see nightlife in Shanghai

Attracting a mixed crowd, the Spot is part bistro, part lounge bar (with a DJ spinning tracks), but when push comes to shove, it’s a place to come to…

This neat bar is just what the doctor ordered: all in black and chrome, pupil-dilating minimalist cool. Note the almost obliterated Maoist slogans outside…

A funky coffee shop and bar in the M50 complex serving cocktails, beer and wine, plus espresso-based drinks. Small meals range from rib-eye steak and…

Have a drink or indulge in afternoon tea with the spectacular 33-floor atrium of the Grand Hyatt towering above you in the Jinmao Tower.

Had enough of wall-to-wall suits and sky-high prices? Helen's speciality is the bargain-basement, no-frills student dive. Enjoy.

Sink into a comfy armchair with a cup of coffee and study the photos of Chinese and Western legends of the silver screen. Celebrating the golden age of…

Classy beach-themed lounge bar, with lots of natural light and airy tones, plus a big pink glitter wall. There's a nice balcony and a tempting, albeit…

This branch of Boxing Cat Brewery in the Sinan Mansions complex isn't as popular as its West Fuxing Rd outfit, but it is a staple among Shanghai's beer-o…

Small gourmet teahouse for experimental tea fans. Sample tea served in an oatmeal cookie cup that you can eat, or perhaps tea with sea salt and cream…

Shanghai's tea shops are quickly catching up with their coffee counterparts. InWE Tea is one of the modern outlets reinventing the way we enjoy the world…

Set below ground in the buzzing international hub of Found 158, this concrete-clad, late-night venue hosts some of Shanghai’s hottest underground live…

This is the kind of Irish pub you'd find anywhere in the world, with wooden furniture and memorabilia on the walls. There's Irish beers, whiskeys and…

This dive bar has real staying power, clocking up around 20 years in the business of cheap beer and good live music (Friday and Saturday nights). Beyond…

Once home to the Shanghai underground scene (way back in the 1990s), YY’s has successfully remained on the fringes of the city’s consciousness, without…

Minimalist and wildly popular tea house, with a Starbucks-style business model, this Chinese chain serves classic brews plus truly bizarre concoctions. It…

Modern cafe serving single-origin Ethiopian, Costa Rican, Ugandan and Guatemalan coffee, from beans they roast themselves. There are some curious coffee…

With vintage-style tiles, historic photographs, old fireplaces and wooden panels, this cute cafe has been decked out like a European cottage. The parasol…

Takeaway coffee place themed like a newsstand, with hanging papers and newspaper bundles for makeshift stools (although there's not much room to sit)…

The long wooden bar at Union Trading Company serves as a spot to sit and watch the bartenders do their thing using seasonal ingredients and a menu that…

Good beer spot favoured by the after-work expat crowd. Local brews on tap include the Boxing Cat Contender Pale Ale and Goose Island IPA. The hoppy and…