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Shanghai, China |
 Shanghai Nightlife | Bars Nightlife Shanghai
So you’ve just left Park 97 - one of Shanghai’s (no, China’s) trendiest clubs in the French Concession area of Fuxing Park. It’s 6am and you’ve been partying all night, dancing with an international jet-setting crowd. You’re tired, bleary-eyed, certainly not ready for the sight in front of you. The park is full of people - men, women - in their 60s, 70’s and older, silently, peacefully performing their morning Tai-Chi. It’s a bizarre sight after a night of pumping music and serious boogying. But then this is Shanghai, where ancient culture meets the modern world, where West has met East -and boy, is the West making an impression.
Described in the past as the ‘Whore of the Orient, Paris of the East’, Shanghai has seen a massive influx of foreign investment and an incredible modernisation programme, since China opened its doors to the West. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River and divided by the Huangpu River into two main areas of Pudong and Puxi, Shanghai was historically a treaty port and, after losing the Opium Wars in the late 19th century, was forced to open up to foreign traders - who proceeded to divide it into several parts, including French, British, Russian and Japanese. Buildings in each concession were designed to reflect the country that governed it and that is still much in evidence, creating a sort of East meets West metropolis confusion!
With close to 20 million inhabitants and a good proportion of them ex-pats, Shanghai welcomes foreigners and the locals are used to Westerners, so you won’t feel like a gigantic alien sending the fear of god into children and animals. Even so, not everyone is going to speak English - especially taxi drivers, so if you’re travelling by cab, try to have your destination written down in Chinese. There’s a great Metro here and, don’t panic, the system is in English and Chinese so is easy to navigate - and cheap as chips. |
 Shanghai has a frenetic nightlife scene and a huge number of venues. Hipper than Hong Kong and friendlier than Beijing, you can party like a king or as a pauper. There’s everything on offer from French Michelin starred restaurants to cheap local diners - and, of course, it’s a massive melting pot of cuisines from REAL Chinese (which is very regional and includes Shanghainese) to Cuban and everything inbetween.
Although the younger Chinese generation is now coming round to the Westerner’s idea of having a good time, you’ll still find most nightspots are dominated by non-Chinese. If you want to be boring you can stick to the bars and restaurants of the major hotels - Hilton, Grand Hyatt, Four Seasons, Westin etc - but seriously. You’re in Shanghai! Get out and explore.
The French Concession area is one of the main partying spots. Fuxing Park, set in the centre of the Huahai Rd (Lu) area, is home to the aforementioned Park 97, which to be honest is pretty expensive, as well as the California club (sleek, red and sophisticated) and Guandii (great if you love old and new hip-hop) plus Cash Box, said to be a great karaoke house, if singing in public is your thing (not mine!).
There are just loads of places along and radiating from the Heng Shan Road, still in the French Concession, ranging from seedy to sophisticated. Here you’ll find venues housed in beautiful old villas with wonderful gardens. Face, in the Ruijin Guest House gardens, has got to be one of the most stunning bars, set in a dark panelled 1930s mansion. Sasha’s and Zapata’s are also housed in villas and share a big beer garden. The latter is a full-on Mexican club where tequila and Corona beer is the name of the game.
The must-have Irish bars can also be found in this area. O’Malleys prides itself on being the first traditional Irish pub in Asia and still, so we are told, sells the most Guinness in China! It’s probably more of a tourist attraction than anything else, but if you want a family friendly pub with live music, live sports, a beer garden, pool table, a traditional fireplace - and very decent food, O’Malley’s is the place. Not far away, on Dongping Rd, you’ll find the Blarney Stone; the friendly folk here make drinking alone a pleasure - and here’s where you ‘ll find most of the Irish drinking community! A fab inhouse band plays here from Wed-Mon nights. And just round the corner - if you must - is the British Bulldog, a fun British pub with live bands, big screen sports and typical pub grub. Personally I think a bit of local beer ought to be tried. Look out for Tsing Tao Beer pubs which serve all types of Tsing Tao beer with great specialty draft beers. Well, ok, it’s not Guinness..but it’s worth a try. |
A brilliant restaurant here is Lost Heaven on Gao You Road, near Fuxing Road. Offering provincial cuisine from the Yunnan province, Burmese dishes, along with folk dishes from some of China’s ethnic tribes, this three storey restaurant has an intimate feel with low red lights casting an atmospheric glow. Try the Mandalay fish cakes and Dai Tribe chicken with green onions….delicious.
And for fantastic Japanese, its got to be Hatsune on Taojiang Rd. Hatsune started off in Beijing, where it is a favourite with visitors and locals alike. All the same favourites are in Shanghai, including Moto-roll-ah, 119 roll, Engen roll... etc. If you want to experiment with different styles of Japanese food, and have a fun time to boot - this is the place.
If jazz and blues is your thing then the newly re-opened JZ Club on the corner of Fuxing and Yong fu Rd is brilliant. The three levels: bar, stage on ground level, lounge sofas on 1st level and roof terrace, glass house on 2nd level mean you can be right up close to the action or relax in a more intimiate atmosphere. Different bands play every night and feature both local and international players. Open very late, this is a true jazz venue. Enjoy.
Alternatively head to the Blues Room at 146 Tongren Lu and downstairs from the 24 hour City Diner, where jazz jams well into the early hours are the norm. A lot of bars have sprung up on Tongren Rd since the decision was taken to turn down the volume on Maoming Rd. Other popular spots in this region include the M Zone, which serves food until late (and good news ladies, you can drink there free from 9pm to the bewitching hour)
A good place to eat on Tongren Road is Maneo which offers a brilliant Sunday Brunch and bbq menu including flame broiled beef tenderloin minute steaks, curry rubbed rack of lamb, and herbed pork sausages.
XinTianDi, also known as Shanghai’s very own Temple Bar, is a historical area of Shanghai right in the middle of the city which has been renovated and rebuilt in the ancient ‘Shi Ku Men’ architectural style, yet which is modern and trendy. Crowded with excellent restaurants and clubs, it’s the best spot for visiting several bars in the evening, or taking it easy with a cool drink during the day. Try Kabb in Taicang Lu, a sophisticated yet relaxed bar and grill which has a great terrace from which to watch the world go by. |
The historic waterfront of Bund and its surrounds is a prime example of foreign culture infused into a city. Here British, Grecian and Italian architecture combine to form Shanghai’s most famous area. It’s been given a face lift over the past few years and is now very much an entertainment centre - and home to some of Shanghai’s most exclusive bars. In 1999, the area was a culinary desert. But Michelle Garnaut has changed all that with M on the Bund, offering ‘simply good food whose flavours range from the comforting to the novel, from Europe to the Middle East, and accompanying The Glamour Bar, with its regular ‘Live at the Glamour Bar’ performances.
The success of M on the Bund has paved the way for many more great place to eat and drink…..though in many cases it might help if you’re on an expenses account! Notable is Bar Rouge, where professional stunt barmen keep the crowd entertained and there are spectacular views from the terrace across the river to modern Shanghai and the strangely symbolic Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The icing on the cake of the top floor of No 18 is the Sens and Bund restaurant, while New Heights at No 3 on the Bund has a more Asian orientated audience - but another fantastic view. It’s set above Laris, in itself a notable restaurant, and has a rather delicious chocolate bar. Moonsha Teppanyaki & Lounge is a new restaurant at No 5 on the bund with, yes, more great views and offering all you can eat lunch and tea buffets as well as fabulous evening meals.
Attica on South Bund combines a club with restaurants. Sited on the 11th floor of an old colonial style building with two rooftop terraces, you’ll get some of the best views of Pudong here. There’s a huge dance area with a VIP balcony and a smaller room with a stunning 360 degree view.
Not all venues here have sky high prices. Noahs Bar on Fuzhou Rd and Number Five are both designed to cater for those of us on a tighter budget - food and drink wise. If you have the time (and the energy) take the Bund Tourist Tunnel under the river to the Hyatt Hotel’s Cloud 9 Bar on the 87th floor. This has a spectacular view of the whole city. Just make sure you have plenty of Yuan with you!
The Blue Frog bar and restaurants are a bit of an institution in Shanghai. You can find them all over the city, including Maoming Rd and Tongren Rd serving weekend brunch, lunch and dinner. One of Shanghai's most successful drinking establishments, this bar caters to all crowds with their happy frog hour, chill music, and comfort food menu menu. Try the breakfast burrito or the Blue Frog Burger and the great Bloody Mary do-it-yourself kit - unbeatable for the morning after the night before.
This is just a taster of Shanghai’s nightlife; quite frankly you’d need to write a book to include it all! And to be fair, some of the hotels are worth a visit. There’s a good Jazz venue (Jazz 37) at the Four Seasons, the lounge bar at JW Marriott is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours…and for a fantastic view of the city, try the Radisson New World Shanghai’s Sky Dome Bar.
Finally, a word about local food. I mean, really you should try the local Shanghainese cuisine, but it can be a bit weird - so be warned. For good Chinese food (though not necessarily Shanghainese) try Charmant (Taiwanese/Chinese) on the corner of Huaihai and Fuxing Rd; Henshan Café (Cantonese) in Hengshan Rd; Lisboa Macau inside the Times Square building on Huaihai Rd, and Shanghai Uncle, found at several locations.
Oh, and the best Italian - Casanova/Velvet Loung on Julu Rd and Vedas (North Indian) on Jianguio xi Rd.
With Shanghai preparing to host the World Expo in 2010, in which some 120 countries will participate, this vibrant and exciting city is just go to grow and grow and grow. Get there - before practising Tai Chi in the park early morning becomes a distant memory.
To find out whats going on in town, log onto www.cityweekend.com.cn. |
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