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Shanghai: Beyond the Bund
In Shanghai? Ditch the pretentious expats and the tuhaos of the Bund for a few bars that are a little more interesting. By Adam White
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Dr. Beer
You could transplant this big loft-style microbrewery straight to New York with no trouble at all. Mash tuns squat in the corner and there’s a wide range of craft brews, all made in-house. Live DJs pump out beats most nights: it’s not a quiet, mull-your-pint kind of place. Get the IPA, or alternatively the tasting platter of all five beers on offer.
83 Fumin Lu, Jingan, (+86) 21-5468-1077.
Yuan Oyster & Cocktail Lounge
The cocktails at Yuan are great: a Chinese twist on classics that don’t fall into the Chinoiserie gap. Plus the retro fixtures and seating work the nostalgia theme without descending into orientalism. Get the Shaoxing Cavalry: It’s a Manhattan made with jujube-infused scotch, and wolfberry-infused Shaoxing wine instead of vermouth. The whole concotion is served in a gorgeous three-legged “jue” pottery glass, alongside a miniature silk screen.
17-2 Xiangyang Bei Lu, Jingan, (+86) 21-6433-0538.
Tops
The rooftop bar of the Banyan Tree Shanghai is worth the trip for its killer views. Its location offers angles of both sides of the Huangpu skyline: not just the neon insanity of Lujiazui, but also the old-school glamor of the Bund. Grab a drink and feel yourself forced to concede that despite Hong Kong’s obviously superior skyline, Shanghai does have its charms.
19 Gongping Lu, Hongkou, (+86) 21-2509-1188.
Senator Saloon
One of Shanghai’s first prohibition-style speakeasies, but don’t let that put you off. Think dark wood, thick curtains, small tables—and an ornate gilt ceiling, for a touch of class. Drinks are mostly gin- and whiskey-based, as you might expect. The Old Fashioned is very good and very, very strong. You have been warned.
98 Wuyuan Lu, Xuhui, (+86) 21-5423-1330.
Arcade
A video-game-themed bar that doesn’t actually suck? That’s because Arcade is mostly about the music and the drinks. That said, there’s an arcade cabinet in the corner that’s stuffed full of classic games, which are in turn projected onto a wall in the bar. Have you really lived, if you haven’t kicked someone’s ass at “Street Fighter 2” while a whole bar cheers you on?
57 Fuxing Xilu, Xuhui, (+86) 21-5404-7118.
Dada
An unpretentious dive bar and club hidden away down a graffiti-strewn alleyway. The beer is cheap and the music’s good: you couldn’t get farther from the dickheads of the Bund, and that’s only ever a good thing.
115 Xingfu Lu, Changning, (+86) 150-0018-2212.
Arkham
Originally a brief-lived gay club, until the authorities shut it down. But Arkham has retained the gay club’s disco ball and thrown in a whole bunch of grungy chic into the mix. Some of the world’s top DJ acts pass through the cavernous space that is Arkham—and the beer is cheap, too. Emerge into the French Concession in the early hours and grab some fried noodles from a street stall.
1 Wulumuqi Nan Lu, Xuhui, (+86) 137-0197-2878.
Where to Stay
The Banyan Tree Shanghai on the Bund is a beautiful “urban resort” in the middle of the city. The name is a little misleading—it’s actually on what they call the “North Bund,” about a 15-minute walk from the Bund proper. But the hotel’s position on the river gives it awesome views of both shores. What really makes the hotel is the “romantic pool” rooms, which contain long dipping pools right by the window, with a panoramic view of the Huangpu and its constant traffic. Grab a drink, lower yourself into the water, and watch the sun set and the lights come up on the Bund.
From RMB2,100 ($2,640). 19 Gongping Lu, Hongkou, (+86) 21-2509-1188.
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