Now that all the glitter has settled after the awards, we take a more in-depth look at the bars and clubs you picked as the best of the year.

Bar of the Year

el Cóctel
el Willy opened el Cóctel a year and a half ago with GM and cocktail aficionado Marty Campaign at his side, and the bar has been an unqualified success ever since, taking home five CW Readers' Choice Awards in that short span. Everything here is impeccably designed, from the wallpaper on the ceiling (it matches the menu!) to the drinks and the glassware. As super-commenter zachary_franklin puts it, “The table layout and bar setup are both fantastic, and they've got a handsome selection of drinks. Hats off to el Cóctel–I see what you're doing, and I like where your head's at.”
Honorable Mention: Bar Rouge
Editor's Pick: Lola

Best New Bar

Alchemist Cocktail Kitchen
The Alchemist burst onto the scene this year with some of the city’s most inventive drinks, and master cocktail creator Ryan Noreiks has been pumping out his mixtures of liquid nitrogen, infusions, foams, gels and mists ever since. Throw in the bar's dark, Victorian-style ambience and friendly service and you've got an easy winner.
Honorable Mention: The Apartment
Editor's Pick: Shiva Lounge

Best Club

M1NT
It's big, it's beautiful and if you didn't vote for them they would've fed you to the sharks. M1NT blew out the competition this year with nearly double the votes of the second place contender, recapturing the trophy they took home when they first broke onto the scene in 2009. The ritzy spot is known around town for its great drinks, flashy parties and that exclusive feel that Shanghai seems never to get enough of (especially since the once-controversial debate over the extra privileges afforded to shareholders died down). Perhaps user liliz puts it best: “I must say, this place is everything a nightlife lover could ask for. Although it's designed for you to ‘be seen,’ the crowd is classy, beautiful and not as uppity as other places I have visited. Great view, great vibes, great ambiance and great networking. Prices are on the expensive side, but it's an acclaimed nightlife spot on the Bund–what do you expect?"
Honorable Mention: M2
Editor's Pick: The Shelter

Best Cocktails

el Cóctel
GM Marty Campaign says that el Cóctel was built to treat drinking as a culinary experience, and given the way readers have responded to the bar (it ran away with the vote and is the defending champ), his team has executed well. Campaign himself designed the menu and backed it up with supremely high-quality drinks made by cocktail maestro Tree and his knowledgable bar staff, siding the usual selections with a number of house specials and an endless range of off-menu selections. As user helenequenu puts it, “How many places would you feel confident asking for ‘something almond-y, fresh but not milky or creamy?’ I left the bartender to guess what cocktail would work for me, and that's what he did. The drink was a Japanese favorite apparently, but it felt custom made, just for me.”
Honorable Mention: M1NT
Editor's Pick: Fulton Place

Best View

The House of Roosevelt
The House of Roosevelt arrived in Shanghai looking to make a name for itself with its massive wine cellar, but along the way, its also garnerned attention for its rooftop bar’s spectacular views. Sky’s prime terrace location atop the building between the Peninsula and the Peace Hotel allow guests to take in Pudong’s ever growing skyline, siding the surreal experience with a comfortable, cocktail bar-like ambience that's otherwise tough to find along the Bund.
Honorable Mention: VUE Bar
Editor's Pick: Flair Rooftop Restaurant & Bar

Best Hotel Bar

VUE Bar
VUE is a perennial favorite at these awards, and for good reason. Its service and drinks are both top-notch and, true to its namesake, it also features stunning views of both the Pudong skyline and the Bund, easily enjoyed on either their daybeds or in the bar's signature hot tub. As user cuibooker glowing comments, “WHAT A VIEW!!! Definitely worth putting a dent in your pocket to impress your guests from out of town.”
Honorable Mention: Flair Rooftop Restaurant & Bar
Editor's Pick: The Long Bar at the Waldorf

Best DJ

Ben Huang
Old school talent pulled through in the race for the city's best DJ as one of Shanghai’s favorite sons, DJ Ben Huang, edged out the Acid Pony Club by just one vote. Born in Shanghai, Huang began his self-taught assault on the music world in Beijing back in the mid ’90s before most of China even knew what electronic music was. He's now made headway into Europe with his techno and house beats, and still packs out every show he plays domestically. His “Colour” nights, a staple for years on the Shanghai scene, died out with LOgO last year, but rest assured, they'll soon be back and better than ever.
Honorable Mention: Acid Pony Club
Editor's Pick: Jane Siesta

Band of the Year

Lions of Puxi
They’re barely a few years old, but Shanghai has gone crazy for the reggae-slash-Gypsy-stylings of this band since they arrived on the scene. Playing tunes in French, Mandarin and English, this charismatic six-man band has been working their tails off with shows all over town and beyond. If you haven’t heard of them by now, it must be because you've been living under a rock: lead singer Gauthier Roubichou starred in the indie film Laowai last year with the band contributing heavily to the soundtrack, and they more than tripled the votes of the second-place finishers as they defended their Readers’ Choice Award this year in dominating fashion. Hungry for more? Look for a new album from the Lions sometime this year.
Honorable Mention: X is Y
Editor's Pick: Rainbow Danger Club

The B-sides

Five other nightlife awards that didn't make the cut...

Gaudiest Club
No. 88
Gold! Chandeliers! Lady Gaga dance shows! Stripper poles! Shiny things! Add it all up and you've got 88. They took some stiff competition from Phebe 3-D Club this year, but they’ll be hard pressed to repeat in 2012 as BMW- and Michael Jackson-themed clubs have just opened.

Best Cougar Bar
Velvet
You may have drunkenly stumbled in for the crowd or the late-night pizzas, but beware–potential cougar attacks lurk behind every corner. If approached, keep your eyes down and back away slowly. Avoid sudden movements. Or, just go with it. Roll over, let her rub your tummy. She's sure to teach you a couple of new tricks.

Worst Bathrooms
C’s
The vomit-to-bathroom stalls ratio here is simply astronomical. As user ralph29 commented, “I think I threw up on top of someone else's puke last night.” But hey, when you and all of ECNU's exchange students are drinking RMB10 tequila shots in close quarters, you've got to expect that it's going to get messy.

Drunkest Clientele
The Beaver
Narrowly inching out Phebe and M2, The Beaver takes home the top spot in this highly-valued category. It helps that people spill in and out of MAO and Dragon Club all through the night, but let's not take anything away from them–this is the only spot in town where the bartop organically becomes a dance floor at 1am.