Shanghai’s nightlife spins around clubbing, loud music, expensive drinks and an air of pretension. What the city lacks are British-style pubs. Half is not exactly a pub, but it certainly has the friendly, chill atmosphere of a good boozer.

With reasonably priced drinks (Tsingtao ¥15, soft drinks ¥20, spirits ... Read more »

This is another little spot in the Tianzifang lanes that offers basic spirits and mixers and a couple of nice beers plus smoothies (¥28) and juices (¥22).

It also has a wide selection of food (curry and pasta from about ¥25, Korean appetizers for around the same). There’s a ... Read more »

Taikang Lu has a plush new venue beneath 288 Melting Pot. Head down a broad flight of stairs into a Moroccan-themed interior lined with red sofas and trimmed with north African doodads.

A large central bar dispenses the booze (beers start from ¥35, ¥45 and up for spirit mixers and ... Read more »

Hugely popular Yunnan restaurant Lost Heaven has opened its second location.

This one comes with a large terrace for art shows and a two-floor bar and club, also with a long, lavish balcony. Waltzing up from the restaurant on the second floor, it feels gloriously plush and over the top ... Read more »

Shanghai’s first burlesque club in over half a century has opened in a former Buddhist temple in Hongkou.

The proprietors are trying to recreate a sultry 1930s atmosphere to go with their two nightly stage shows. It’s free to get in, free to sit down and free to ... Read more »

This small but excellently finished bar sits almost totally hidden beneath the Dunhill store in Plaza 66. Wander in and you’ll find yourself in a down-sized gentlemen’s club. Men sit around the few tables in shirtsleeves smoking cigars and swinging bottles of scotch. Eighteenth-century Italian art hangs on ... Read more »

The Puli Hotel has been trying to open for the past few months but finally managed it on September 9.

We hope the longevity implied by its opening date–the auspicious 9.9.09–proves accurate, because its Long Bar is a fantastic addition to the city’s high-end drinking ... Read more »

Kaiba, Belgian Beer Garden ★★★★✩

Kaiba’s second location is a great spot for those who want something more than a warm bottle of Tsingtao with their beer nuts. This Belgian bar features more than 50 imported bottled brews. They’re shipped in not just from Belgium but beer-loving nations around ... Read more »

Charlie's Bar ★★★✩✩

How fitting for this salacious city to name a new bar after a womanizing celebrity obsessed with girls one quarter his age. Charles Chaplin was a cinematic pioneer and unashamed philandering hedonist. This bar–within the Crowne Plaza Shanghai–is nothing like as innovative or daring as ... Read more »

A large dance floor and a long, central bar gives this recently re-launched Jing’an spot the potential for fun times. The new management is going for an upscale feel. Booths line either side of the room, with some curtained off for privacy. The DJ is given pride of place ... Read more »

Tucked away down an alley between LOgO and Anar, this low-lit gem gives us another reason to spend our nights on Xingfu Lu. Backed by the Antidote Crew–some of Shanghai’s best party people–Dada opened quietly a month ago and built a sizeable stir while the licensing snafus ... Read more »

Jing’an’s new house of shochu gets a few things right, but not quite enough: friendly staff, a large selection of shochu (all around ¥38) and an English cheat sheet to help those unfamiliar with the Japanese spirit. Shochu is distilled from rice, wheat, barley or sweet potatoes. In ... Read more »

Ah, closed already.

We’re not too sure why we like this new spot behind Plaza 66. In a different mood, its combination of sofas, dancing girls and Western prices (¥55 for house spirits) would have left us underwhelmed. The sound system was turned up too loud for talking, and ... Read more »

Cookie is like that lackluster friend you keep around because of one redeeming quality: he buys everyone drinks. The interior doesn’t rise too far above dive bar status–two rooms, each with a bar, a pool table in one and the sensible combination of dartboard and dance floor in ... Read more »

If you’re looking for a place where you can still stand out as a foreigner in Shanghai, this new club may be worth your while since the locals outnumber the expats by far. ZEAL caters to those who want to dance, not talk. The hip-hop is so loud, you ... Read more »

Click on the links below to see this issue's New Bars.

LAN Club

Club Caribbean Read more »

TangoBang

BLOC Read more »

Click on the links below to read the reviews:

Kento's

Season Bar Read more »

Shochu, Sake and More

Every neighborhood needs a good Japanese bar, and if you are lucky enough to inhabit the former French Concession, this is the one for you. The modern Japanese gray, red and black color scheme, stone inlaid floors and jazzy background music set the zen mood. Attentive ... Read more »

A Hidden Gem

Tucked away in the back of an alley in Jing'an, this neighborhood bar is as unassuming as it is randomly located. Don't be deceived by the quiet entrance complete with foosball table and big screen TV displaying the latest sports events, if you delve deeper ... Read more »

New House, Old Song

The House of Blues & Jazz's move to the Bund was as much of a venue upgrade as it was a relocation, but the new venue maintains an Old Shanghai vibe, just with a major facelift. The dim lighting, wood paneling and comfortable furniture creates a ... Read more »

A Favorite Gets a Face-Lift

For all the Bund party goers looking for a new hot spot to dance away the summer nights, you'll feel right at home at Mundo Latino's reincarnation, Bar Hulu. The black-and-white mirror laden interior boasts a sleek contemporary design. Candles abound throughout the ... Read more »

Pick Your Poison

Even the pickiest cocktail enthusiasts will find something pleasing on Kiittos' mammoth drink list. The list features dry, medium and sweet martinis and classic cocktails with various spirit bases. We settled on a fresh Mango Martini (￥50), an American Lemonade (￥80) and a Sidecar (￥60). The Sidecar ... Read more »