The Peninsula is one of the Far East’s oldest hotel brands–the first Shanghai hotel in the group opened back in 1923. The luxury brand’s return has been beautifully executed, built from the ground up but designed to blend into the Bund’s surviving historic facades.

Its Compass Bar serves drinks at the high-end of the scale (cocktails are all ¥90; wines from ¥95), and it does it with polish and flair.

The interior plays on the Bund’s shipping heritage, with various nautical doodads and model boats. The lighting is beautiful. Live piano tinkles in the corner–perhaps slightly too loudly–and the cocktail menu is simple and inviting.

House wines were plentiful, with six of each color by the glass. The perfect martini lived up to its name. We also tried a Shengking–a mix of rum and five fruit juices–which burst with flavor without being too sweet.