Shanghai - A - BlackBook Guides

132 Nanyang Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6256-2265

Big Bamboo

Shanghai’s best beer, pool and sports bar sits on a narrow street directly behind the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Canadian-managed, it features multiple TV screens showing major sporting events, nigh... read more

4/F Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai
[86-21] 6323-8399

Lounge 18

Popular weekend haunt for twenty and thirtysomething loungers and clubbers who require a little extra light and space. Early evening this large riverside lounge affords fine views in a refined, ele... read more

1416 Huaihai Zhong Lu , Shanghai
(86-21) 6437-7110

Cotton Club

Long-standing blues club that adheres to all the standard requirements of the genre: there’s talented house band, regular international performers, and a smoky, intimate ambience. The small s... read more

86 Tongren Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6247-0320

Blue Frog

It’s curious cross between an after-work white-collar sipping station and a more raucous late-night shots-and-slams hangout. Nevertheless, this Shanghai bar institution has now expanded to ot... read more

Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6339-1199

Bar Rouge

Brash, sexy and undeniably ‘New China,’ this self-conscious lounge/club is party central for nouveau riche Shanghainese and on-the-prowl expats and tourists. Boasting ambient European t... read more

96 Xinle Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 5404-0970

Bar Constellation

Cosy one-room Japanese bar serving up late-night drinks to discerning taste-buds. The cocktails rock, but the main draw is the vast selection of premium malt whiskies from Ireland, Scotland, Canada... read more

32-33/F, Hyatt on the Bund, 199 Huangpu Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6393-1234 ext 63

Vue

Elegant late-night lounge designed by Japan’s in-demand Super Potato. The interior is styled like a contemporary wine cellar, with wooden vats and empty bottles lining the entranceway, and ex... read more

Shanghai Center, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6279-8888

Portman Ritz-Carlton

Something of a Puxi standard-setter, the Ritz-Carlton has long been a favored VIP and CEO hangout. To meet competition from the city’s new luxe lodgings, a multi-million-dollar overhaul of th... read more

78 Xingguo Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6212-9998

Radisson Plaza Xingguo

An underrated, often overlooked luxury option occupying a tree-filled former tycoon’s estate in Shanghai’s diplomatic quarter. The main tower is surrounded by elegant villas, and there ... read more

16, Lane 351 Huashan Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6248-6118

Old House Inn

Tucked down a narrow lane this tiny, super quaint boutique hotel is located in an old Shanghai house. The entire ambience is retro-deco Shanghai, with wooden floors, four-poster beds and 1930s-styl... read more

82 Xinie Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 5403-9888

Mansion Hotel

This classical villa is laden with historical intrigue – being formerly owned by Big Ears Du, the Al Capone of 1930s Shanghai. Completely revamped, it is now a boutique heritage hotel set beh... read more

931 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6217-9000

Jia Shanghai

Sassy, smart and sexy, Jia Shanghai is Yenn Wong’s follow-up boutique hotel to the original Hong Kong property designed by Philippe Starck. The location is super central, occupying a renovate... read more

199 Huangpu Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6393-1234

Hyatt on the Bund

Opened in late 2007, this deluxe hotel from the Grand Hyatt stable occupies twin towers overlooking the Huangpu River. Located on the up-and-coming north Bund area, it sits next to the new Shanghai... read more

5 Hengshan Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6474-6166

Zapata's

Ever-popular two-level bar, club and Mexican cantina that rewrote the Shanghai book on raucous partying when it opened in 2004. The fun-loving crowd is a mix of locals and expats, and it serves Lat... read more

399 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 5359-4969

JW Marriott

Located on the upper floors of a landmark pyramidal tower on the edge of People’s Square, this is one of Shanghai’s leading corporate five-star abodes. A fine suite of meetings and conv... read more

68 Taicang Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 5382-1600

Lapis Casa

A short hop from Xintiandi, this rather offbeat hotel has chosen an unusual stylistic agenda: a Mediterranean-themed casa whose rooms are dressed with retro 1920s Shanghai furnishings and flourishe... read more

11 Hankou Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6321 8447

The Bund Brewery

Tucked away on a rarely visited street near the Bund, this large microbrewery and restaurant makes is popular with early evening tourists and large groups of local Shanghainese. The interior, large... read more

5 Yongfu Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6437-0400

The Shelter

Unpretentious dance club that manages to be cool without trying too hard. Small and sparsely furnished, it substitutes raw concrete walls and wooden bar chairs for the fussy lighting and blingy sof... read more

698 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6218-1360

Windows Underground

This fun dive bar caters to shoestring travelers, student and hard-up party animals. Located below ground level, don’t be put off by its cave-like atmosphere – Windows knows how to part... read more

125 Nanchang Lu, Shanghai
(86-21) 6466-4098

YYs

If you visit only one bar in Shanghai, make it YYs. The décor is dated and slightly grungy, the service so-so, and there’s absolutely no semblance of New Shanghai bling. But this long-... read more