Want to cut down on costs but not your free-flow lifestyle? Find out which venues around town offer the best drinks deals, with our guide to the best happy hours in Shanghai. Of course, the idea of a single happy ‘hour’ has rather been tossed out the window – most places on this list run their promotions for at least a couple of hours every evening; and we couldn’t be happier for them.

Abbey Road 艾比之路View In Map

This cosy English-styled pub/bar is hugely popular with the post-work expat crowd. Small wonder when every weekday between 4pm and 7pm, is buy-one-get-one free on house drinks. Come early and stay late: the outdoor patio is a great place to mingle and, when that closes down in the cold, there’s plenty of room inside.

Add: 45 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu; 岳阳路45号，东平路
Tel: 021 6431 6787
Website: www.abbeyroad-shanghai.com/home.php

Blue Frog 蓝蛙View In Map

You’re never too far from a Blue Frog, which means one of the city’s best happy hour deals is always close at hand. Between 4 and 8pm every day, all standard drinks are two-for-the-price-of-one. And on Tuesdays, after 8pm, they’re all just 25 RMB.

Add: 207-6 Maoming Nanlu, near Fuxing Lu; 茂名南路270-6, 近复兴路
Tel: 021 6445 6334
(For a list of their other locations see http://www.bluefrog.com.cn/body.html)

BrickView In Map

The newly renovated stretch of Sinan Lu (just south of Huahihai Lu) might be one of the city’s hottest destinations right now (have you seen the lines outside old-world Hong Kong diner Cha’s?!) but that doesn’t mean you can’t drink at discounted prices. Newcomer Brick is a restaurant/lounge bar that hosts live jazz performances, but every day between 11am and 6pm, Tsingtaos are two-for-one. Why not start here, then move on to any of the neighbouring establishments – HoF, Ginger Indochine, and, of course, Cha’s - they’re all great.

Add: 1F, 30 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhonglu; 思南路30号1楼, 近淮海中路
Tel: 021 6093 2005 

The Bulldog 英国斗牛犬View In Map

If trying to remember which place has which happy hour deal when, don’t worry. Just think Bulldog. All drinks are buy-one-get-one-free every night all night at this sports pub close to the American Embassy. What could be easier than that? And, what’s more, from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays, they have a special 50 RMB free-flow on Tiger draft beer.

Add: 1 Wulumuqi Nanlu, near Hengshan Lu乌鲁木齐南路1号，近衡山路
Tel: 021 6466 7878

Cotton’s 棉花酒吧View In Map

More than just a place to play board-games at the weekend, Cotton’s repeatedly wins all kinds of awards in the local expat press. And with good reason: the combination of quiet outdoor drinking area and snug indoor lounge (complete with a real fireplace), make it one of the most reliable options around. Best of all – for our current purposes at least – they offer buy-one-get-one-free on drinks from 4pm until 8pm, between Monday and Thursday.

Add: 132 Anting Lu, near Jianguo Xilu; 安亭路132号，近建国西路
Tel: 021 6433 7995

Kaiba 开吧 View In Map

You don’t think of going to Kaiba for cheap drinks. The specialist Belgian beer bar might have some of the finest ales around, but typically you’re paying for the quality. But on Tuesdays, all Trappist beers are buy-two-get-one-free, and since most of them have an alcohol content pushing double digits, you won’t need too many before you’re done for the night. Careful though, some of the beers here are so good, you might find it hard to wait until the following Tuesday to return.

Add: 528 Kangding Lu, near Xikang Lu; 康定路528号, 近西康路
Tel: 021 5059 6066

Munich Beer House 蓝堡啤酒屋View In Map

If you’re over in Pudong, you probably need a drink. So thank goodness for the Munich Beer House, who brings some continental cheer to the industrial wasteland, with their happy hour deal. Every day of the week (except Fridays and Sundays), from 4pm to 7pm, their homebrewed Hofbrau beer is half price. On Tuesdays they even spin the deal out until 9pm.

Add: 118 Shanghai Bay, 1138 Pudong Nanlu, near Zhangyang Lu; 浦东南路1138号, 上海湾广场118商铺 近张扬路
Tel: 021 5878 7979 

Southern BelleView In Map

This Deep South themed bar might not have been around too long, bt they have one of the longest happy hour deals in town: every day, between 2 and 8pm, drinks are buy-one-get-one-free. Pull up a chair on their charming street-side terrace, or just prop yourself up at the bar and watch Dukes of Hazzard ‘til everyone else gets off work.

Add: 433 Changle Lu, near Xiangyang Lu; 长乐路433号，近襄阳路
Tel: 86 139 1818 8520
Website: http://www.southernbelle.com.cn/

Lounge Tara 57View In Map

Want a little more class in your glass? Tired of drinks deals being limited to beer, wine and house pours? The folk at Tara 57 sympathise. Every weekday from 7pm-10pm, standard cocktails are half price. Already a great date venue, it’s even better when you don’t have to spend a fortune to wow your drinking partner.

Add: 2F, 57 Fuxing Xilu, near Yongfu Lu; 复兴西路57号2楼， 近永福路
Tel: 021 6431 7027

The Spot 欧风咖啡馆View In Map

This list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the happy hour heartland. Whether you plump for Malone’s (255 Tongren Lu, 铜仁路255号, 近南京西路; 021 6247 2400) or The Spot, you’ll find cheap drinks all afternoon long down at Tongren Lu. At The Spot, the magic numbers are 2-8pm (Mon-Fri), 4-8pm (Sat-Sun) and 25 RMB (on standard drinks and bottles).

Add: 331 Tongren Lu, near Beijing Lu 铜仁路331号, 近北京西路
Tel: 021 6247 3579

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