Out After Dark: Shanghai's Best Bars and Clubs

Out After Dark: Shanghai's Best Bars and Clubs
By Susie Gordon , eChinacities.com

When newcomers or tourists in Shanghai ask me where they should go for a big night out, I’m often a little stumped. It’s not that there’s a shortage of clubs here; quite the opposite. There are so many, and there’s such variety, that it’s hard to know what to recommend. So I usually end up asking them what they want from a night clubbing in Shanghai.

If they say they want glitz, glamour, and a taste of the high life, I direct them towards the Bund. Wai Tan, as the waterfront street is called in Mandarin, is a stretch of imposing slate-grey buildings looking out over the river towards the lights and towers of the Pudong financial district. The views from the Bund’s terrace clubs are arguably some of the best in Asia, so a trip to somewhere like Bar Rouge (7F, Bund 18, near Nanjing Lu) will guarantee you a fabulous evening. Inside, Bar Rouge is a meld of French design – rich velvet curtains, sparkling chandeliers – high-class cocktails, and great club sounds. It’s usually ¥100 on the door, but prices are often higher when there’s a special guest DJ. A little further down the Bund, close to that bizarre lighthouse that you’ve probably noticed, is De La Coast (5-6F, 1 Yan'an Lu). With open bar offers, this is a good place to get the party started, and has great views. The terrace isn’t as big as Bar Rouge’s, which gives it a cosier (if busier) feel. Another good place for an all-you-can-drink deal is Bar Hulu, at the western end of the Bund (2F, 500 Zhongshan Dongyilu near Ningbo Lu). Rumours are rumbling that Hulu’s days might be numbered, so check it out while you can.


Bar Rouge

For a classic club experience with flashing lights, techno on the decks, and posers aplenty, try one of the Muse branches. M2 in Jing’an is the best known (5F, Plaza 66, 1266 Nanjing Lu, near Shanxi Bei Lu), but the original Muse inside the New Factories (68 Yuyao Lu, near Xikang Lu) is worth a look too, as well as Muse Park 97 in the French Concession (2A Gaolan Lu, Fuxing Park).

Some people want a real Chinese clubbing experience when they party in Shanghai. For this, I recommend Babyface (Unit 101, Shanghai Square, 138 Huaihai Lu, near Pu’an Lu). In a city with such a large and often cliquey expat scene, it’s good to escape the Western bubble and party alongside the locals.

 

If you like live music, Yuyintang (851Kaixuan Lu) is the place for you. It’s the place to see up and coming local and foreign bands, and the vibe is less fancy than some of the big name clubs. Also popular with the alternative crowd is The Shelter (5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xilu). Tucked down a quiet street in the French Concession, it is, as its name suggests, a former bomb shelter. This much is evident as you enter the club through a dingy tunnel, to emerge into a smoky den painted totally black. There are no chandeliers or plush sofas here, and that’s exactly why it’s so popular. Guest DJs and regulars man the decks throughout the week, and Friday nights are always rammed. On a similar note is LoGo (13 Xingfu Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu) which is famous for its Friday reggae night and Wednesday evening slot with DJ Yellow. Despite the rather adamant sign on the door declaring ‘NO DRUG’, tell-tale herbal odours can usually be detected in the snooker room.

If hookers and hawkers are your scene (hey, we’re not judging…) head down to Tongren Lu. This stretch has a well-deserved reputation for being somewhat sleazy, thanks to the slew of dive bars that thrive there. The diviest are undeniably Judy’s (78-80 Tongren Lu, near Yan’an Lu) and Manhattan (70 Tongren Lu, near Yan’an Lu).

With a clubbing scene as diverse and ever-changing as Shanghai’s, it’s impossible to list every club, but hopefully this run-down will have guided you in the right direction.

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