6 Bars With Bags of Personality

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Perhaps you’re more intuitive than sensory. Do you think you’re more thinking than feeling? We all have a combination of characteristics that form our own distinctive character, and it’s the same with bars.

We have a look at six bars with bags of personality. Do you go for that charming spot that brings a sense of fun to every occasion? Or perhaps you prefer luxurious and expensive, somewhat self-centered or obnoxious. Maybe a humble personality is more your thing, or do you go for adventurous and imaginative. Whatever is your thing we got you covered with six spots that have plenty of personality.

Highline

Highline is a contemporary American cocktail spot offering all-day drinking and dining – one might say is has a gregarious personality. The team behind Highline are like a pop supergroup; they have conceived a minimalist chic sunken living room type look, all modern without being vulgar, leaving you thinking that Highline has a rather imaginative personality, the music playlist featuring everything from Bob Marley to Iggy Pop.

The spacious terrace has its own bar, fireplace, and a mid-level view of downtown skyscrapers, exuberant springs to mind. With California classics cuisine and cocktails from 68rmb to 128rmb, Highline is bursting with personality in all sorts of ways. 

Nest

Unlike a lot of Bund-side bars Nest is very chill, it has a laid back personality, captured by the fact they do not enforce a strict dress code. Don’t be confused, Nest is not a club, but a lounge bar with outstanding drinks, food and atmosphere, and at surprisingly reasonable prices giving it a rather charming personality.

By being a neighbor to the Rockbund Art Museum it holds a cultured personality too, specializing in vodka-based cocktails (60-80rmb) and high-end bar food like oysters and steaks. The music is indie rock, from The Smiths to Interpol, and while it bears a resemblance to some of the more pompous venues along the Huangpu river, there is substance to Nest’s style, making it a friendly spot.

The Fellas

Who doesn’t love a glamorous and affordable rooftop bar? The Fellas, just off the Bund on Yan'an Dong Lu, has a humble personality to go with the straightforward Italian food they offer. Occasionally their offerings move towards luxury, but this isn’t a self-centered place: the wraparound terrace gives panoramic riverside views, brimming with a confident personality.

The drinks are cocktails and beers, with a relatively affordable list of exclusive Italian wines. If outside is all elegant banquette rings, with low glass walls and tasteful bamboo hedges, then inside is more formal, with a lounge atmosphere that revolves around a central bar; the personality of The Fellas is truly charming.

M1NT

Although not discreet, M1NT is certainly one of the most luxurious drinking spots in Shanghai. The shark tanks attest to the high-end décor, and the expensive drinks, around RMB100, give a rather self-centered sense of personality. But others just call this confident, and who wouldn’t be when you offer a high-end restaurant, a club and lounge area in one venue, as well as some of the most beautiful people in town.

The music is commercial house, mash-up, and some funky house during the week, with R&B and hip hop in the lounge. Perhaps the door policy plays into the conceited personality, if you want to be sure to get in, either get a membership or phone ahead and reserve a table. M1NT certainly attracts a glamorous crowd, the sort that hangs out on the VIP roof terrace, which offers great views of Pudong and the Bund. If not quite an obnoxious personality, M1NT is certainly confident.

Where Gastro Club

Where is a fancy but casual lounge in Sinan Mansions, and its personality is dependable. It has a chic aesthetic; it’s a cocktail lounge with a gastronomic edge. The kitchen is open, meaning you can peer in and gives the whole place an open and honest personality. The menu is made up of Western dishes, with an Asian touch across it, nothing too out of the ordinary; pan Fried Cod Fish, steaks with multiple marbling options, Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs, Sous Vide Pork Pluma etc.

The drinks menu breaks the dependable mold slightly, with specials like Barnabe Fillon (78rmb), Williams-Pear Martini (68rmb), Royal Mary (68rmb). They also have reliable bottled beers available of the craft and non-craft variety. There’s a DJ booth for musical entertainment, but nothing too adventurous. It’s a good spot, that dependable friend you need when you want to just have something nice.

Blackstone Magic Bar

Blackstone Magic Bar is one-half cocktail bar and one-half magic show, in a word adventurous. The concept comes from charismatic founder, Anson Chen, his imaginative personality rubbing off on the bar itself. Tickets to see a show are RMB240 with a classic cocktail or RMB300 for a VIP ticket, which comes with a signature cocktail. The signature drinks are beautiful and they reference famous historical magic tricks, the molecular cocktails as mysterious as the magic itself.

The bar is decked out in chandeliers, black shiny countertops and red velvet curtains, and the 34-seat theater is cozy and friendly. There is nothing else like Blackstone in Shanghai, giving it an independent personality, it does its own thing and there is no comparison. If you just go for drinks they have Whisky Sours, Mojitos, Long Island Ice Teas for around RMB80 a pop and you might even get to see the odd trick. In a word Blackstone has a gregarious personality, you’ll certainly have some fun there.

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