Best New Bars of 2017
The year is coming to a close, which means it’s time to look back at all the new bars that wowed us and got us drunk this year. There’s certainly no shortage of venues to mention, here’s our rundown of some of the year’s best new bars.
Flask
Address: 108 North Xiangyang Lu
Tel: 021 3669 6855
Hours: Daily, 7pm-2am (4am on weekends)
There were several bar resurrections this year, and our favorite is probably Flask. They’ve left behind the coke machine, but the venue, drinks and overall concept are awesome enough that we’re not sure they ever needed it in the first place.
The Captain
Address: 37 Fuzhou Lu, 6FL
Tel: 021 6323 7869
The entrance is still through the Captain Hostel, you take the lift up to the fifth floor and then walk the last flight of stairs to the sixth floor. The bar is on your left as you enter, and is run by Geo Valdivieso, who is also a partner in the new venture. He previously worked at UNICO as bar manager and head mixologist.
The ship theme is still in place with the bow of a ship extending onto the terrace, which has arguably the best view of the modern Pudong skyline anywhere along the Bund. The outdoor terrace has been really well renovated, taking the bar away from the shabby hostel vibe to an upmarket Bund side bar.
Candor
Address: 3/F, 57 Maoming Nan Lu
Tel: 021 5425 3696
Hours: Tue-Sun, 7pm-2am
The sexy, sultry, circusy cocktail bliss of a bar made us all giddy when they reopened on Maoming Lu. They’re back, better than before with truly one-of-a-kind drinks that even the most phone-averse bar goers will be instagramming.
Café des Stagieres
Address: 158 Julu Lu
Tel: 021 6312 9302
Hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-2am, Sat-Sun, 12pm-4am
If ever there were a Shanghai bar that needs no introduction… Their latest Found158 location opened on April 15th to perhaps the biggest gathering of expats in the history of the universe, it’s been rockin’ ever since.
Goose Island Brewhouse
Address: 209 Maoming Bei Lu
Tel: 021 6219 0268
Hours: Daily, 11am-1am
The Goose finally got loose in China this year. Goose Island’s enormous Brewhouse opened in West Nanjing to huge crowds of locals and tourists. Great beer, great food, enormous goose heads.
Jackie’s 2
Address: 1/F, 399 Baotun Lu
Tel: 021 6377 7179
Hours: Daily, 5pm-midnight
On the long list this year of surprise openings, Jackie’s 2 is a top contender. Their second location, within walking distance of the first, is almost four times as large, with 100 taps, deer heads and even a locally inspired food menu.
Lychee
Address: Fuxing Xi Lu, Lane 49, Building 2
Tel: 021 346 11377
Hours: Friday & Saturday from 6pm to 4am; Sunday from 6pm to midnight
Lychee is spread over three floors of a lane house just off Fuxing Xi Lu. The first floor is the cocktail bar, which has romantic little cubbyholes in the corners.
The second floor is the restaurant and it looks beautiful, a wonderful color palette of royal blue, sea green and deep purple velvet stools and sofas to enjoy dinner in a little luxury. The third floor is the nightclub, comprising a great bar and another private lounge area.
Beverly
Address: 20 Donghu Road(near middle Huaihai Road), 7th Floor
Hour: 5pm - 2am
Beverly is a newly opened lounge bar right upstairs from its sister venue, Le Baron. But where Le Baron is known for its red glow, Beverly has decided to go pink, like REALLY pink. The drinks are fantastic and their terrace is perfect for watching all the shenanigans below.
Dry Goods Cold Drinks
Address: 128 Taiyuan Lu
Tel: 021 6433 9359
Hours: Daily, 8pm-2am
Just when we all thought speakeasies were totally dead, Dry Goods pleasantly surprised us with their odd entrance, western/saloon style décor, and of course: really really excellent cocktails.
Blackstone
Address: B1/F, 158 Julu Lu
Tel: 139 1846 2770
Hours: Tue-Sun, 7pm-1am
Is Blackstone a magic show that has drinks, or a bar that has magic? We may never know, but we definitely recommend anyone in Shanghai go find out for themselves.
Above the Globe
Address: 7/F, 1013 Beijing Xi Lu
Tel: 173 1736 9152
Hours: Daily, 6pm-2am
A Shakespeare-inspired cocktail bar that delighted and surprised us perhaps more than any other venue this year. Above the Globe is a not-so-hidden gem you should check out if you haven’t already.
Beer Lady 2
Address: 1010 Kaixuan Lu
Tel: 021 6218 6891
Hours: 24 HR
Beer Lady took no prisoners in Shanghai during 2017, opening not one, but two gigantic beer havens. Beer Lady 2 is a 24-hour sudsy bonanza with over 3000 bottles to choose from.
Beer Lady 3
Address: 1247 Suzhou Lu (near Xinzha lu metro)
Phone: 021 5386 3393
Hours: 24/7
#2 surprised us when it opened at the beginning of summer, but 3 came out of nowhere, with just as much space and beer as 2, 3 also offers a super cool river view and even a semi-restaurant(ish) area within the venue.
Beer Plus
Address: 406 Changshou Lu
Tel: 137 9524 1780
Hours: Daily, 11am-3am
In a city where everyone copies everyone, it should come as no surprise that Beer Lady’s mega bottle shop formula was replicated. Beer Plus upped the ante though, with a menu of top notch foods like steak, seafood and local snacks to go alone with thousands of bottles and a wide selection of cocktails and liquor.
Antique by Tastebuds
Address: 2F, 44 Sinan Lu
Hours: Daily, 7pm-2am
Tel: 021 5382 1055
Local legend bartender Daniel An was at it again this year, opening (or maybe reopening?)The Antique by Tastebuds along Sinan lu. The venue is a delightfully knick-knack filled space with more character than you’d know what to do with. And, oh yea, a knock-em dead drink menu from Mr. An.
Shanghai Republik
Address: 418 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu
Tel: 021 6340 1889
Hours: Sun-Thu, 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat, 11am-2am
It’s always a roller coaster over on Dagu Lu, but Shanghai Republik, a pop art-inspired bar with great drinks, food, arcade games and an enormous Mao painted on the wall, was one of the bars that sparked the streets latest comeback. Although they will be undergoing renovations soon. We look forward to their return.
Duo
Address: 3/F, No. 16, Lane 193 Maoming Bei Lu
Tel: 021 6148 8218
Hours: Daily, 5pm-2am
If you like drinking, but would prefer to do it in a sports bar that looks like the movie Tron, look no further.
Ruin
Address: 115 Xingfu Lu
Tel: 15000182212
Hours: 9am-1am
Located just behind Dada on Xingfu Lu, Ruin bar made a surprising splash this year with its no-frills, minimalist approach. The space is a perfect yin yang compliment to the loudness and chaos of Dada when it’s heaving.
Arkham
Address: B/1, Found 158, 158 Julu Lu
Tel: 021 6211 6317
Hours: 10pm - late
If you love taking dru… uh I mean, if you love live electronic music that’s really loud and goes until really late, you were no doubt ecstatic that Arkham reopened recently down in 158. With all the charm, ambiance and huge crowds that made the original so epic.
ALL
Address: 2F, 17 Xiangyang Bei Lu
Hours: Bar: Tue-Thursday, 6pm-2am. Club: Fri-Sat, 9pm-5am
It’s not Shelter, but it is the same people from Shelter. It’s got a similar vibe as Shelter, but it’s not Shelter. It’s not Shelter ok?
Sober Company
Address: 99 Yandang Lu
Tel: 021 5309 8261
Hours: (Sober Society) 7pm-2am
Shingo Gokan doesn’t do anything mediocre apparently. The cocktail genius behind Speak Low made quick work with this Yandang Lu mega project, which recently snagged the 19th spot on Asia’s Top 50 Bars list. Start at Sober Cafe for an aperitif and finish up the night in Sober Society.
Barraco
Address: 559 Middle Fuxing Lu, near Sinan Lu
Tel: 156 0191 3150
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 6pm- 12am
This bar is the coolest thing ever and its brand spanking new! It’s a Brazilian bar and it’s based around the favelas of southern Brazil. This is such a cool concept and it has been pulled of fantastically. There are swings for seats and a chilled out beachy vibe. There’s also a cracking outdoor area to make the most of whilst the weather holds out. This place would be a great chilled out date spot or good for grabbing a drink with a mate.
Hitachino
Address: 531 Fuxing Zhong Lu
Tel: 021 5401 9296
Hours: 48 31412 48 15288 0 0 2894 0 0:00:10 0:00:05 0:00:05 3013g>Tue-Fri, 4.30pm-1am, Sat-Sun, 10.30am-1am, Closed Mondays
Japanese bar is in town and they are going for a Japanese one stop shop eating drinking extravaganza spread over four floors. The first two floors are a chilled out bar area with seating outside, they are serving Japanese bar snack and some light meals.
The third floor is a tepanyaki restaurant, it’s designed for group bookings of around 10, they can be a little flexible, and the minimum spend is RMB680, so it’s not a cheap dinner but for birthdays etc it would be very cool.
KRU
Address: Yongping Li, 199 Hengshan Lu
Tel: 021 5456 5913
Hours: Daily, 1pm-2am
Everything about KRU is easy, laidback and essentially everything you’d want in a wine bar. It’s owned and operated by the Flask group, the ones behind Flask, Botanist and The Bunker by Flask. From the vast selection of wines to the spot-on dishes, it’s casual perfection for all price ranges.
QV
Address: 343 Jiaozhou Lu (near Wuding Lu)
Tel: 021 6256 5005
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm to late
QV is a perfect little wine bar if you’re looking to drink, nibble, and hang with friends. The laid back atmosphere, good prices and quality of the food and wine along with complete lack of pretension make for a wine bar where you can enjoy nice things without trying too hard, or spending too much.
Club 3 1/3
Address: Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Bund No 3, 1/F
Tel: 021 6312 0931
Hours: Sun to Thur, 8pm to 3am; Fri & Sat, 8pm to 4am
If you’re looking for a new hangout in the bund vicinity then look no further than 3 1/3. It’s the perfect spot to wow guests from out of town, your new date or seal business deals. Basically it’s hitting all the spotsproviding an elegant lounge vibe early in the evening with more club like atmosphere as the hours pass. While opulent, they do not enforce a strict dress code (just no shorts please) making it a comfortable place to socialize.
Video Host
Looking for an enthusiastic and bilingual, on-camera personality to host a new video series for top restaurants, hotels and bars around the city. Get your passport ready, as there will opportunities for international travel.
We are also looking for a skilled videographer and director
All interested applicants please send your resume and show reel to jobs@shanghaiwow.com
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