The hottest bars, restaurants and cafés in Shanghai this January

Happy New Year, party people – 2018 has arrived and with it comes a flood of solid new drinking and dining spots whose splendour we hope will last longer than your well-intentioned new year's resolve. From the very swankiest Chinese dining experiences to bespoke cocktails, intimate izakaya plates and coffee-beer collabs, here's what we're craving from Shanghai's hottest tables.

Jeju Izakaya

Perhaps Shanghai's hottest table at the moment, you'll need to plan in advance to get a spot at this intimate eight-seater. Serving up creative Korean fare in a Japanese izakaya-style setting, the dishes here suprise and more than satisify, but the ambience alone is worth the trip. Reservations are a must and can only be made through Jeju's WeChat account (jejuizakaya). Whatever you do, don't miss one of Jeju's varieties of fresh AF octopus.

Jeju Izakaya 1095 Yuyuan Lu, near Fenggang Lu (WeChat: jejuizakaya).

45 Degrees

The new neighbourhood craft beer bar and chill café from the Boxing Cat family has collaborated with Café del Volcan to bring together two of life's great liquids: beer and coffee. Tap into the Laundry Latte brew and all the other BCB and Liquid Laundry suds, plus cocktails from Ruslan Kapstan (Cobra Lily), beer-tails, all day brunch, late night snacks and more.

45 Degrees Second Floor, 991 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu (5266 8620). 

Tailor Bar 2.0

Eddy Yang and The Tailor Group (Above the Globe, Second Moment) bring back the popular bespoke cocktail bar, a much-awaited return after it shuttered last spring. Now located in Le Sun Chine Hotel, head in for – you guessed it – drinks tailor-made to your fit tastes.

Tailor Bar 2.0 First Floor, Bldg 6, Lane 1220, Le Sun Chine Hotel, Huashan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu.

The Peacock Room

From the same group behind lavishly designed Cantonese restaurant Sense 8, The Peacock Room is dishing out Sichuanese fare like you rarely see. Rather than the family-style dining experience you might expect, this opulent locale offers a multi-course affair of Sichuan flavours in fine dining settings. Expect a bit of glitter, a lot of attention and hard-hitting punches of mala spice.

The Peacock Room Third Floor, Room S301 (South Garden block), Taikoo Hui, 180 Shimen Yi Lu, near Weihai Lu (5239 1999).

Oha Cafe

From the team behind Bar No. 3 and now shut cocktail-focused Blackbird Café, Oha Cafe is refreshing the way guests can enjoy creative Chinese cuisine without the confines of traditional, quick, family-style service. The small, clean-lined restaurant offers counter seating surrounding a central aisle through which the chefs and staff glide about throughout your meal, introducing each course, the origins of its ingredients and the cooking methods. A pleasant addition to Anfu Lu that'll stretch your understanding of what Chinese fare can be.

Oha Cafe 23 Anfu Lu, near Changshu Lu (136 2164 7680).

Terroir Parisien

Situated in Raffles City Changning, this one comes from French chef Yannick Alléno of three Michelin-starred Ledoyen, one of the most highly regarded restaurants in Paris. Sharing its name with sister restaurants in Hong Kong and Paris, Terroir Parisien is the chef's first Mainland China venture, calling itself a laid-back bistro dedicated to simple, 'authentic' Parisian food and atmosphere.

Terroir Parisien Bldg H4, Raffles City Changning, 1195 Changning Lu, near Kaixuan Lu (6088 1677).

Lobby

Hidden down an alley just behind The Bund, Lobby is an unexpected little gem that brings together local street artist designs, Brooklyn loft vibes and a mish-mash Asian and Italian menu with Japanese personality at heart. It may not boast the Pudong skyline views, but it's affordable, cosy and welcoming; set up to be a hideaway dining spot for the city's artsy, cool-kid types.

Lobby 115 Jiangxi Zhong Lu, near Guangdong Lu (6312 8971).

Canton Table

Three on the Bund's newest culinary baby, Canton Table's chic surrounds are home to traditional Hong Kong-style dishes with modern touches. Like all TotB venues, expect sparkling Bund views, a classy atmosphere and price tags to match.

Canton Table Fifth Floor, Three on the Bund, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu (6321 3737).

Laundry Co.

As we enter 2018, some trends – like speakeasies – just won't let up: throw a rock anywhere in Shanghai and chances are it'll hit one. Staying on that steady horse is the team behind Barbershop cocktail bar, with a new whisky-focused speakeasy concept called Laundry Co. In a shocking twist, the bar's front is a laundromat on Xiangyang Lu, with hundreds upon hundreds of single-malts waiting for you in a den behind the shiny chrome washing machines.

Laundry Co. 93-5 Xiangyang Bei Lu, near Changle Lu.

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