This new speakeasy bar and club is mixing up movie-themed drinks
Photograph: courtesy Dusk Till Dawn (Jack Sparrow)
Regardless of whether your stance on themed-bars leans towards beautifully strange or just well, strange – there’s no denying that they’re a good time. If you do indeed like games and gimmicks to accompany your drinks, Shanghai has a new spot for it – part speakeasy, part lounge and part club Dusk Till Dawn. Yes, it gets its name from Robert Rodriguez’s ultra-violent 1996 vampire flick, and like the film, it’s a fun and wild ride.
The bar is technically ‘hidden’ behind a door in the same space as street-side Thai eatery Soi Thai (and owned by the same team). The main drawcard is the 12-strong signature cocktail menu from co-founder Eric Almazov (also of Botanical Basket) that’s presented on a set of cards and divided into four categories – Vampire, Queen, Psychopath and Priest.
Photograph: Rupert Hohwieler (Hannibal)
Each section unveils drinks based on characters from comic-book and cult-classic movies. Once you’ve picked your category, you’re left with a choice of three distinct cocktails (prices from 88-118RMB). Go the Psychopath route and you’ll be met with Hannibal Lector. His drink (shock horror), a bloody Mary riff that sees vodka shaken in with gazpacho and served next to bread and jamon. Drinks under the Queen cards take inspiration from familiar female characters, like the Harley Quinn made with bubble gum-infused gin, served in a bird-shaped glass and garnished with a strip of gum as a nod to the Joker’s anarchic beau.
Photograph: Rupert Hohwieler (Blade)
Other creations include an out-there Jack Sparrow-influenced cocktail served with a smoking conch shell (thanks to dry ice) to drink from if you choose and tastes much like the sea thanks to seaweed-infused gin and olive bitters. For a more toned-down tipple, try the one that represents Blade. It’s a strong, straightforward mix of sherry, bitters, metaxa and Amaro Montenegro, designed with Wesley Snipes’ sword-wielding vampire-slayer in mind.
Photograph: courtesy Dusk Till Dawn
The film-themed cocktail menu is available from 6-10pm during the bar’s speakeasy period on weekends (all night on weekdays), before the space then shifts into dance mode with lounge vibes and housey tunes, plus smoky red laser lights that project down from the ceiling. As with any place that’s brand new in Shanghai, Dusk Till Dawn’s currently in soft-opening so things are still being fine-tuned with eight more drinks planned past the grand opening in two weeks. For now though, movie buffs and cocktail enthusiasts, just sit back and enjoy the show.
📍No 107, 688 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Wuding Lu.