Outdoor, and in demand
- Source: Global Times
- [13:22 June 04 2010]
- Comments
Al fresco drinking. Photos: IC
By Tom Mangione
Shanghai's party people are itching to get outside and enjoy the warm evenings as they drink their way to good cheer. Luckily for them, several new bars have opened with dedicated patio spaces, offering great city views. These bars join the legion of Shanghai's well-established patio-bars that are opening up again. The Global Times brings you the scoop on the new spaces as well as noting some of our old favorites.
The newcomers
The Apartment is the latest addition to Shanghai's house of parties, situated on Yongfu Road. Long gone are the days when The Shelter alone had to deal with the wrath of locals complaining about noise to all hours of the morning. They've got company now, and plenty of it. Crowning the complex on the third floor, The Apartment is the sixth drinking establishment to come to the building, offering the feel of a classic New York lounge; unpretentious, but certainly urbane. You might be able to weasel your way in wearing a pair of shorts and flip-flops, but you'd better have a clever witticism handy for when somebody pulls you up on it. The Apartment also offers freshly made pizzas and a dining room for private occasions. The drinks are on the expensive side at about 60 yuan for a cocktail or imported beer. The wood-paneled rooftop patio offers unique views of former French Concession rooftops.
The Apartment, 47 Yongfu Road, 3/F, Room 301, 6437 9478, 11am till late.
Summer on the Bund is the project of two Dutch students studying Chinese and business in Shanghai. The outside-only bar is located on a patio above a Japanese restaurant in Gongcheng Park at the southern tip of the Bund. Since the bar is part of a public park, it has to be put up and taken down every night. The aim of the bar is to offer a patio-style bar with Bund views at prices not commonly associated with the Bund - beers start at 25 yuan and cocktails at 40 yuan. The bar also promises to be an ideal spot to watch World Cup matches, with the games projected onto a stone wall connected to the patio. The only possible drawback to this bar is that it is a distance from the rest of the Bund, and taxis in this area are few and far between.
Summer on the Bund, 333 Renmin Road, near Fuyou Road, inside Gongcheng Park, 150 2175 2221, 7 pm to 2 am Sunday through Thursday, 7 pm to 4 am Friday and Saturday.
Riverside view. Photo: Courtesy of Summer on the Bund
The owners of JZ Club recently opened a new bar on Qinghai Road, between Nanjing Road West and Weihai Road called The Wooden Box. The glass enclosed interior of the bar winds around, featuring wooden furniture and couches for lounging. Since the aim of this bar will certainly be acoustic music from some of the top jazz musicians in the city, the rooftop patio could very well all yours, depending on the crowd. It should also be noted that JZ Club itself also offers similar rooftop seating, separated from the music, but offering a place for a nice quiet drink.
The Wooden Box, 9 Qinghai Road, near Nanjing Road West, 5213 2965, 10 am to 1:30 am.
JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Road, near Yongfu Road, 6431 0269, 8 pm to 2 am.
Old standbys
Shanghai's roster of outdoor bars also has a number of perennial favorites. One of the most established is Cotton's. With two locations, one on Xinhua Road and another on Anting Road, the candle-lit patios of these villas-turned-restaurant/bars are known for being comfortable and intimate. Of course, you do pay for the scenery. Drinks are around 60 yuan each, but the affable owner Cotton is worth the expense. There is a daily happy hour (buy one get one free) from 4 pm to 8 pm to get you going.
Cotton's (Xinhua Road), 294 Xinhua Road, near Dingxi Road, 6282 6897, 11 am to 2 am, Sunday though Thursday, 11 am to 4 am Friday and Saturday.
Cotton's (Anting Road), 132 Anting Road, near Jianguo Road West, 6433 7995, 11 am to 2 am, Sunday through Thursday, 11 am to 4 am Friday and Saturday.
A rundown of outside bars wouldn't be complete without David Laris' The Fat Olive. The lounge situated on a roof between two towers of an office complex offers some of the city's most sought after views, with the Jin Mao Tower and the World Financial Center in sight on a clear night. Enjoying a glass of wine or Mediterranean-themed starters feels like sitting in the living room of an eccentric industrial magnate who mercurially decided to have all his furniture moved out onto the roof. Mezzes are about 30 to 60 yuan and wine and beer is from 40 yuan and more.
The Fat Olive, 6/F, Silver Court Building, 228 Xizang Road West, near Huaihai Road Central, 6334 3288, 9:30 am until late.
