A Guide to Shanghai Nightlife
So you’re sitting in your hotel room, having just arrived from an epic journey across the globe, you pinch yourself to check for neurological signs of reality. You’re in Shanghai, China, “The Sin City of the East” as you’ve been told. What exactly is so sinful about it? Well, with any luck, that’s what you’re going to be finding out. And while dawn might have just broken back home, where you are, the night has barely begun.
Drinks
There is a wide selection of bars around Shanghai that feature live musical performances – many by internationally acclaimed musicians. If you’re looking for a healthy blend of international culture, you will definitely find it here. Drinks can be had at many of the relatively new bars on Tong Ren Rd, which is patronized by a large population of ex-pats working in Shanghai. It’s considered one of the more lively places to go for pre-dinner drink if you are into live music and people watching.
If, however, you are looking for something with slightly better ambience, People’s Park offers a few bars in the serene and idyllic setting of an after-hours park. Most bars offer happy hour from 5-8 PM, although if you look hard enough, it’s always happy hour somewhere in Shanghai. Many bars offer the great deal of “All you can drink”. The most notable of these is the JW Marriot’s “Martini Buffet” from 6-8 PM – all you can drink quality martinis made with top shelf liquor for only 100 RMB or ~$12.50.
Dinner
No matter what type of cuisine you’re in the mood for, there’s undoubtedly a restaurant that caters to your taste in Shanghai. Being the largest city in China, Shanghai obviously has much to offer in terms of Chinese cuisine. Anything from Cantonese cooking (less seasoning) to Sichuan cuisine (generous use of spices) to local Shanghainese delicacies can be found just around the corner of any street in Shanghai. They are also incredibly cheap eats. A dish feeding 3-4 people can be ordered at most restaurants for ~30 RMB, or $4. In my opinion, Huang Chao, an upscale Chinese restaurant located on Zhao Jia Bang Rd, has the best combination of quality and price.
With that being said, any restaurants serving foreign cuisine in Shanghai can be quite expensive, or at least in comparison to local eateries. A burger at Malone’s American Sports bar – which has the best burgers in town – will run you around 80 RMB, or $10, and that doesn’t include fries. Dinner at the internationally acclaimed restaurant M-on-the-Bund, might be around $50-80 per person, however, the nighttime view over the Huang Pu River is nothing short of magnificent.
Entertainment
Nightclubs and bars feature musical entertainment most days of the week. Although Fridays and Saturdays are the best nights to go – they schedule their best performers for the weekends – Thursday nights usually also draw a sizable crowd.
Movie theaters are plenty in Shanghai, although the same cannot be said of their selection. A theater will usually play 3-4 movies at once and the screens are relatively small in comparison to those in the US. If you do catch a movie, try to go on Tuesdays as it is half price movie night all across Shanghai. That means 35 RMB (~$4) per ticket rather than the regular price of 70 RMB. Many bars on the Bund will feature weekly musical performances, usually by some contemporary artist who has recently risen to international fame.
If you are into Jazz, The JZ Club on Chang Shou Rd. has live performances most nights of the week. If you happen to be there on a Friday, head over afterwards to the Blue Ice Club nearby for ladies night – Guys – 88 RMB, girls – 1 RMB, all you can drink beer and liquors.
Nightclubs
Looking to dance the night away? Shanghai has you covered. Check out Babyface on Huai Hai Rd. or Park 97 and Guandi in the middle of Fu Xing Park. These are all considered top notch nightclubs in Shanghai and as a result, are frequented for some of the cities most beautiful and well-to-do people. The prices are a little steep – 50 RMB (~$6) for a beer – but that’s to be expected. The music is better than you will find anywhere else in Shanghai; everything is played from old school hip/hop to contemporary remixes to local favorites.
If you’re looking for a place that’s a feast for the eyes, check out Bar Rouge on the bund. This is hands down the most up-scale bar in Shanghai. Located on the 7th floor of Bund 18, it has one of the most spectacular views of the Huang Pu River, in addition to also having a large congregation of some of Shanghai’s most famous people. This is where the movie stars and big-shots go, so understandably the prices reflect the wallet size of its patrons. If you’re low on dough, make this one of the last places you visit for the night. Cover charge is 50 RMB on weekends but free if you reserve a booth which has a drinks minimum of around 3000 RMB. The outside patio has a very nice “beach feel” to it, as the floor is composed of sand and the dÃ?©cor of lounge chairs and parasols. During any time of the week, the foreigner/locals ratio is about 9:1, so fluency in Chinese is definitely not a pre-requisite to having a good time at Bar Rouge.
Finally, if you’re feeling famished from all the dancing and walking, check out Bi Feng Tang for a midnight snack, Cantonese style. Most restaurants are open until 5 AM for the late night foodies but a great many – like McDonald’s – are year round, 24 hr operations.
Shanghai is hands-down the city to visit when you’re in China. With a 7PM – 7AM nightlife that rivals the likes of New York and Las Vegas at 1/2 the price, you are likely to get exhausted long before you get bored. Just don’t have so much fun that you miss your morning flight back home. Unless, of course, that’s just your excuse to stay another night.
