Zapatas Bar and Restaurant

Whether you are visiting Shanghai or planning on making it your place of permanent residence its important to know the “hot-spots,” where to go, and where not to. Depending on what you are looking for, these often vary. However, there is one spot that seems to catch the eye both foreigners and locals, those visiting, and those more permanent members of the community. That place is Zapatas.

Zapatas is bar and restaurant located on Henshan rd; a well known, and rather high class, restaurant and bar street. Although Zapatas lives up to its location as far as price goes, it is one of the only spots in Shanghai to get decent Mexican food. They sport an extensive menu of Mexican cuisine in addition to a well-rounded drink menu. Seating can be found both inside and out, so whether you’d like to enjoy a pleasant spring afternoon or avoid the scaling summer heat, you can still enjoy a Mexican meal.

At night Zapatas turns up the heat inside with loud, and rather classically cheesy, music, and fast paced bar-staff. This alone is enough to encourage night time attendance. However, they also highly encourage bar-top dancing which can be a fun sight or a fun activity to partake in if you are so adventurously inclined. The crew at Zapatas are friendly, helpful, and most are English speaking which makes it even better for those foreigners seeking refuge from the complicated language barrier.

Besides the rather pricey menu, Zapatas can be an entertaining addition to the night. There is no cover at the door, so if you’re only there to dance, you can dance the night away and never pay a penny. If you plan to drink and you normally crave a little after drinking snack, then you might want to pack a bit of cash with you. It’ll cost you from 25-50RMB for a drink depending on what it is, and about 20RMB a taco. Sound pricey? It’s about the standard fare in Shanghai for both drinks and Mexican food. The upside? This is good Mexican food!

So, if you’re in the Shanghai area and want to check out this local hot-spot, just stroll down the ever popular Hengshan rd, which can be reached by Metro line 1 or by taking a bus (line 830) or taxi. It’s a nice walk, mostly shaded, and worth the effort. Whether you’re in the mood to mingle, to drink, to dance, or just to have a Mexican dinner, Zapatas is the place.