Miaow Mao

The new Club Mao on Yueyang Lu - By Caroline Rowe, Jun 22, 07

Well hello pussy cat. There's a new cat on the block this month with the ongoing soft opening of Mao, or Music Art Oasis. The club/lounge/ garden/juice bar has little in common with The Chairman, offering exclusivity, decadence, environmental awareness, and late night music to in a decidedly non-Communist way. The Yueyang lu club (that's just opposite Dragon for those of you who think in terms of a giant map of bars and restaurants) began a fairly comprehensive pre-opening schedule of parties, parties and more parties a couple of weeks ago in the run up to their big super mega grand opening party next Thursday.

The crowd at the last bash in the concrete and chrome designer haven was composed of designers, architects, professional partiers, media, young business owners, and other funky members of the International Adventure-Seekers legion currently arriving at Shanghai Pudong by the Premium Economy load.

Environmental awareness as a theme is carried throughout the venue, from the cocktails, made with natural ingredients, to the recycled material interior, and the gorgeous garden stretching out from the back terrace. The cuter-than-cute washrooms are more than worth a visit, although a little challenging after a few drinks, and as for the barmen, well, girls, you're certainly going to enjoy waiting for your drinks here.

Green-friendly though it is, Mao is not without its glamour factor. At the last party I attended there, the bubbly flowed like the French Revolution was just around the corner, and the glitterati danced to the early hours to a deliriously dirty baseline and very little conversing on environmental issues. No hairy hippies here, just the young, the funky, and the decidedly beautiful.

The architects and owners, the Vinyl Group, are amongst the hottest crew in Shanghai at the moment, having tucked into a whole host of high-end projects including the French bakery chain Paul, Arugula and Kraze Burger. They're also the ones responsible for ruining many a pair of my shoes on the Bar Rouge beach. Given the innovation factor of their current project, Mao looks set to become a top designer hot spot in Shanghai. I know I'll be pondering environmental warming with a bottle of Bolly in the VIP room soon, if only to take in the excellent mixology on show...

Club Mao - 46 Yueyang Lu - Pictures and Map here.

Pictures of the Magic Carpet party at Mao last Wednesday here

Mao has its Grand Opening party on June 28th. Until then they only open for special pre-opening parties. Check their "Culture Shock" party this Saturday from 10pm, or the Christina Aguilera after-party next Tuesday