SmartShanghai's Essential Guide to
Nightlife & Clubbing in Shanghai
Arguably the face of Shanghai clubbing is presented by Shanghai's Bund district and the handful of upscale venues located therein. Catering both to tourists looking to sample what they've been told is the epitome of Shanghai nightlife, preening expats and local moneyed residents, the spectrum of nightlife options on the Bund tilts to the high-end with a few key venues at the vanguard of "Bund Life." If you're looking to experience the stereotype of Shanghai -- the lights, the glitz, the fashion, the vanity -- head down to the Bund for a night at the clubs.
M1NT and Prive are the new kids on the block, relatively speaking, and are both "members clubs", in that VIP memberships are available to people looking for fancy cards for their wallets and a few perks here and there. Both venues cater to a slicker, "chic" mixed crowd, weaned on mainstream Western club music -- top 40, hip hop, R&B and mash up alternating with tech house, electro and house proper -- but fully embracing the Chinese style of clubbing: splashing out on a table with friends and knocking back bottle service. Both represent the dominant character of the majority of clubs in Shanghai. Music, style and indeed, a huge portion of the club crowd itself, is imported in from the West, but these days, money flows forth most freely from local wallets, and therefore club methodology comes from the local side of things. Table seating is prime real estate over dance floors and perceived wealth and status delineates your options.
M1NT and Prive are the new kids on the block, relatively speaking, and are both "members clubs", in that VIP memberships are available to people looking for fancy cards for their wallets and a few perks here and there. Both venues cater to a slicker, "chic" mixed crowd, weaned on mainstream Western club music -- top 40, hip hop, R&B and mash up alternating with tech house, electro and house proper -- but fully embracing the Chinese style of clubbing: splashing out on a table with friends and knocking back bottle service. Both represent the dominant character of the majority of clubs in Shanghai. Music, style and indeed, a huge portion of the club crowd itself, is imported in from the West, but these days, money flows forth most freely from local wallets, and therefore club methodology comes from the local side of things. Table seating is prime real estate over dance floors and perceived wealth and status delineates your options.
More Bund. The Glamour Bar. A Bund legacy bar, The Glamour Bar interjects on the superficial character of the district with a little class and maturity. A more relaxed and sedate affair compared to the aforementioned, Glamour Bar pulls in a swanky, older crowd on the weekends, and is generally the go-to nightspot for an affluent mixed crowd, who are, perhaps, a bit beyond "clubbing" in the strictest, go-for-broke sense of it. Located in the Shanghai-famous "5 on the Bund" building, Glamour is a more of a cocktail lounge -- Cuban/art deco in theme -- with drinks to match, but also check out their cultural events calendar, which includes book launches, guest lectures and salon performances.
Other points of interest include the Martini Bar, the outpost of the Italian fashion police -- it's a trendy little cocktail lounge popular with the Shanghai fashion and design elite. And you can't go wrong with Lost Heaven on the Bund, which is Chinese sophistication and luxury to a tee. The latter is especially popular in the summer time, boasting, as it does, a massive patio.
And, of course, there is Bar Rouge, which is indeed red. A lounge, club, patio combo, Bar Rouge is bar-none the most famous bar in Shanghai and offers a camera-friendly backdrop for clubbers resident and visiting, looking for their Shanghai "memories." In recent years, Bar Rouge, in local eyes, is seen as more of a tourist trap -- it's dominantly featured in basically all the Shanghai guide books and is pretty much the most internationally-known nightlife destination in town. Nevertheless, wherever people are coming from, weekends at Bar Rouge are still packed and champagne corks still fly...
Other points of interest include the Martini Bar, the outpost of the Italian fashion police -- it's a trendy little cocktail lounge popular with the Shanghai fashion and design elite. And you can't go wrong with Lost Heaven on the Bund, which is Chinese sophistication and luxury to a tee. The latter is especially popular in the summer time, boasting, as it does, a massive patio.
And, of course, there is Bar Rouge, which is indeed red. A lounge, club, patio combo, Bar Rouge is bar-none the most famous bar in Shanghai and offers a camera-friendly backdrop for clubbers resident and visiting, looking for their Shanghai "memories." In recent years, Bar Rouge, in local eyes, is seen as more of a tourist trap -- it's dominantly featured in basically all the Shanghai guide books and is pretty much the most internationally-known nightlife destination in town. Nevertheless, wherever people are coming from, weekends at Bar Rouge are still packed and champagne corks still fly...
Read On: Lounge Lizards - Lounges, Wine and Cocktail Bars in Shanghai »
Flair -- brought to you by the new Ritz Carlton in Pudong and perched on the 58th floor of the new IFC tower the luxury hotel occupies. The real kicker is the split-level outdoor terrace with views directly across to the big ball of the Pearl Tower, and then beyond to the Bund, the Hongkou shore and downtown Puxi.
Vue -- in addition to an amazing south-facing view of the Bund, Vue bar in Hyatt on the Bund offers a wood interior and jacuzzi on the outdoor terrace. It's a beautiful place to enjoy a mellow night out.
And if you're looking for that Bund view and you don't feel up for spending you life savings to get it, head to Captain's Bar, the bar at the roof of Captain's Hostel. It's a more low-key but welcoming atmosphere, and a couple of pints won't break the bank. Popular with backpackers and visitors to Shanghai, Captain’s caters to a younger, less pretentious crowd -- a rarity in the district.
And if you're looking for that Bund view and you don't feel up for spending you life savings to get it, head to Captain's Bar, the bar at the roof of Captain's Hostel. It's a more low-key but welcoming atmosphere, and a couple of pints won't break the bank. Popular with backpackers and visitors to Shanghai, Captain’s caters to a younger, less pretentious crowd -- a rarity in the district.