Beer from 30rmb,
Wine from 40rmb,
Cocktails from 35rmb,
Snacks from 40rmb
SmartShanghai.com Editorial Review
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers.
Any expenses are paid for by SmartShanghai.
Beloved Bund-area cocktail lounge I Love Shanghai leads a double life, serving as both a nice laid-back environment for tourists to have a cocktail and a chat after trekking up and down the Bund promenade, and as a safe haven for Shanghai's most colorful personalities. Featuring weekly parties -- Filipino Mondays and Ladies Night Tuesdays -- also look out for their raucous Friday and Saturday themed parties which bring all the local lunes out of the woodworks. Expect something drunken and wig-themed on these nights. Free pool. Cocktail menu in the 55rmb range. Steinlager on tap. Saturdays are 100rmb all you can drink until 12. Don't forget to pick up an "I Love Shanghai" mug or shirt to commemorate your trip down.
Yes, it's on the bund so what? doesn't mean it has to be compared to the standard of Attica or Bar Rouge!
At least here you enter for free and nobody judges you on how much a month you earn (mostly not the staff, and after Bar Rouge, that's a breeze!).
Drinks are good (I am talking about ladies night drink wich for once are not only basic mix but cocktails and shots), couches are confortable and music allows you to talk while still being audible.
I say that's about as much as I need to have a good time!
This is one of those bars that will make you consider relocating. Honestly, I would pay the extra money to live down the street from this place, just so i can go there more often! It has great atmosphere, great drinks, and awesome people for pre-game, postgame or the whole damn evening! What else is there to say?
Now a days its almost impossible not to encounter or hear about an open bar of some sort in the shanghai club scene. Open bar much like the concept of "Ladie's Night" has almost become a standard for new venues opening up in 2007 and old ones adjusting themselves to the new year. With so many venues and so many open bars to get silly at, how is a newbie expat expected to find one of their "Spots" like many of us seasoned vets have? I know we must all dig through dirt before we strike gold.. but fuck that. Im blowing this treasure out the dirt! Let me tell you about a fine little establishment called I love Shanghai.
My first visit to I Love Shanghai was for a friends birthday party. My buddy had told me of a bar that was scheduled to open within the next month that his friend owned and that he was willing to host a debauch fest for us. Keen as can be my rag tag crew and I headed to the bund for a berfday. My friend introduces me to Jeff the owner whom is literally sporting a gold medal and sporting it like a champ.
During our conversation he mentions that saturdays will be open bar. Now at the time of hearing this I had no idea what open bar even was. Ive even met people recently who were clueless as well. Basically the concept of open bar is you pay a set price and then are allowed to drink as much as you want. Jeff certainly knew what he was doing when he told me *age 18* at the time about it. I was sold as soon as I heard "Free" & "Booze"!
More & more I Love Shanghai began to become my normal spot every saturday. Young, naive, and claiming to be a good drinker I am always put to the test by the vicious cocktails served up by Shanghai's coolest bartender Dr. Polly. Most open bars these days serve you drink's that have you camping the bar trying to hail your next glass of coke and ice. ILS's open bar has you pacing your self and wondering if you will be camping the porcelain tonight. It also doesnt help that Jeff will occasionally will surprise you with his famous Life / Death charges. Potent shots mixed with absinthe and tequila.
ILS also sports some of the coolest art you will see as well as a unique style that has carefully grown for the last year. The original idea of ILS was to be the pregame spot being as its location is conveniently located close to many popular other popular bars in fact its directly across the street from Attica .... for those not savvy with the term pregame; pregame means the place you get boozed up at before you head out to a different club. However many regular's and unsuspecting victims have found them selves ditching their plans and going double over time! Ive known many of people to end up not going dancing to play some drunken twister, Drunken Jenga, and of course my favorite Drunken beer pong.
ILS is also one of the most consistent places for regulars, as you can often see the same person who barfed on you or made out with last week the following saturday. But what exactly is it that keeps the regular faces coming back? Could it be the relaxed interior with its perfect lighting and art adorning the walls? The quality cocktails and the wonderful staff?
Or maybe its the tunes, being as ILS is one of the few places you can hear greats like A Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul. However its none of those things that make us regulars love ILS. Jeff the owner does an incredible job of not only shmoozing the crowd, but connecting them and breaking that thin veil of ice for us. Whether he announces you as your myspace name or Surprises you to some complimentary shots. He really makes sure that there isnt an unknown face in his establishment and in my own opinion has really set the standard for all bar owners and managers.
Now for any of you whom have followed my writing, you may have noticed that I have never written a real negative review. Now this isnt because I cant, Its just I prefer to devote all my passion to the subjects I feel strongly about. I Love Shanghai has been a hub for me as I have met many great friends there and had many great times. I would like to thank and apologize I Love Shanghai Bar & Lounge for the times I:
Ordered 50 zombie cocktails
Let me take a crack at bartending and trusted me around all those bottles
Gave me A Tribe Called Quest when I asked for it
The Countless "Till Dawns"
A very special thanksgiving breakfast... the day after thanksgiving
And of course for being an overall great establishment
Countless times Ive been helped out the bar singing the "Cheer's" theme song in my head...being helped by friends or stumbling out my self, Ive never once not looked at the huge overhead sign and smiled to my self and repeated the words "I Love Shanghai" Below is the link to the ILS website. Check it out for upcoming events! Also make sure to check out Open Bars on Saturdays, and Ladies Night on tuesdays featuring pole dancing!
Thank you for reading, if you enjoyed the review feel free to read more of my work at http://www.myspace.com/wordofmind I also have some pictures from my last year at I Love Shanghai there, check it out!
I had my best birthday party ever in I <3 Shanghai Lounge! The Hip Hop DJ played some great music for us to dance to, drinks were delicious and reasonably priced, service was fast, the art on the walls was awesome and they even gave me a free t-shirt for having my birthday party there! I'd recommend this bar to anyone who likes to have fun and get crazy!!!
I went to ladies night with a group of friends consisting of 2 guys and 7 ladies. First impression; the place is incredibly small, there's no DJ, the staff looks totally hostile and its empty.The only other person present were probably some single guys looking for a one night stand, which earned this place the status of wannabe meat-market to me. The inside looks ugly and the paint is wearing off the walls, but I have to say the couch are comfortable (more than in other heftier lounges like Glamour Bar)
So at first, everything is great, the girls get anything free off the menu except wine, the service is extremely fast, I even was invited to try a shirt, which I bought by the way. I buy a shot and a hot dog. They even have hellman's mayonnaise, something just about impossible to find in groceries.
As the night goes on, the girls keep drinking while me and the other guy start saving our money. The service gets slower (up to 20 mins to receive a drink). I suddently get accused of drinking a girl's shot while its the one I just bought. A waitress then start arguing with the other guy insisting he ordered a cocktail called "Manhattan" when he actually ordered an "hot dog". Some drinks begin to be refused to the girls. There is no pole dancing like in the promotion.
Finally, the barman decides that the open bar for ladies finishes at 11.45 even if its advertised as until 1am everywhere.
End of the line, avoid this place unless you're already drunk and don't mind a mediocre ambiance or like to be harassed by asinine staff.
When you need a Cheers bar in Shanghai theres no place like I <3 Shanghai. Great staff, great drinks and you can actually get a drink on the all you can drink nights. When you pay for all you can drink you get premium liquor and virtually every drink is included. To top it off they actually have waitresses who will bring you drinks to your table. It's like a second home.
Read a lot of mixed reviews on this place so decided to check it out, something new on the bund that looked inexpensive.
To be honest I found it pretty dark and dingy and the drinks were average, funny how one of the reviews here by a group of "industry" guys found good drinks, etc. maybe shots and beer are not that difficult to screw up, but cocktails were awful. Friendly enough however and inexpensive.
Music was poppy and unimaginative - the whole place felt like a poor man's number five, which I think will remain my "local" on the bund!
Read a lot of mixed reviews on this place so decided to check it out, something new on the bund that looked inexpensive.
To be honest I found it pretty dark and dingy and the drinks were average, funny how one of the reviews here by a group of "industry" guys found good drinks, etc. maybe shots and beer are not that difficult to screw up, but cocktails were awful. Friendly enough however and inexpensive.
Music was poppy and unimaginative - the whole place felt like a poor man's number five, which I think will remain my "local" on the bund!
I went to "I love Shanghai" last week. The atmosphere was really bad, it was almost empty and the music was really boring.... A big disappointment especially after reading all the positive comments on Smartshanghai. My advice : do not go there, go to more central bars and clubs...
I went there with Brice from Plan B, Jamie from The Den, and Steve B recently of Park 97. Tip: Listen to their watering hole recommendations, their experience in Shanghai barland will not let you down.
We sat at the bar and were promptly presented with a lineup of cold beers.
Jeff, the co-owner/manager of I Love Shanghai described the motivation and process of transforming I Love Shanghai from an idea scribbled on the back of a napkin to a living, breathing, fully functional libation station.
A row of shots appeared, Kamikazees or similar, with a smooth pineapple finish. Whoa, very nice, and very drinkable -- Not too sweet or candy coated, right temperature, and damn potent!
Jeff went on to describe how quickly it all came together, securing the location on The Bund, and making the renovations to open up the room. But quickly does not mean it was haphazardly thrown together. A brief scan of the room and bathroom reveals that plenty of attention was given to the details. I'd like to drop by again with a camera and take some pics and do a full review.
We had a few more varieties of phenomenally-lethal shots, including Absinthe lit on fire. Actually it is a bit of a surprise to remember much at all of the evening.
The next day I pm'd Jeff to ask about the drinks and the bartender. His name is Poli, and, using Jeff's words "He's the Yao Ming of bartenders". Agreed. These are some of the best shots I've had.
I Love Shanghai
Address: 155 East Zhongshan Er Lu
Phone: 6355 8058
*Land of the Lost and capsule reviews are independent accounts of parties, clubnights and more in Shanghai. The opinions are entirely my own. Original archives are always available at http://urbanon.com Enjoy! Pat Lui
This Lounge has the best service, drink quality, atmosphere and crowd that I've seen in my 2 years here. I pull out a cigarette and 2 seconds later, the bartender is in front of me with lighter in hand offering a light. My drink is almost finished and I have another one sitting in front of me. I go to the bathroom and I'm pleasantly surpised by scented candles and CLEANLINESS (This is a shocker in China). Finally, I just want to say because of this, I decided to buy an i love shanghai tshirt and even that shirt quality is the best I've bought in china. Good work you guys!
I came in this place on a Tuesday expecting nothing except a cold beer. By the time I walked out (3 hours later and who knows how many beers) I had 4 phone numbers of cool girls and met some of the coolest guys that I've met in Shanghai in there. Not sure the secret to your crowd, but whatever it is, keep doing it. One tip though, there was some dripping wax from the ceiling hanging candles, might want to fix that. ILS Lounge is on my list now.
The place should be called I Hate Shanghai. I totally disagree with everything that everyone has said on here. I went today (Tuesday) and the sign advertised a lady's night until 2 AM. They cut all the girls off at 1 AM and called the sign "a mistake".People complained about getting watered down drinks earlier in the night. They also police the drinks so don't even think about taking a sip or touching someone's free drink. The place is also poorly air conditioned or not air conditioned at all. If you like to sweat in an uncrowded lounge this is the place. It's on the Bund, but there is absolutely no view to speak of. My money would have been better spent buying a beer and sitting on the Bund.
I just stumbled in here after walking on the Bund for a while and felt like I hit a goldmine! The decor, service, drinks and crowd were so friendly that I forgot I was in China for the 2 hours I was there. I heard 3 songs I loved from A Tribe Called Quest, Del Tha Funky Homosapien and Beck that I haven't heard ever in China and I'd recommend this place to anyone anytime!
One of my friends insisted on going to Bar Rouge, but after 10 minutes of snobs and fake people, I remembered the I Love Shanghai was down the road, so I convinced my friends to come with me and we had the best time! Great music, great drinks, great crowd, this place is definitely what a real bar should be, thanks I Love Shanghai!
I was a little skeptical about a lounge named i love shanghai, but my god was i impressed with the drinks, service and friendly crowd in there! i even bought a wo ai shanghai tshirt!
