Next level, third-wave, single origin coffees by day and craft cocktails by night in Hong Kong Plaza. They make the fanciest ice coffees in the city over here, with a price tag to match.
Much loved vegetarian restaurant on Xinhua Lu with handwritten menus and a serene, hidden garden on the rooftop. It's bigger than it looks.
Across the river in Lujiazui, there's a whole string of restaurants with patio space, including this self-serve Italian cafeteria chain from Europe. It's kinda like IKEA, but the patio is chill.
It was about time this part of Gubei got a nice patio. The Westside branch of the Fumin Lu institution opened up in April.
Birds provide the soundtrack in this small garden on the roof of the MingTown International Youth Hostel near People's Square. There's usually some travelers hanging out here, telling stories and occasionally getting down on some random jam sessions. Food and drinks start from 20rmb. Nice place to feel outside of the city for awhile even if you don't have time or loot to travel.
As far as mall rooftops go, you could do much worse than Joy City's. There's a bunch of restaurants up there, but Urban Diner stands out for their nachos and their '80s boogie playlists. There's also a Ferris wheel that Sacco wrote about in his Steaming Hot Alternative Dates guide.
Stumbling out of the festival and market circuit, Ruijin Cajun opened and closed their first venue on Yongjia Lu last year and recently re-opened bigger and better in north Jing'an. They make southern American comfort food and really strong drinks with names like "Sex With a Alligator", served with a "let's get crunk" attitude. Eventually, they'll be doing block parties here, possibly with free kegs.
Rockbund is such an underrated area. The roof on top of one of the city's finest galleries is perfect for a coffee before or after wandering around some of the old architecture in the hood.
Under the radar roof garden option in the heart of Jing'an -- a good one for travelers or people who want to feel like travelers. During their daily happy hour from 5-8pm, they offer two Tiger drafts for 40rmb, and sandwiches and pasta start from 25rmb.
Nice courtyard, super cheap Bordeaux, good food, and friendly service in the Rockbund neighborhood. And there's a fountain.
The real draw of this café is the roof that overlooks tranquil Huaihai Park. The coffee is decent and the staff are friendly. They used to have a koala as a logo, but now it's a blue tree.
Alright this is a repeat from our Beer Gardens edition of Patio Porn. That's fine. This is one of the nicest roofs in town and they've got barrels and barrels of Chinese craft beer on draft.
Classic patio right here. This used to be Mesa & Manifesto; now it's the Silk Road outpost of Yunnan empire, Lost Heaven. (Whole story here). Reviews on the food are mixed but you can't argue with the view, perched high above the noise down on the street.
Love it or hate it, Donghu Lu nightclub Le Baron has the rooftop game on lock. They open from 5pm to 11pm daily, with shisha, special cocktails, and occasional DJ parties on weekends.
Last year's list ended with the newest entry to the Bund, which was Shen. This year we'll end on the same note, with the French fine-dining spot atop the new Wanda Reign hotel. Great views, though they don't come cheap -- you're looking at around 900rmb per person, though a beer will run you about 70rmb. You wanna see more patios, right? Check our list of 39 that are confirmed open.
SmartShanghai.com is an independent media publication dedicated to honesty and editorial transparency. We are for Shanghai residents, written by a team of long-term, opinionated and knowledgeable writers and editors. We never give an opinion or recommendation that we wouldn’t also share with our own friends and family.
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