10 Shanghai Bars: Where to Drink, Chill, and Feel the City’s Pulse

Shanghai Bars

Shanghai seems like a different city after dark. Along the Bund, the skyline shimmers like a postcard, while the backstreets off Huaihai Road hum with little bars hidden behind sliding doors. Rooftop lounges with skyline views, small cocktail dens in old shikumen lanes, and student pubs that spill out on to the sidewalk can all be found. Drinks vary from ¥60 to ¥120, depending on how fancy you want to be. If you want to see how the same city transforms once the lights come on, check out this full guide to what Shanghai looks like at night. What makes shanghai bars different is not so much the view or the mixology it is the mix of people. Locals in work shirts, expats talking gin, and tourists still holding cameras. Depending on the night boys, there is a place to fit the bill, usually only one metro stop away.

Where the Night Starts — Top Districts for Shanghai Bars

The Bund & Lujiazui: Skyline Views and Sophisticated Sips

This is the postcard part of Shanghai—the river, the skyline, the bars that glimmer as if they know it. Most people come for the view, and this is true: some of the best rooftop bars in Shanghai are right in this section. Spots like Bar Rouge or Flair at the Ritz-Carlton put you eye-to-eye with the glass towers of Pudong. Cocktails hover in the range of ¥120–180, but you’re paying for the vibe—the jazz sound, the wind off the Huangpu, the glasses clinking against the reflections of the skyline.

If you want something quieter, take a walk on the other side of the river, to Lujiazui. The rooftop bar Shanghai crowd here is a blend of financial types, and travelers, who are dressed sharply but loosen up quickly. Order a Negroni, and watch the ferries slip by, and let the rhythm of the city take a breath or two. This is a talk-place where conversations are way longer than drinks, and no one really cares.

Former French Concession: Hidden Courtyards and Local Charm

Here nightlife is hidden behind green things, and wooden doors opened partially. Some of the better Shanghai bars are tucked up inside old villas on Fuxing Road, or by Yongkang Street, where both expats and locals mingle under the hanging vines. Pricing is more reasonable: ¥70–100 and bartenders often speak enough English to make you feel at home. There’s a cozy, almost European feel, were the pingers go on TripAdvisor, and they are right: the area feels lived in, not staged.

When you walk these narrow, twisted lanes, it smells like osmanthus, and cigarette smoke, the music a soft enough sound to talk by. These bars in Shanghai are of the type where the evening begins with a meal, and runs quietly till just past midnight. Just don’t look for signs: one of the half funs is in finding the light from somewhere deeper behind some unmarked gate.

Jing’an and People’s Square: After-Work Hangouts & Expat Favorites

If the Bund is scenery, and the Concession charm, Jing’an is people. Here is where young local and foreign folk mix together after hours, all still in office shirts, laughing too loud over happy-hour mojitos. Prices are ran near ¥60–90 and trivia or live D.J.s are tried in many places. This is said to be one of the most relaxed of Shanghai bars for foreigners those posting on the local reddit threads say, for menus in English are provided, and staff actually know how to pour a proper pint.

For more dynamic, push on towards People’s Square, where the best bar Shanghai cluster type can be had—but modern, bright, easy reached by metro. Not all of which will rob you: one can start at a craft beer joint, and wind at a neon place next door. It is busy, somewhat chaotic, but this is the idea—you come here for energy, and not elegance.

From Rooftop to Basement — Different Types of Shanghai Bars You’ll Love

Rooftop Bars for the City View Obsessives

If part of your vacation involves capturing a definite skyline shot, you’ll want to start here. The best rooftop bars in Shanghai radiate from the Bund, Lujiazui and even the rising hotels in Jing’an District. The air up there carries a whiff of perfume mingled with grill smoke and river breezes. You see couples in suits clinking bottles and photographers leaning far over glass railings, waiting to catch that perfect neon reflection. Drinks usually cost between ¥120 and ¥200, sometimes with a cover charge, but complaints are rare, since this view is part of what gives Shanghai its magic. The city feels staged, glowing, and completely aware of how good it looks at night.

If you’d rather trade cocktails for street bites later, discover where locals head after dark in this complete guide to Shanghai’s best night markets.

The same is true for Pop Bar at Park Hyatt and CHAR Bar near the Bund, both famous for their cinematic glow. I once watched a summer thunderstorm roll over Pudong while holding a half-melted mojito—it was something no postcard could ever match. Around 9 p.m., lights fade from gold to violet, and the city pauses for a second before roaring alive again. Bring a sweater; wind at fifty floors up can turn a martini into ice water in minutes.

Speakeasy and Themed Bars That Locals Swear By

Hidden doors, old jazz, false fronts of noodle shops and so on—giving to visitors the shock of novelty. A number of the Shanghai bars have their fronts so disguised that you really walk past them two or three times before you notice the tiny logo or code word engraved in some mailbox close at hand. Speak Low on Fuxing Rd. for one has still a rating among the top on TripAdvisor because of its four-or-more level cocktail concept, its Latin-playlist renditions of old classics with rums and cocktails overpriced. The drinks are about ¥90 to ¥120, but the thrill of living is wrapped in an experience.

This is their comforted and cheered, stopping the drinkers from all methods of wholesomeness. The lights grow dimmer and you see a finger raised. Insides also are interesting, if nothing during the indescribable struggle of evening. The locals like these places; they are few, crowded sometimes, but nevertheless few. That bartenders know regular customers by name—that drinks start at their gutters, are brought with back stories, not merely a bow. You may talk with the artist or the banker, or the traveler waiting out the rain. Each of them is a small world story—alive, but slightly secretly. The thing to do is to ask about 10 P. M. or earlier, when the desire for hidden rooms begins, and some one always occupies your corner stool.

Cheap Bars & Dive Spots Around the City

Not every night has to find you astray so. The cheap drinks in Shanghai hide in neighborhood corners, drawn by student bars near universities and dark lanes off Wuding Road. You’ll find beer towers glowing under dim fairy lights and playlists that jump from pop to punk. A pint usually costs around ¥35–50, and cocktails about ¥60, but no one minds if you walk in wearing sneakers. These places connect through noise and laughter—sometimes too loud, always warm, and always friendly to strangers who wander in.

One of my favorite dives sits behind a dumpling shop across from Changping Road Station. They pour a surprisingly good Irish whiskey and even let you order takeout from the next stall. It’s half chaos, half comfort. You’ll meet students, English teachers, and locals just passing time before the last metro. These bars prove that Shanghai nightlife isn’t only about rooftop glamour—it’s built on small, messy corners that keep the city human and alive until the early light creeps back over the skyline.

What to Expect — Culture, Etiquette & Local Drinking Habits

How Locals Drink — From Baijiu to Craft Cocktails

Shanghai’s drinking style is characteristic: cutting and chic, but never boring. The tables are scattered with Tsingtao bottles and glasses of smoky whiskey. At weddings and banquets the king is still baijiu (the clear Chinese spirit) which burns, but with full hearts and short expressions to herald out “干杯” (good health). In the city bars, however, the order of the day is evidently other. The new breed of bars in shanghai offer craft cocktails and imported gins. Their bartenders toy with the bay-shu pepper, osmanthus syrup, or even oolong bitters, and convert the flavours of the country into liquid souvenirs gleaming within the glasses.

If you’d like to explore Shanghai beyond the glass and find the city’s most unexpected corners, read this guide to unusual things to do in Shanghai.

Don’t be surprised also at the manner in which natives regulate their swings. Rounds are seldom rushed by the locals, they are slow companions to long conversations. Sharing is the proper thing, a bottle perhaps at intervals being pushed over by the other person with the remark that “you might taste it”. The golden rule is, “match the pace but do not imitate the drinking capacity”. Shanghai’s appellation brings rewards to the former and not to the latter, and yes; when a patron insists on filling your glass it is a sign of respect and good fellowship, and not pressure, and you can smile, sip and go your own pace.

Drinking Etiquette & Common Pitfalls for Foreigners

If bars in Shanghai for foreigners are your goal, there are some unwritten laws that will help you blend in easily. In the first place, tipping is not in vogue. Locals never leave money on the counter, for good service is expected, not rewarded in cash. Secondly, don’t start too loudly with your lungs, because many bars of Shanghai keep a calm, conversation-level noise, and a loud group stands out fast. Remember also that your card or phone should be ready, as Alipay and WeChat Pay are preferred to cash, though international cards may still be used at leading places. It is pleasing to note, however, that the waiters always order sparingly, since the chances are that a very strong pour will be dealt out.

If you are offered a glass by a waiter with a suggestion to toast “干杯,” this does not mean to down the drink at once unless you care for a quick next round; it usually means “good drink” or simply “cheers.” While any small mistakes made are trifling, knowing these simple signals will make your evenings smoother and far more pleasant. In short, stay curious, remain polite, and you’ll find that even the busiest bartender will offer a local tip once they see your respect for their rhythm and time.

Nightlife Guide — How to Enjoy Shanghai Bars Safely and Smartly

Safety, Scams and Local Tips for Tourists

Most foreigner bars in Shanghai are safe, yet scams can still occur around East Nanjing Road and People’s Square. These areas attract many first-time visitors. A common trick is that “friendly” locals invite you for a drink, then hand you a gigantic bill at a hidden bar. The best way to protect yourself is simple and direct: choose reputable establishments, check reviews on TripAdvisor or Dianping, the local version of Yelp, and never accept street invitations. If a place seems suspicious, trust your instinct—it probably is.

In real Shanghai bars, staff members are professional and friendly, though you should always check your bill before paying, especially at rooftop venues when they are crowded. Avoid leaving drinks unattended at any time. Call a Didi, the Chinese Uber, instead of taking unmarked taxis. Carry only small amounts of cash for emergencies, but rely mainly on digital payments like WeChat Pay or Alipay. Locals rarely flash wallets in public. It’s also wise to set a personal curfew if you are new here. Night subway services stop near midnight, and late-night taxis usually cost between ¥20–60, depending on distance and traffic.

Payment, Dress Code & When to Go

Nightlife in Shanghai is modern, and cash is not king. In most of the Shanghai bars, it is We Chat Pay or Alipay that dominate. Tourists can easily pay with Tour Pass or international cards at high-end bars, but smaller venues require QR code payments. Always keep a passport photo saved on your phone, since some establishments ask for ID before entry, especially on weekends.

Dress codes differ greatly across venues. Rooftop bars expect heels, dresses, or collared shirts, while underground pubs welcome sneakers and hoodies without question. On any Shanghai bar street, blending in is simple if you look neat and confident. The Bund starts buzzing around 8 p.m., while Jing’an usually peaks closer to 10 p.m. Weekdays are quieter and cheaper, yet weekends often bring higher cover charges, sometimes ¥50–100 for live DJs or themed parties. If you’re chasing the city’s rhythm, arrive before the crowds, secure the best seats, and let the night unfold naturally until it fades into morning.

FAQ About Shanghai Bars

Q: Are the bars in Shanghai foreigners-friendly?

Yes. Most bars in Shanghai for foreigners have English speaking staff, clear menus and QR payment options. The Bund, Jing'an and the Former French Concession are particularly welcoming to foreigners. The locals are friendly and polite, curious and interested. Most locals will engage tourists with small talk if they are open to it. Just keep in mind that some secret bars may require reservations so it's wise to check Trip.com or Dianping for reviews before heading out.

Q: What is the legal age for drinking in China?

There is no national law regulating the legal age for drinking but most bars and restaurants in shanghai only serve alcohol to people of 18 years or older. Higher class venues or hotel lounges may check ID, especially around festivals or weekends when students are present in number. Just be sure to take your passport or digital copy of it. Local police sometimes make quick checks for ID in busy nightlife spots.

Q: Do the bars in Shanghai accept credit cards or Alipay?

Yes Major venues accept VISA and Master Card, but smaller pubs employ Alipay or WeChat Pay. Tourists can use Alipay's "Tour Pass" with a foreign card. IT works perfectly in most of the roof top bar shanghai venues. Be sure to have some cash for emergencies but the city is ruled by electronic payments. Better not use ATMs at night unless they are inside a hotel or a mall for safety.

Q: Where to find cheap bars in Shanghai?

Wuding Road, Changping Road or Yongkang Street come to mind when looking for cheap bars in Shanghai. A glass of beer will cost about ¥35-50 and cocktails around ¥60. These areas attract a lot of students, expats and locals who want to unwind without exorbitant prices. Most places will allow outside food delivery too. Great if you want a feed of late night dumplings after a few rounds.

Q: What is the dressing code for roof top bars in Shanghai?

The higher the floor number the smarter the ensemble. Most of the roof top bar shanghai venues such as Flair or CHAR expect causal elegance. If sneekers or shorts will not be admitted after 9pm. A jacket is a good idea as the breeze is surprising at 50 floors up. Causal dress is more forgiving at casual bars in areas like Jing'an or XuHui if you are a budget traveller.

Q: Which bars in Shanghai have live music or jazz?

Heyday, House of Blues & Jazz, and JZ Club are perennial favorites. They mix old school ambience with new school sounds. Sets begin at about 9.30 pm, and cost ¥80 - 150 price depends on bands. If you want something trendier, try Yuyintang Park for indie acts, the favorite of the younger Chinese.

Q: Is it expected that you tip in Shanghai bars?

No. Tipping is not a part of the Chinese equivalent of bar culture, and not uncommonly. Locals scarcely tip in expensive bars in Shanghai for the foreigners. If the service should happen to be exceptional, it can mean more in “谢谢” (xièxiè) or the second rounds than the leaving of change. Some of the bars, hotels charge a 10 pc. service; no more for double tipping.

Q: Is it safe for single travelers to visit bars in Shanghai?

Certainly. Shanghai is one of the safest cities in Asia. Just stick to the recognized districts for nightlife, such as the Bund or Jing’ahn, and all will go well. Inside the bars of Shanghai the waiters look after their guests. Be very cautious about being invited off the streets to “special bars,” as the tourist is sometimes duped near Nanking Road or People’s Square.