As spring arrives, that budding heart begins to stir restlessly.
After a brief period of lingering cold, temperatures will quickly rise again.
In this issue, we bring you five atmospheric hidden bars along the streets of Shanghai for your careful enjoyment:
Leaves and branches, each with their own undulations;
Turning stone into gold, as wine enters the heart.
Bar List:
① Hua Xiong Day Cafe Night Bar (Wuding West Road)
② Midas Touch Bar (Weihai Road)
③ Paal (Nanchang Road)
④ Fushu (Nanchang Road)
⑤ Botanic Lab (Nanchang Road)
Hua Xiong Day Cafe Night Bar
Bar Address: No. 1182, Wuding West Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai (180 meters walk from Exit 1 of Wuding Road Metro Station)
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 19:00 ~ 02:00 the next day
When my straight male friend first recommended Hua Xiong to me, I was quite apprehensive and full of doubts. Judging by the name, I thought it was an LGBTQ hangout (being overly sensitive to terminology from frequently mixing in certain circles).
Stepping through the door, the environment was very warm and homely. The owner, Yoyo, is a beautiful, generous girl who loves to laugh heartily. After encountering many silent and solitary bar owners, Yoyo’s cheerfulness is like a bright beam of spring sunshine.
The space inside the bar is limited, with only 8 bar seats. The compact layout also rapidly closes the distance between people. Intimate but not cramped, enthusiastic yet restrained, Yoyo’s service is always just right.
A glass of sparkling sweet and sour cocktail, a relaxed face-to-face with close friends. No social burdens in mind, no ostentatious decorations around.
Here, I finally rediscovered my original intention for drinking.
Various interesting ornaments are scattered on the bar, with cute little animals and mini liquor bottles that make people reluctant to let go.
After finishing a glass of light and easy cocktail, the main topic of the night begins.
Hot mulled wine dispels the cold of early spring, whiskey brings a lingering aftertaste, and all kinds of cocktails are full of flavor, dazzling to the eyes.
As the clinking of glasses gradually becomes more frequent, the psychological distance is infinitely reduced.
If you and your crush are both socially anxious, you can come here to watch projected programs together or exchange scathing reviews of the latest and hottest dining spots in Shanghai. I believe you will surely have a pleasant evening.
Hua Xiong Day Cafe Night Bar
Finally, a few small tips:
1.Seats in the store are limited, so remember to make a reservation by phone in advance;
2.If you pass by this address but can’t find the bar, please look for the store in the picture below, and Hua Xiong is on the left~ (laughs)
Midas Touch Bar
Bar Address: No. 847, Weihai Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 19:00 ~ 02:00 the next day
Midas Touch Bar is a newly opened cocktail bar in 2023. The owner, Da Hei, previously had a long tenure at the classic Japanese cocktail bar XYZ and has his own unique pursuit of the bar’s environment and offerings.
The street-facing door is very low-key. If it weren’t for my friend’s reminder, I would have had a hard time judging whether this was a bar or an omakase Japanese restaurant.
The wooden decor brings a calm and quiet atmosphere, and the bartenders dressed in suits make me feel like I’m experiencing a second of time travel to Japan.
The name Midas Touch is derived from the well-known ancient Greek mythology.
The meaning of turning stone into gold is not limited to wealth; the bartender’s choice of each base liquor and the control of the intensity of each shake/stir requires the help of the god’s finger.
The familiar White Lady opens the show, and the use of various gins opens the eyes of wine lovers.
Finally, ending with a Vesper or Martini is the most refreshing moment to end a day’s work.
If you are very lucky, at this moment, you and your loved one are seated together at Midas Touch. Then please enjoy this leisurely moment worth a thousand gold.
Chat about movies, chat about art, and plan a trip that can be taken at any time. Under the dim lights, romance grows infinitely.
At the back of the bar, there is a private room that can accommodate several people, which is more suitable for business negotiations or gatherings of socially anxious friends.
Compared to the first bar recommended today, Midas Touch Bar is slightly larger and more formal. Let me whisper, there’s no queue for drinking here~ Those who like orthodox classic cocktails should not miss it~
The next three cocktail bars I recommend are all on Nanchang Road.
In order to make it easier for everyone to find the hidden bars, I have specially arranged a drinking map for your reference:
Paal
Bar Address: No. 94, Nanchang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 19:30 ~ 02:00 the next day
This time when I came to Shanghai, I didn’t go to those few stores near the music academy again. I took a different path and went to the Huaihai Road area. I randomly found Paal, which has a family-style atmosphere. As soon as I entered the door, I had the feeling of drinking in a friend’s kitchen.
Sitting at the bar counter in the style of a family kitchen island, the concise menu is clear at a glance. The main feature is various gin specials, which use a large number of new ingredients: dried tangerine peel, bitter gourd, salted egg yolk, black glutinous rice, longan… The novel formula is eye-opening.
Paal is a store that can perform the black technology of cocktails (clarification/suspension/milk washing, etc.) so well, and the various flavors described can be truly presented in the mouth.
Tasting carefully, the flavors of each cup jump from the paper into the mouth. My partner and I ordered everything on the menu, and my heart was infinitely happy.
Simplicity and purity are my first impressions of this bar, and dedication and uniqueness are my unquestionable evaluation of the offerings. Such a chill bar, I want to explore with the chill you. ❤️
Fushu
Bar Address: No. 92, Nanchang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 18:30 ~ 02:00 the next day
Fushu, which advocates Chinese aesthetics, is right next to Paal.
As soon as you enter the door, you are greeted by the swaying of tree shadows, which is unparalleled in elegance. The plants in the store, the paintings on the walls, and the echoing light and shadow details can be seen everywhere.
Fushu’s menu is quite special, named: “Yes/No”. In fact, it divides the drinks into grape wine and non-grape wine.
For daily bar-hopping customers, this division with a hint of philosophy is very interesting.
Grape wine, as the name suggests, is the grape wine sold in the store.
Non-grape wine includes various special blends, but more or less has some connection with grape wine.
The first drink I ordered was “Luoxia”, which looks very much like my beloved New York Sour. It has layers of floral and fruity aromas, and the output is on point.
The drink is sour and sweet, making people crave for more.
Later, I chatted with the bartender for a few sentences and expressed my love for sour drinks.
The bartender was very kind and recommended a glass of “Shanguo” based on my needs.
With one sip, that kind of happy sourness burst out in my mouth, as if it was a source of joy, and it immediately opened my switch to drink freely.
The Chinese style of Fushu is bamboo that can be seen everywhere, but the cocktails use various popular processing methods from around the world, giving a sense of East-West fusion, which is very interesting!
Botanic Lab
Bar Address: No. 134, Nanchang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 18:00 ~ 01:00 the next day
The last bar recommended in this article, Botanic Lab, is the sister store of Fushu. As one of the most popular online celebrity stores in recent years, Botanic Lab’s menu is full of hidden talents.
The clarified hawthorn whiskey sour is unexpectedly delicious, fully demonstrating the strength of a veteran bar.
Looking up at the various base liquors inside the bar, I spotted a niche Da Hong Pao oolong tea gin.
After communicating with the bartender, a special glass was made with it, which was also perfectly presented.
In fact, when it comes to drinking, love is the way to go. I was very happy to check in at these three remarkable bars on Nanchang Road that night, gaining a lot and feeling extremely relaxed.
Flowers and perfume, love and you. Botanic Lab uses simple plants to create a simple and loving environment. Quickly bring your loved one to check in~
There are a hundred flavors in the world, waiting for you to experience. Welcome everyone to leave a comment and share your most unforgettable bar experience.
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