bars · Shanghai
The best nights in Shanghai start at these addresses — award-winning cocktail rooms, beloved locals' haunts and views worth ordering a second round for. All rated 4.5 stars or higher.
Huangpu · $$
Shingo Gokan's hidden bar behind a bartending-supplies shop put Shanghai on the world cocktail map, climbing to the top tier of Asia's 50 Best Bars. Each concealed floor gets more exclusive, from the bustling second level to the reservation-only upper rooms.
Insider tip: Push the bookshelf in the Ocho shop to enter, and go before 8pm on weekdays to avoid a long wait.
The Bund · $$
For two decades this Bund 18 rooftop has been the city's flashiest party terrace, staring straight at the Oriental Pearl Tower. Come for sunset champagne on the terrace before the DJs turn it into a club after 11pm.
Insider tip: Arrive at opening for an unobstructed terrace rail spot, or book a table if you plan to stay past 10pm.
Lujiazui, Pudong · $$
The Ritz-Carlton's 58th-floor terrace puts you nearly eye-level with the Oriental Pearl Tower, close enough to feel you could touch it. It is widely considered the single best al fresco view in Pudong.
Insider tip: Reserve a terrace-edge table for 6:30pm to catch daylight, sunset and the full night skyline on one booking.
The Bund · $$
The Waldorf Astoria rebuilt the Shanghai Club's legendary 34-meter mahogany counter, where 1920s taipans were seated strictly by rank. Today it pours classic cocktails and shucks oysters under the original coffered ceilings.
Insider tip: Order a Gin Sling at the river end of the counter, the spot once reserved for the club's most senior members.
Lujiazui, Pudong · $$
Perched on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower's pagoda-like crown, this Grand Hyatt sky lounge was Shanghai's original high-altitude bar. On clear nights the view drops straight down the tower's spiraling Art Deco setbacks to the river.
Insider tip: Go on a clear night within two days after rain; haze can erase the view entirely.
The Bund · $$
The world's most famous geriatric jazz ensemble, founded in 1980 with members now in their 80s and 90s, plays swing-era standards here nightly. The wood-panelled room is essentially unchanged from Victor Sassoon's 1930s heyday.
Insider tip: Reserve the 7pm Old Jazz Band set rather than the later modern sets, and order the house Old Fashioned.
March–May & September–November
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Mandarin, Shanghainese
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
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Good to know
Three full days covers the Bund, Yu Garden, the French Concession and a Pudong observation deck at a comfortable pace. Add a fourth day for a high-speed-rail trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou, both under an hour away.