The 10 Best Bars in Tianzifang, Shanghai

Friends Bar provides a real American atmosphere, making it popular with foreigners who have come to call Shanghai home. This bar sells almost every kind of drink a patron might be looking for and offers a particularly good mojito. Like many bars in Tianzifang, Friends Bar is a cosy nook with a lot of heart, with great American jukebox music playing and an intimate atmosphere that encourages making new friends.

As the name suggests, this restaurant-bar offers a fantastic selection of oysters as its main attraction. Paired with this is a good selection of wines and beers. All of this can be enjoyed at the bar or out on the terrace, where you can sit and watch the world rush by on the streets below.

This popular nook is one of the most charming bars in Shanghai; it’s small and cosy, with an emphasis on quiet and relaxed drinking at the bar with friends. Situated at the end of a quiet alley on Taikang Road, the bar is decorated with leather upholstery and wood furniture to give it a quiet cabin feel. The ceilings are low and the spaces cramped, providing a real sense of intimacy. Bell Bar has been slowly evolving over the years, and growing in size and popularity, but it still retains a real local flavour, accomplished by providing a selection of Chinese beers and spirits, such as Baijiu. It’s the perfect place to relax and hang out.

Rambler, with its helpful staff and regulars who are always welcoming to new faces, is known as one of the friendliest bars in Tianzifang. This bar evokes a slice of Americana, serving up affordable and delicious pizza alongside a good range of local and imported beers. This an ideal place to bring friends, play some pool and while away the the evening.

The Kommune’s delightful courtyard means it a big hit with summertime revellers. This, alongside its generous offerings of tapas and cocktails, makes it the perfect place to enjoy the sun. This Tianzifang staple is open year-round, but summer is certainly when it shines, and the bar staff even cook up barbecues at the weekends.

One of the unique allures of Shanghai is its maze of backstreets (or hutongs). These streets hark back to a more traditional era of the city, before the towers of glass and steel took over the sky. Tianzifang is made up of hundreds of these backstreets, and no bar takes advantage of their style and mood better than The Alley Bar. It’s cosy and quaint, but it can get packed at times. The Alley Bar offers local beers and a real traditional Shanghai aesthetic, taking you back to the city of old.

Many of the bars found in Tianzifang specialise in either local beers or cocktails, but if you’re in the mood for a glass of something more sophisticated, Tai Wine is a must-visit. Making your way under its awnings, you’ll begin to feel as if you’ve been transported to Italy or Spain. A cobbled street on Taikang Road leads patrons to a red-brick building with lanterns lighting the way. Once inside, you’ll find an extensive wine list from all over the world. This bar draws a young and arty crowd, so you might want to dress up.

Revitalising the Shanghai of old, with waiters wearing traditional Chinese qipao and a selection of local Chinese beers, WeMeet is a delight. The bar offers a daily happy hour, which includes a two-for-one deal on imported beers, and there’s also also a good range of cocktails. Every Wednesday, ladies can enjoy a free glass of wine with anything bought at the bar.

Situated at the edge of Tianzifang is MAO Livehouse, Shanghai’s biggest underground music venue. This place frequently plays host to the best punk and metal acts in Shanghai, as well as the occasional international guest. It’s a fantastic, affordable and atmospheric place to enjoy a cheap beer and experience China’s underground music scene. The drinks menu might not be extensive, but there’s a good enough selection. Here, it’s all about the tunes.