8 Best Bars in Shanghai, China
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Shanghai - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Bandu Cabin
Also known as Bandu Music, this unpretentious café and bar in the M50 art compound sells hard-to-find CDs and occasionally holds concerts of traditional Chinese folk music. When touring the M50 galleries, this is a nice place for a break.
Heyday
Recommended Fodor's Video
House of Blues and Jazz
Several music sets nightly and loads of ambience—dark-wood paneling, low-lighting, memorabilia from 1930s Shanghai—make the House of Blues and Jazz a must visit.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai
JZ Club
At the king of Shanghai's jazz offerings, house bands and stellar guest performers mix it up nightly. Look for plush seating and drink prices to match. JZ Club is also the organizer of JZ Festival, which they claim is Asia's largest jazz fest. It takes place in the fall and outdoors along the Huangpu River.
MAO Livehouse
To the west and south of Xintiandi is one of Shanghai's best live-music venues, with foreign as well as up-and-coming local bands taking to the stage to play everything from heavy metal, indie, and punk rock to folk music. Past performers have included Thee Oh Sees, Grimes, and Gang of Four.
Yuyintang
No one has done as much to bring Shanghai rock out from the underground and into the open as has this collective. Headed by a sound engineer and former musician, the group started hosting regular concerts around town and eventually opened its own space. Shows, usually on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night, spotlight the latest in young Chinese music, especially punk and rock, and the occasional Western act.