There’s something awesome about finding a bar that shuns the frenetic atmosphere of a traditional drinking establishment. That One Place is such an entity, having more the feel of a particularly well-stocked hermitage than a bar.
Walking in feels a lot like stepping into somebody’s living room; on our visit proprietor Alex Grimes was honing his Fallout 4 skills with a friend, though he swiftly abandoned them to tend the bar and chat with us.
Beginning with the precursor 'NO FLUFF JUST THE GOOD STUFF,' on the menu are Ole Tennessee Moonshines (RMB55), top shelf liquors (RMB55), house spirits (RMB35), 'crafty' Italian sodas to be drunk with a shot of booze (RMB40), plus a concise list of cocktails (RMB65).
Said cocktails are simple and sizeable but surprisingly elegant, made by Grimes, who also happens to be astonishingly passionate about seemingly all things alcoholic and willing to chew the fat extensively on the subject thanks to his 'day job' as brand representative for premium beer labels Widmer Brothers, Red Hook and Kona Brewing Co. 
By and large, our favorite of the drinks we tried was the bee’s knees (RMB65), a sweet, lemony and sparkling long drink made with honey and Aviation gin. There aren’t many lemon-based cocktails that escape being overly tart, but this is one of them, thanks to a malty dash of Widmer Hefeweizen beer.
Made of stronger stuff entirely are the ‘custom craniums,’ aptly served in a skull-shaped glass and consisting of two house pour shots and one of moonshine for good measure.
Luckily for us that one proved an exception to the rule; other beverages on the list make for decidedly smooth sippin’ – most notably the house-infused mint julep (ask for a dash of simple syrup if you like it sweet) and peachy, ginger ale-y 'papple pie.'
There are lots more things to said about this place, but we’ll leave the joy of discovering them up to you. What we will say though is that this is one of the best dive bars we’ve stumbled upon (and out of) in Shanghai. You might yourself one of few customers when you walk in, but you certainly won’t feel like a stranger for long.
Price: RMB45-150 per person
Who’s going: expat and locals
Good for: casual drinks, hangouts, cocktails, beer, hiding, evading nuclear apocalypse
See a listing for That One Place.
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