Those of us living in China might have been spared the tumultuous drama that our US counterparts have experienced in 2017, but like always, the Middle Kingdom has had its own fair share of attention-grabbing headlines. From the boom of shared bikes to a presidential visit from The Donald, our team has put together a list of 2017’s most unforgettable viral stories, recounting major events that defined the worlds of sports, tech, arts, fashion and food. Here’s to another year of eclectic, weird and wonderful life in China, we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

For more, follow our full 2017 Year in Review coverage. 

Here were some of our favorite new Shanghai bars from 2017.

Above the Globe

Atop Jing’an’s McKinnon Hotel is a new bar: Above the Globe, an Art Deco-informed lounge from Eddy Yang of the renowned Tailor Bar. If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of the McKinnon, that’s because it isn’t real. Completely outfitted as a hotel but never accepting reservations, it is instead the site of the acclaimed immersive theater production Sleep No More.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Above the Globe.

All

A nightclub that had come to define alternative music in a city that is not always known for kindness toward off-beat culture, The Shelter’s iconic name came to hold an unusually pervasive literal and virtual meeting by the eve of its closure in 2016. While the literal bomb shelter setting was a happy arrangement for club goers and noise-sensitive neighbors, the winds changed and the venue was unable to renew its license. Luckily, co-founder Gaz Williams has returned with ALL, a new concept that promises to nurture the same subculture of music as its predecessor.

Read the full review here. See a listing for ALL Club.

Barraco

The changing of the seasons comes all too quickly in Shanghai. After a blazing 40-degree summer, a beautifully temperate but brief fall transitions to the bitterness of winter. It’s a pity that Barraco has opened after the weather has turned, because this is exactly the kind of bar we could have used this summer. This tiny Brazilian-run spot, named after the shanty town structures that characterize the outskirts of cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, has a semi-al fresco front patio complete with mini palms, beach chairs, pebbles, and whimsical swings for barstools that later proved near-lethal for one of our companions.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Barraco.

Blackstone Magic Bar

Blackstone Magic Bar does have a theme, but with good reason. It is part cocktail bar, part magical theater. As in, a proper little amphitheater where magical illusionists host intimate performances every Thursday to Saturday, and a proper little cocktail bar with a menu designed by the insouciant-looking mixologist Chris Xi. The place was founded by Bund 18 owner Anson Chen, who along with co-founder Joe Deng is also a magician and performer at Blackstone.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Blackstone Magic Bar.

Dry Goods Cold Drinks

Shanghai isn’t done with speakeasies yet – far from it. In fact, we’ll go so far as to say the city has undergone something of a speakeasy revival thanks to several new ‘underground’ openings, including Dry Goods Cold Drinks (DGCD hereafter), hidden behind the façade of a general store.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Dry Goods Cold Drinks.

Duo Sports Bar

In a city that sometimes seems more comfortable with dry-ice spewing cocktails and speakeasies than good old fashioned drinking, Duo feels like a tall glass of water. Or beer, more likely, since this is a bar dedicated to the fine sport of beer pong.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Duo.

Flask 2.0

Gone but not forgotten, FLASK bar (the one with the coke machine entrance) has reopened at a sleek new location on Xiangyang Bei Lu. It's right next to the new Beef & Liberty, and Shanghai's first Moka Bros. Boy, must be great to have an office in that area.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Flask 2.0.

Healer

Healer, a bar from ex-Nest and Kee Club mixologist Phoebe Han, is cut from a different cloth. The specialty here is a menu of libations. Healer does a commendable job of pioneering a path towards interesting and balanced drinks using artisanal Chinese spirits. With a bit of polish, we think this could represent one of the better places for minded drinkers to take a sip of local booze culture.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Healer.

Laundry Co.

In an age where speakeasies are starting to outnumber conventional, out-of-the-closet cocktail bars, we’ll forgive your groan upon hearing that Shanghai’s newest one is surreptitiously hidden behind a Laundromat. It’s called Laundry Co. (no relation to Liquid Laundry), and comes from the minds behind Barber Shop, which, you guessed it, does not offer haircuts. 

Read the full review here. See a listing for Laundry Co.

Ounce

Apart from the success Daniel An’s Shrine bar, or Mack Ross’ Magnolia Room and Tour, semi-open air complex United Valley’s story so far has been one of failure to launch. This is despite its promise of being a haven for quirky F&B venues, and prime location on Shaanxi and Changle Lu. However, after a recent visit to Ounce, one of the newest places to open there, it seems the vision is coming into focus after all.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Ounce.

Vinism

For a city with a sizeable number of French expats, Shanghai isn’t short of places to drink wine. But narrow down to parameters like ‘affordable wine’ and the selection declines sharply; ask for ‘natural affordable wines,’ and it shrinks even more. And if you were to ask for an affordable natural wine bar with a quaint atmosphere and a menu of French-Chinese tapas, that whittles your result down to one place: newly opened Vinism on Tai’an Lu.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Vinism.

Honorable Mention

New place we liked, but didn't formally review. 

Antique by Taste Buds

Star mixologist Daniel An re-opened a version of his smash-hit bar Taste Buds Cocktail Palace at a new location after the former was forced to close when its lease ended. Now installed in an antique shop on Sinan Lu, An decided not to make big changes to the interiors, which complements the eccentric charm of the original.

See a listing for Antique by Taste Buds.

Read more Shanghai Food & Drink Guides

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