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Cocktail barAgave spirits barFrench Concession
Coa Shanghai spreads four agave-spirit floors across a Fuxing Middle Road lane house, the mainland outpost of Hong Kong's Coa reopened in 2024.
DrinkMezcal and tequila flights across four floors: Taqueria, Cantina, Salon, Mezcaleria
FoodTacos and Mexican small plates on the Taqueria and Cantina floors
TipExpect a queue at the door; each floor runs its own menu, and you need not climb through the first three to reach the Mezcaleria.
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Cocktail barNeighbourhood cocktail barFrench Concession
Pony Up pours easy-drinking cocktail twists on Jinxian Road in Shanghai, a small, buzzy neighbourhood bar ranked No. 19 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.
DrinkJurassic Gone Wrong: gin, rose beancurd, cacao, pecan, camellia and vermouth
FoodPatty melts on milk toast, corn dogs, and fries with furikake and wasabi mayo
TipCome for the corn dogs and patty melts as much as the cocktails; the bar food earns its own order.
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Cocktail barAmerican-style cocktail barXuhui
The Union Trading Company has poured seasonal cocktails in Shanghai since 2014, first on Fenyang Road, now on Hengshan Road; a past Asia's 50 Best Bars pick.
DrinkCocktails from the Snapshot of the Time menu, spanning 19th-century classics to contemporary minimalism
FoodAmerican-style bar food from chef Austin Hu
TipAsk about the Snapshot of the Time menu; each drink is tied to a specific bartender's own story.
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Cocktail barDistillery-run cocktail barFrench Concession
Laizhou Bar pours cocktails made with its parent distillery's own spirits on Fumin Road in Shanghai, next to a Sichuan-leaning fusion kitchen.
DrinkCocktails made with the distillery's own Ling-Lie vodka and Jiao-Yu gin
FoodSichuan food with a fusion twist, including dan dan noodle pasta
TipThe dog-friendly front terrace is the better seat on a warm evening than the sprawling main hall.
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Cocktail barWine cocktail barXintiandi
Swirl on Middle Fuxing Road in Shanghai swirls wine together with spirits into winetails, sharing a wall with sister cocktail bar Speak Low.
DrinkWinetails, wine-based cocktails swirled rather than shaken, from ¥90 to ¥125
FoodA small snacks menu alongside the wine cocktails
TipStart with the lighter-bodied cocktails on the menu before working up to the full-bodied pours later on.
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Cocktail barCocktail barFrench Concession
Gallows Humor on South Shaanxi Road in Shanghai is an all-black, minimalist cocktail bar from the same founders behind neighboring bar Paal.
DrinkPlayful cocktails built around unusual ingredients like blue cheese and century egg
TipCome with an open mind about ingredients; the menu leans into odd pairings like century egg and clam juice.