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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.
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Cocktail barCuban cocktail barFrench Concession
Alma Luna, on North Xiangyang Road in Shanghai, pours bartender Yao Lu's own take on classic Cuban cocktails behind a bright yellow front door.
DrinkMiami Vice, a two-in-one pina colada and strawberry daiquiri
FoodCuban-leaning bites like chicharron, croquettes and a Cubano sandwich
TipOrder the Cubano sandwich alongside a cocktail; the kitchen leans into comfort food more than sharing plates.
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Cocktail barItalian cocktail barXintiandi
Bar Leone Shanghai pours Italian aperitivo classics from a two-floor Sinan Mansions space, the Shanghai outpost of a Hong Kong original bar.
DrinkBlack Truffle Godfather, aged six months with Yunnan black truffle
FoodItalian aperitivo and bar bites, including a mortadella focaccia
TipThe ground floor Bar di Passo suits a quick aperitivo; head upstairs to the living-room floor for the aged Vecchi & Rari drinks.