The Roof, Lola & Bar Rouge Revisited
The Roof
What:Relaxed, comfortable bar with large rooftop terrace
Why: Massive selection of whisky and lovingly-crafted cocktails
How much: Cocktails RMB 58 – 88, single malt RMB 50 – infinity
Where: 4F, Building 4, 570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu. Tel: 6073 7628
If 2010 was defined by the rise of Yongfu Lu, 2011 is shaping up as the year of Yongjia Lu’s Surpass Court. As the art, food and booze complex slowly fills out, more and more reasons to swing by emerge. Initially, The Roof can be tricky to find as its elevator is buried at the back of the square, just past Art Labor 2.0. Once located, the bar’s first impression is it’s similarity to Yongfu Lu’s The Apartment. A very cosy main room complete with mismatched furniture and light fixtures is braced by a wood panelled bar which boasts an impressive bottle collection. A large, adjoining terrace, nearly 60 per cent of the venue’s total area, overlooks the courtyard below.
The resemblance to The Apartment extends to The Roof’s café-style food menu, which stresses fresh ingredients, yet it is here the parallel ends. Head bartender Alex Hsieh, introduced as ‘Taipei’s best’, has created an enormous cocktail list 50 choices deep, plus a separate single malt menu with over 20 Scottish, ten Japanese, ten North American and four Irish labels. The bar happily boasts it is the only venue in town with Bushmills 16 Year Old. All drinks come with a large, hand-chiselled ice cube and mixed drinks are made with juice straight from the fruit.
Late autumn is not a particularly good time to open a bar with a terrace, but due to the usual construction delays, this couldn’t be helped. However, the Taiwanese owner does plan on erecting a large tent complete with heaters, so most of the venue will still be utilised throughout the miserable Shanghai winter. As word gets around, expect to see whisky-lovers rubbing elbows with cocktail aficionados and expats looking for a cosy place to drink the evening away.
Lola
What: Small club/lounge opened by several Spanish DJ/producers
Why: Come for the visuals, stay for music and decent drinks
How much: Cocktails RMB 50 – 65, tapas RMB 50 – 380
Where: 1F, Building 4, 570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu
The Iberian invasion of Shanghai continues with the recent opening of Lola. Two Barcelona music producers join up with locally-based DJ T.Easy to mark their first Spanish foray into the city’s nightlife scene. Also found in the new Surpass Court complex on Yongjia Lu, Lola’s foyer gives way to an intimate lounge and bar, but a right turn leads to the much larger club room. While the lounge area is perfect for early week or a moment of respite on the weekends, the venue’s selling point is the main room. On the high ceiling and two walls, the Spaniards have fit a cutting edge projector system that embraces the dance floor with visuals; a Funktion One sound system completes the impressive tech setup.
The drinks menu comes courtesy of journeyman bar-consultant George Nemec and is as extensive as it is eclectic. Highlights include four types of Bloody Marys and long rum and wine lists, although the over-sized cocktails, served in a variety of fun glassware, should not be missed. A tapas menu is available from ex-Mistral chef Joaquin Campos, who will also hold down the fort at sister restaurant Lolita when it opens in the coming months.
Beats-wise, the Udance collective hosts a weekly party every Wednesday, Thursday will be given over to disco and the weekends are anchored with standard continental European house and techno. According to T.Easy, Lola is simply bring together under one roof the best elements of clubbing from around the city. The venue also looks forward to utilising their outdoor courtyard space in warmer months and hosting an international DJ every month. For stylish expats and locals alike the place should prove to be a hit, but at the very least it’s a more than respectable addition to the nightlife market.
Bar Rouge
What: La crème de la crème à Shanghai
Why: The red lady turns six years old
How much: Cocktails RMB 50 – 90, bottles of Champagne RMB 980 – 6,000
Where: 7F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Tel: 6339 1199
New rule: if a nightlife venue survives six years in this town, institutional status is the reward. This month, Bund-trailblazer Bar Rouge achieves this milestone in style. Since the wild days of 2005, when mind-boggling amounts of money were beginning to pour into Shanghai’s nocturnal playground, Bar Rouge not only persevered within the city’s tumultuous market, but quickly grew into its premiere nightlife hotspot. As the pioneer of Champagne clubbing, Bar Rouge's Mathieu Brauer surmises, “We added a feminine touch and an international vision to the club scene – we were the first!”
Bar Rouge’s unqualified success is easy to pin down. Originally, it set the bar for F1 weekend parties in 2005 and then again for anniversary bashes, with their ‘F*** Me I’m Famous’ party with David Guetta on Bar Rouge's first birthday. Its creative team has also heavily pushed theme parties over the last few years – constant innovation is the club’s savoir-faire. Music has always been Franco-centric and often commercial, but Shanghai clubbers have readily embraced it. Additionally, Bar Rouge has correctly gambled twice by closing for several weeks to rush through quick renovations to keep the venue’s design fresh and contemporary. Lastly, any review would be remiss to not also credit its picture perfect view of Lujiazui’s ceaselessly changing skyline.
To the inevitable delight of Shanghai’s haut monde, the club shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. According to manager Antoine Pernet, “We want to be considered as one of the best bar/clubs in the world. We will continue to develop our brand worldwide with our Shanghai Music Society and BR music labels, and we have a few other surprises which are on the way.” No matter how you feel about this after-dark institution, Bar Rouge is worthy of respect for its remarkable accomplishment. With the ubiquitous flute of bubbly in hand, take a moment this month to raise your glass high in veneration of the indefatigable red lady.
