Bar Reviews: Haven, Kaiba Tap House, Kartel, Stocchi

Stocchi

By Melissa Trias

What: Chocolate Lounge Bar

How much: Chocolate RMB 1/gram; Cocktails RMB 70

Where: 185 Fumin Lu, near Julu Lu. Tel: 5404 2815

Why: Two sins, one bar

After the enormous success of hoF, it’s no surprise that the idea of a chocolate lounge is catching on in Shanghai. Stocchi, the latest bar to pair desserts with drinks, offers its selection of chocolate bonbons, petite cakes and sweet cocktails from its expat-friendly location on Fumin Lu.

Ideal for nights when you want a tipple without losing your friends in the crowd, the bar is intimate without sacrificing the fun factor. Lip-shaped sofas that melt into the dark purple walls are perfect for cuddling up in, while colourful lights add a tinge of Euro clubbing to the atmosphere.

When it comes to drinks, Stocchi’s menu tends toward the luscious. Sip your way to Indulgence, a cocktail that’s as smooth as velvet, or the Elixir of Love, a dose of mojo in a glass. Just as sinfully delicious was the Fruit & Nut Choco Tini. With amaretto, cherry liqueur, crème de cacao and cream, the cocktail is certifiable for a dessert menu. In the end, it was more like drinking a cupcake than downing an adult beverage. Not that we’re complaining – we licked our lips to the last drop.

Sure it might sound like a bar for the ladies, but Stocchi is trying to draw in customers of all genders by offering new products at their bar every Tuesday and Friday, the most recent of which is their chocolate beer. Pandering to the male sex has never tasted so yummy.