Bar Review: Eden

What: The children of China’s diaspora come home to party
Why: Muse is full and you’re tired of M1NT
How Much: Beers from RMB 40; mixed drinks from RMB 60
Where: 4F, 760 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shimen Er Lu. Tel: 6255 6000

There’s a Rolls Royce parked conspicuously on the corner. Two large Chinese men with ear buds and long black trench coats guard the entrance of an ornate iron door. A low rumbling reverberates from four floors up out onto the midnight streets. Shanghai’s newest clubby club, Eden is open for business.

Started by the folks behind Donghu Lu’s Monkey Bar and Dakota, Eden is the group’s first foray into the realm of clubdom. Despite its Biblically inspired name, you won’t find any hint of the famous garden anywhere. The interior is a gleaming array of mirrors and metal reflecting the endless array of lights scattershot around the room. And coupled with the plush leather seating from furniture retailer Casa Pagoda, the place feels more like a jacked up Ivy League university club than paradise lost. One subtle, but notable innovation the club has to offer is placing a VIP area directly behind the bar, making getting more drink – often the bane of a club-goer’s evening – that much easier. Those interested in the full VIP experience can also rent out a 40-person KTV-equipped party room.
In terms of the crowd, the clientele is solidly wealthy locals and foreign-born Chinese. As such, there’s an emphasis on bottle service with multi-bottle deals with gangsta names like “Ice Ballin’” and “Junior Mafia” in the RMB 2,000+ range. And of course, they have dice, although chances are you won’t hear the clatter of them so well above the roar of the stereo. The music selection isn’t limited to one genre, but switches throughout the week. Thursdays feature hip-hop, Fridays house and Saturdays funk. There are also plans to bring in international DJs once a month, although with little in the way of a dance floor, expect these nights to be crowd crunchers.