Bar Review: Blue Marlin
What: Sports bar chain from neighbouring Suzhou
Why: You want some beers and a good dance without the strobes
How Much: Premium draft beers RMB 70; bottled beers RMB 40; cocktails RMB 56
Where: No. 12, Thumb Plaza, Lane 199 Fangdian Lu, near Dingxiang Lu. Tel: 5030 9676
The empty space left by Malone’s when it closed its doors in September of last year has left Pudong locals long curious as to what would fill its place. Enter Blue Marlin, the Suzhou-born bar and restaurant, which in recent months has expanded to Xuzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi, as well as adding a second location to Shanghai in Thumb Plaza (its first being on Lantian Lu).
They must therefore, be doing something right, and if their opening night on 16 March was anything to go by, they will only get better. With three floors including an outdoor terrace, café and lounge, as well as a huge open bar area with pool tables, TV screens and a band stage, Blue Marlin dwarfs the surrounding Thumb Plaza bars, and stays open later than them too. Definitely one for the party crowd, who will love the wide choice of colourful (and deceivingly strong) cocktails, and yet by day, it’s equally a good place to enjoy a chilled one, with some of their signature German grub and a lunch pint. Especially now the weather’s improved – their large second floor terrace is in prime position for catching some rays, and again the envy of the surrounding establishments.
What will make you really stick around, and indeed keep coming back, is the band, Bat'Tala, who from 9pm Monday – Saturday play some of the best live covers of any other band we’ve seen around Shanghai, and aren’t afraid to let loose on tracks from the likes of RATM, Metallica and Drowning Pool. Oh the bodies hit the floor alright.
Despite it being a trek for the Puxi crowd, it’s well worth a trip over to Blue Marlin to sample some of their schnitzel, try one of their tall Long Island iced teas, and stick around for the evening show. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed, and you most certainly won’t be able to resist a dance.
