The Boulevard

What: A 1920s speakeasy themed cocktail bar

Where: 7/F, 10 Baoqing Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu. Tel: 6474 7979

Why: You want the thrill of a prohibition environment but the comfort of plush surroundings

Shanghai is a city of bright lights, fast cars and dizzying skyscrapers; a city that has its eyes firmly set on the future. The corner of Baoquing Lu (near Fuxing Xi Lu) is no different. The street bustles with people, bicycles, cars and the sound of car horns and engines with headlights and street lamps lighting up the road. We got word of a bar where you can escape to the good old days for a few hours, so we took an elevator ride up seven floors and a journey back in time of ninety years. The Boulevard, one of the latest bars to open in Shanghai, takes an elegant, laid-back and glamorous approach to the Shanghai night scene, instead of the uniform high stools and strobe lights of most other establishments in the city.

Every minute detail of the Boulevard, starting from, and most importantly, the drinks, to the interior and piped music, is a nostalgic reference to times gone by; 1920s America to be precise. Step out of the elevator and there is no stern looking doorman to impress in order to gain access. Instead, there is a beautiful bookcase and a side table on which stands an antique rotary telephone with a sign instructing patrons to lift the receiver in order to get a drink. After being instructed by an eloquent person on the other end of the beautiful antique telephone to push open the bookcase in true prohibition style, you will enter a perfectly preserved 1920s time capsule. No longer are the sounds of horns and engines able to reach your ears, instead, the lulling sound of Billy Holiday and other such 1920s stars, command the airways. Chandeliers softly light the venue and set the perfect ambiance with the décor, quite rightly, being strictly dark wood and leather, high back booths and walls adorned with photos of 1920s mobsters. This bar setting is perfectly juxtaposed against the backdrop of Shanghai as The Boulevard offers stunning views of the modern city. There is also a retractable skylight for use during the warmer months.

But, don’t be fooled, The Boulevard is more than capable of catering to a modern crowd. If you appreciate awell made cocktail then this bar should be your first port of call. A cocktail menu, designed by Australian mixologist, Chris Berg, offers classic, finely made cocktails, such as staple Dirty Martinis (RMB 75), Negronis (RMB 75) as well as The Boulevard cocktail (RMB 75) and Bathtubbin (RMB 85). And, if a cocktail isn’t your vice of choice, then fear not, The Boulevard also has a wine and beer menu which serves pours from all over the world. The Boulevard also serves some decadent comfort food, with everything from good old fashioned onion rings (RMB 38) to garlic escargot (RMB 58). We suggest sampling the best of both offerings and nibble on a snack of truffle popcorn (RMB 38) while enjoying a cocktail!