Shanghai is known for its bar scene. Unlike Beijing, Shanghai’s bars display a wide diversity of genres, prices, decors, and entertainment. The hobnobbers convene nightly along the Bund drinking brandy for $30USD a glass while the English teachers rendezvous along Hangshan Road, where cold beer can flow for as cheap as $1USD. Everything imaginable lies in between these extremes, the most intense of which are the so-called all-you-can-drink bars catering almost exclusively to expats.
One of the top bars in Shanghai’s all-you-can-drink scene is De La Coast where for 100 RMB (about $14USD) you can do your best to damage your liver amid flashing lights and endless seizure-like dance offs. A truly gifted DJ blasts perfectly mixed tunes while friendly bartenders mix an unending barrage of rail drinks. The bar is successful primarily because it attracts a steady stream of regulars.
While De La Coast may be one of the more dual-gendered bars in the area, attracting a plethora of expats and locals alike, the traditional drink-for-a-sum bars in Shanghai use blunt human-nature tactics for attracting foreign currency: pigtails, pushup bras, and stick on purple eyelashes.
Women stand outside the doors of the establishment and grab at anything with three swinging legs, clinging to the men as they attempt to continue down the sidewalk. Even some of the up-scale bars along the Bund use the oldest tricks in the book. At Lounge 18, for about 20$ USD a drink you can be graced with the pleasure of luscious women in skin-tight cat suits who do erratic dances on platforms around the bar and then stick up their noses and exit through a back wall. Of course, they reappear later in civilian attire to be offered free drinks.
Yes, the bars in Shanghai can be extreme. In one venue, clowns on stilts serve iced drinks, ducking below the rafters as they serve your multi-colored surprise. At another place, for 100RMB, it’s open bar until 2AM, when a bus load of Russian hookers arrive to cart off all the single men. And around Xintiandi, an up-scale development of restaurants and bars, beautiful blondes in skin-tight red miniskirts and flawless posture will party the evening away with you then surprise you in the cab ride home with the never popular “I’m only 3000RMB baby.”
The all-you-can-drink game in Shanghai is as endless as the free-flowing liquor. For the expat on a dime, drinking at these bars is the only way to consume libations. Filled with English teachers, locals, and expats who have been around, the all-you-can-drinks are great places to meet interesting people who plan to be in the area for a while. For the single expat, they’re a dime saver and speed date all in one.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
“pigtails, pushup bras, and stick on purple eyelashes.”
Three great things.
- MPM
that simply sounds f*CKING awesome.
I love this city. That all-you can drink game screwed me over a couple of times. I love shanghai girls… I have a cheeky
Shanghai Report if anyone want’s to check out