It’s very unlikely that anyone will ever knock the Bund off Shanghai’s list of head-turning destinations, but that hasn’t stopped the city’s entrepreneurial developers from trying.
For now, at least, pundits remain optimistic about the potential of the old Shiliupu Dock, in particular a former grease factory set prettily on the Huangpu River, its vast complex rehabilitated into a mod mix of restaurants, clubs and cafés.
Here, Hong Kong-based o&o studio have unified three ground floor units into a mood-lit watering hole specialising in handcrafted beer and whiskey. The motif of a full moon floating over the river runs subtly through the décor of circular bar shelves, mirrored discs, and clouds of glass hanging off the ceiling.
The robot cocktail maker is entertaining in a, well, robotic way, but greater pleasures are to be found sampling the locally brewed pale ales and tucking into chef Liang Shang Yun’s fusion Asian menu such as beef stewed with fermented red beancurd, and lamb meat balls hit with Xinjiang spices.
ADDRESS
Unit 101-103 Cool Docks
No.505 Zhongshan South Road
Shanghai
-
Can the film 'Peter Hujar's Day' capture the essence of the elusive artist?Filmmaker Ira Sachs and actor Ben Whishaw bring Peter Hujar back to the front of the cultural consciousness
-
New tech dedicated to home health, personal wellness and mapping your metricsWe round up the latest offerings in the smart health scene, from trackers for every conceivable metric from sugar to sleep, through to therapeutic furniture and ultra intelligent toothbrushes
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week'Tis the season for eating and drinking, and the Wallpaper* team embraced it wholeheartedly this week. Elsewhere: the best spot in Milan for clothing repairs and outdoor swimming in December
-
A discreet bolthole adds historic charm to Chongqing’s skyscraper jumbleWith a landscape bristling with gleaming towers, Sunyata Ren’ai Hall Hotel quietly emerges as the Chinese city’s most design-forward stay
-
Discover a futuristic bar in Shanghai with mad-scientist energyPenicillin opens in Shanghai with a clinical steel and concrete design by LC Studio alongside trailblazing, sustainable cocktails
-
A colossal ‘ship’ in Shanghai honours Louis Vuitton’s travel legacyLouis Vuitton’s The Louis is an OMA-designed hub combining retail, culture and dining in the heart of Nanjing West Road
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in ShanghaiPrada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing caféJM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillityAlila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
