(smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2007-07-04 10:41

Bar Rouge is the winner, hands down, of the best bar view in Shanghai, located on the 8th floor of Bund 18. It's simply breathtaking - encompassing everything across the river for as far as the eye can see. The bar itself is also impressive-looking, with flames racing across the bar and huge pictures of women with full red lips. There's red, and lots of it. Check out the bottle twirling, fire twirling waiters behind the bar... part of the experience of coming to Bar Rouge is to watch your cocktail being made.

There's an air of sophistication at Bar Rouge, and a sense of exclusiveness that can sometimes be a little over the top. Just because drinks prices are hefty and the view is superb, doesn't mean that the staff have to be rude or snobbish. In fact, if it were the opposite, Bar Rouge would be a much more pleasant place to visit. The clientele are also unnecessarily posey.

Still, the music is consistently reasonable, with appearances from djs from Buddha Bar records, and the bar is always guaranteed to be busy. It's also a great place to show out of town visitors...

50rmb cover charge on weekends (no drinks included), minimum charge for seats.

Bar Rouge
Address: 7F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Dianchi Road
Tel: 021-6339 1199