Patios. The only good things about Shanghai summers. Ideally, with a happy hour or a brunch deal. Here's a list of some new, some old, but all worth suffering the heat for! It's in alphabetic order so you don't go thinking there's some sort of objective best out there.
***
Barraco
What It Is: Gaudily decorated beachhouse-looking favela shack built into the front of a lanehouse, this place serves Brazilian snacks and, naturally, caipirinhas. Enjoy them (and others) at half-price, if you're a lady, during their Tuesday ladies night.
*
Blackbird 2.0
What It Is: The three-story Number 8 building in Columbia Circle. Cocktails, lunch fare, leafy environment, lovely design, two patio options, one on the ground floor, one in the herb garden on the roof. They've got a weekend brunch that goes until 4.30pm. 180rmb for three dishes and a drink.
*
Bull & Claw
What It Is: Cozy garden mansion with a menu dedicated to steak, lobster and misc. In addition to the large ground-floor outdoor dining space, the second floor balcony is real lovely and west-facing. Sundowners. This one's usually bustling. Go for the free-flow brunch.
*
Bvlgari Hotel
What It Is: A surprise contender for best Bund view in Shanghai. Weird, considering it sits half a kilometer back from the promenade on the wrong side of the creek. Perched on the 48th floor, Bvlgari Hotel's La Terraza has a spectacular view over Huangpu and Lujiazui. Only downside is that it's a little exposed on windy days and there are no deals available. You'll have to go to the bar downstairs for those, which has its own little terrace.
*
Café Gray Deluxe
What It Is: Dining headliner of hotel The Middle House, a half-moon shaped bar/lounge/restaurant hugging the outside of Taikoo Hui. Big appeal is the muted ambience and the reasonable price for food and especially cocktails. Oh, and their sick, sick terrace. They use it to serve a three-course, 228rmb weekend brunch.
*
The Captain
What It Is: The "budget" option for Bund drinking (cocktails are still 90-100rmb), the Captain is the rebranded, refurbished rooftop bar of Captain's Hostel. They kept some of the less gaudy nautical-themed decor and the in-your-face view of the financial district across the river. Not as panoramic as some of the others, but an atmospheric spot nonetheless. Weekend brunch has a 188rmb free-flow option.
*
Colca
What It Is: Serial restaurateur Eduardo Vargas doing the food of his heritage: Peruvian. It's a nice place. Works just as well for cocktails, snacks or a sit-down meal. It's 38rmb on select cocktails during happy hour.
*
Edition Hotel Roof Garden
What It Is: A patchwork of brick and lawn terraces of differing heights, the Shanghai EDITION's roof garden mixes Chinese greenery with tropical horticulture. Features an open-air theater, a games area for lawn bowls and croquet, daybed seating, and, naturally, a bar with food and snacks. More of a long-term lounging option.
*
Found 158
What It Is: It's one big patio. The whole thing. Just squat in the middle. Set up a lean-to wherever you like, start busking for change to spend at any of the, what, forty venues? You could probably live down there. Die, too. Zapfler and Cafe des Stags has a boatload of food deals, for example. Happy hours abound.
*
Highline
What It Is: Contemporary American and cocktails place. The plan: All-day and late night California classics cuisine. The look: mid-century Miami-fornia minimalist chic sunken living room batch pad. The expansive patio's got a stunning view of People's Square. Nice spot for brunch.
*
Lago
What It Is: Shanghai Bellagio's marquee restaurant, a modern Italian fine dining from Spanish chef Julian Serrano, celebrated for putting traditional Continental cuisine through his own idiosyncratic, bubbly, molecular prism. It's got an entry corridor that looks wrested from a nightclub, and a terrace overlooking the Suzhou Creek. They do a 488rmb weekend brunch set from 11.30am-2.30pm.
*
Lokal by Wagas
What It Is: From the ever-dominating Wagas group, this place does a bit of everything from their Baker & Spice and Wagas menus: coffees, pastries, a couple international dishes and a lovely garden courtyard. Even if you can't get a seat outside (it's often packed around lunchtime), the interior spaces open up a bit so you can still get that summer breeze.
*
Mercado 505
What It Is: Mercado 505, occupying a prime location in among the hotels at Wulumuqi Lu and Huashan Lu, is the same market-to-table concept as its original Cool Docks location, but bigger. The patio's usually buzzing with Spanish expats and curious diners. The sangria is great.
*
Moka Bros
What It Is: Straight outta Sanlitun Beijing, Moka Bros is a well-honed, market-tested power (and poke and smoothie) bowls, wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, juices, coffee, wine, breakfast, brunch place, dinner, just about everything short of a baptismal font. Their outdoor area is tucked around the side of the building, with a mix of couches and loungers.
*
The Nest
What It Is: Super popular bar/restaurant/lounge by nightclub brand Muse Group and Grey Goose vodka, right by the Rockbund Art Museum. They specialize in vodka-based cocktails and high-end bar food like oysters and steaks. Especially the oysters: they've got a daily deal where it's a dozen for 98rmb. Good design, good drinks, great food, nice view. Weekend brunch is 3 courses for 198rmb, with a cocktail.
*
Pine at Ruijin
What It Is: From the people behind Light & Salt, this fancy-looking French restaurant is located inside the InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin. The menu's deft, white-tablecloth and photogenic. They've got two weekend brunch sets, a 597rmb chef menu and a more familiar three-course deal for 297rmb. Free-flow's 197rmb, 11.30am-4.30pm.
*
RAC Bar
What It Is: Insta-heaven. Plus sweet and savory crepes and egg-related dishes, as well as a reputable selection of wine. They are insanely popular, especially on weekends. They opened a new spot on Shaanxi Lu, sadly lacking in patio seating.
*
Roof 325
What It Is: Perched on top of the newly restored Shanghai History Museum, Roof 325 has an expansive terrace with a great view over the top of People's Park, which, don’t you know, used to be a racecourse. The history museum itself used to be the Race Club building. Go for their weekend brunch, or the weekday happy hour.
*
Rye&Co
What It Is: A plush cocktail lounge from the people behind Nest, perched on the roof of a mall. It's actually called High On Rye, to differentiate it from the bakery/bistro downstairs. Their little roof garden only has space for about 15 or 20 people, but it's cozy, verdant and surprisingly quiet for being so centrally located. People hold yoga sessions up here. Nice view over the business district.
*
Sense 8 (Xintiandi)
What It Is: Cantonese restaurant with some serious, serious traditional Chinese decor, and usually a queue for dinner. Strung along the side of the dining room are a few outside tables that feel like a hidden enclave in bustling Xintiandi, from where you can order cocktails and be fabulous.
*
seul&SEUL
What It Is: A "bistronomy" spot created by two chefs, Bill Hu and Johnny Jiang, seul&SEUL is a fine-dining restaurant with a little bistro in its ambience and attitude, serving food from southern France. Nice rooftop terrace, too, where they do a 398rmb deal on a bottle of prosecco and snacks.
*
Sukhothai
What It Is: A street-level patio directly in front of ZUK Bar, the Sukhothai Hotel's headliner patio puts you right on Weihai Lu, in that plaza between it and the heritage building. Apart from the regular 5-8pm daily happy hour, they occasionally host parties. MVP has a sunset party on August 2 with a live saxophone player. If they're not blasting Careless Whisper by 10pm, we're going to need an apology in writing.
*
The Cut Rooftop
What It Is: An upscale casual dining lounge thing aimed at a young professional crowd, the menu has taken a turn from the steak and fries downstairs into "too big to be tapas, too snackable to be a sit-down meal" territory. Comes alive in the evenings with more of a cocktail-lounge vibe; regular live DJs and a financially sound happy hour.
*
Together
What It Is: A French-Asian casual fine-dining restaurant from Kim Melvin (Commune Social. Dressed up and stylish, but still approachable, it's bedrock French cuisine with some interesting Korean flourishes. The ice cream is really good as well. Their green, bamboo-ringed terrace sits against a low brick wall separating it from Yuyuan Lu.
*
WET BAR
What It Is: Latin-inspired tapas and cocktail bar in the W Shanghai with a view over Pudong. Important note: WET Bar does not include the hotel-guests-only pool. It refers to the terrace next to the pool, where they throw parties. Music! Youth culture! Come for the party, stay for the... everything else! Opening is based on weather and availability: sometimes it's booked out for private events, so call ahead. You can get in on their Viva Ibiza Sunset Series every weekend until October, though.
*
Yongfoo Elite
What It Is: This clubhouse has served as a consulate for the UK, Russia and Vietnam over the years. The graceful manor is now a private leisure club that offers gourmet cuisine and live music in a gentle ambience, with a real old-world charm garden. Don't miss Keep it Quiet, their bar nestled in a back corner, which runs regular, and weird, music nights.
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