Red Rose is one of just a handful of old-school beauty shops hanging on in Shanghai (there was also a famous White Rose on Nanjing Xi Lu, long devoured by the malls). It was opened in 1936, though who opened it seems to be lost to time. Like other private businesses, it was taken over by the state after 1949, and really peaked in the 1980s and 1990s when there were dozens of Red Roses all over Shanghai. This was the original though, and now it's the only one left. It's still state-owned, which explains the cheap cheap prices (40rmb for a shave, CASH ONLY) and sometimes gruff service (friendlier to regulars), and the barbers are getting up there in age themselves. How long can this place hold on after they retire?

Getting a shave here is more about the atmosphere and the barbers in black slacks and white shirts, and the fellow middle-aged and old customers, and the super-hot steaming towels they use. The shave itself is no-frills, not always so smooth or close, but as a real throwback to an older era in Shanghai, it can't be beat.