COCKTAIL BARS SHANGHAI

Epic is a three-story award-winning cocktail bar located in Shanghai's French Concession, founded in 2014 by celebrated bartender Cross Yu. The venue features retro aesthetics with exposed brick, vintage décor, and a vibrant underground disco atmosphere spread across ground, second, and top-floor lounges. Epic's menu showcases creative signature drinks (¥98-¥108) inspired by Chinese cities and crafted with fresh juices, extracts, and homemade infusions. The bar ranks No. 74 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 and was previously No. 41 on The World's 50 Best Bars in 2021.

Sober Company is a 400-square-meter award-winning cocktail bar relocated to INS within Fuxing Park in October 2023. Operated by the SG Group under principal bartender Shingo Gokan, the venue features four distinct spaces—KISSA, IZAKAYA, SAKABA, and TIPSY—each drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese eateries with contemporary Western elements. Sober Company ranks No. 42 on The World's 50 Best Bars and No. 5 on Asia's 50 Best Bars, with recognition including the Tales of the Cocktail "Best International Restaurant Bar" award. The bar features innovative tasting menus including their Sober Airways experience.

Speak Low is a critically acclaimed speakeasy-style cocktail bar in Shanghai with a hidden entrance accessed through an adjacent bar tool boutique shop called OCHO. Operated by the SG Group with principal bartender Shingo Gokan, the bar specializes in meticulously crafted cocktails that blend traditional and innovative techniques. Signature offerings include drinks featuring unique ingredients like matcha green tea and yuzu. Speak Low holds recognition on both Asia's 50 Best Bars and The World's 50 Best Bars lists, establishing it as a destination venue for serious cocktail enthusiasts in Shanghai.

Suzu Bar is a Japanese-influenced cocktail destination opened in late 2018 by Ginza-native mixologist Toshiya Suzuki, located at 301 Huashan Lu in Shanghai's Jing'an district. Suzuki brings expertise from studying under Japanese cocktail legend Takao Mori, infusing the operation with warm hospitality and meticulous attention to detail. The bar offers both classic cocktails and signature creations, including the notable seasonal "Soy Sauce Dumpling Robroy" with whiskey, soy sauce syrup, and oolong tea bitters. The cheeky personality of the staff and painstakingly prepared drinks, often complemented by hot soup on cold days, distinguish Suzu Bar in Shanghai's bustling cocktail scene.

The Odd Couple is a retro-inspired cocktail bar opened in March 2019 at Lane 181 Taicang Road in Shanghai's Xintiandi. Co-founded by Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider—whose respective flagship bars Speak Low and Employees Only rank among the world's best—the venue features a distinctive 1980s aesthetic with vibrant neon lights, silver compact discs on walls, and Pac-Man projections. The bar features dual menus overseen by each founder, showcasing signature drinks like a truffle-scented espresso martini, the award-winning Speak Loud (rum-milk tea), and Midnight Coffee Vesper. The Odd Couple has been recognized on Asia's 50 Best Bars.