Heyday

Impressive new retro-themed live jazz bar with good cocktails

A retro-themed cocktail bar that looks like miniature version of a set from Gone with the Bullets. Located on the corner of Taian and Xingguo Lus, the small space hosts live jazz performances five nights a week and as such the lounge seating around the edges of the venue faces toward a drum kit, mic stands and keyboard (there's no raised stage). There's also a handful of tables under a spectacular vintage-style ceiling decoration that arcs up and over your head from behind where the band plays. It's comfortable and intimate.

Some impressive cocktails. There's a range of barrel-aged mixes - we tried a beautifully blended Negroni (68RMB) - a list of hi-balls (58RMB) and the bar's own concoctions including the Heyday Club (68RMB) with bourbon, dry vermouth and a touch of raspberry and lemon. Aside from coming presented by waitstaff in qipaos or tuxes, there's little fanfare to the drinks - with what's in the glass being allowed to take centre stage, and deservedly so.

Food-wise, there's a small selection of bar snacks such as crostinis (50-65RMB) and hand cut fries (50RMB), as well as a weekly changing meat pie (78RMB).

This is a great new drinking addition to an area that already boasts the excellent Bar No. 3. Shanghai doesn't lack for retro-themed cocktail bars, but Heyday nevertheless feels fresh and - importantly - they appear to have got things right behind the bar.

Heyday is at 50 Taian Lu, near Xingguo Lu. See full address details.