Bar news: Devil's Share, The Brewer, Gilligan's open

The stretch between Western and Chinese New Years can sometimes be a bit of a lull period for Shanghai's bar scene, but the past few weeks have seen a number of notable openings.

Of the new blood, Devil's Share in Xintandi is pleasing the punters with a mix of whisky, cocktails and fine wines. While it may not feature the most innovative of drinks lists (there's a heavy focus on Old World distilleries and vineyards) or interiors, the quality of the drinks is consistently high.

Just down the road, on the corner of Taicang and Madang Lus, new spot The Brewer is now trading, although their full craft beer menu isn't yet available. The space (think lots of decorative elements, brickwork and wooden surfaces) features a small area of outdoor seating focused around barrel tables and a decent range of craft beers (from 68RMB).

The bar merry-go-round of Yongkang Lu has thrown up another new spot, this time on the more civilized part of the street beside Hungry Lung's Kitchen. Gilligan's is aiming for the straight-up pub look by serving a decent range of draft beers along with pub grub standards such as meat pies.