POP Bar, on the top floor of Three on the Bund, opened with a bang a few weeks ago and has since been impressing punters with its colourful decor, Miami beach-style vibes and views over Lujiazui. They've just launched the 'Bund Social Hub' on Thursday nights from 6pm-midnight where you'll be able to pick up three beers, three wines or six oysters for 100RMB.
Speaking of drink deals, there are a couple of new happy hours on offer about town. Bouquet, the cosy and book-filled haven above Xinhua Bookstore on Beijing Xi Lu in Jingan has started a happy hour on Friday nights from 5-8pm. They're offering glasses of bubbles, white, rose or red for 35RMB, with complimentary canapes. The Living Room by Octave also has a new drink deal with buy-one-get-one-free beverages every evening from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy their full range of cocktails, biodynamic wines and infused juices in their charming courtyard or beautifully-designed dining room. A few of the cocktails have even been infused with antioxidants making your daily dose even healthier. Try the Anaesthetic Fizz, which includes some Sichuan pepper, which will apparently dull your aches and pains (105RMB full price).
One of our favourite bars, Starling, has a new bar manager. Originally hailing from New Zealand, but having spent the past six years in Australia, Michael Chen has a solid resume in famed-Sydney bars Eau de Vie and The Roosevelt. Chen is bringing some new drinks into the mix, including the Por Avion (85RMB) mixing Bacardi Superior, Tio Pepe, mandarin, honey, lemon sorbet and prosecco, and a delicious sounding Mandarin Mule (85RMB).
Finally, the people behind Fenyang Lu cocktail hang out Barules have decided their original entrance wasn't quite in keeping with Shanghai's speakeasy trends. Having been open around eight months, the bar's gorgeous wooden door has been replaced with a British-style red phone booth. Not only is the new entrance far more conspicuous, but it turns out that you don't even need to pick up the receiver to enter the bar - you simply push on one side of the box and the door opens. An odd renovation indeed.
