The cocktail bar scene in Shanghai is thriving as the city’s cocktail bars consistently snag spots on the Asia’s and World’s 50 Best Bars list. From rare agaves to diving into zero-waste libations conceived in a lab, or enjoying a classic with a twist in a speakeasy, these Shanghai bars are where it’s at.
Penicillin Shanghai
Penicillin Shanghai brings the award-winning sustainable bar concept from its Hong Kong flagship, which currently holds the No. 27 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025, to the city’s vibrant Nanchang Road. Operated by the same acclaimed team, the Shanghai outpost delivers their unique brand of mad science meets eco-conscious mixology.
The venue features a state-of-the-art second-floor laboratory where high-tech equipment and fermentation expertise elevate zero-waste and upcycling to new heights through a closed-loop system that completely utilizes every single ingredient. For cocktail nerds and flavor enthusiasts, the menu offers 11 signature drinks plus three fermented cocktails at ¥90 each, along with two non-alcoholic options at ¥75. Expect the same exceptional, groundbreaking libations and impeccable hospitality that earned the original its prestigious reputation.
Penicillin Shanghai
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Sober Company
Sober Company is a perennial award-winning cocktail bar in Shanghai, from principal bartender Shingo Gokan of the acclaimed SG Group. It’s currently at No. 81 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025, but at its height, it was No. 39 on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 and No. 19 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017.
The bar relocated to Fuxing Park’s INS in 2023, a larger space that features two floors and four unique concepts. The ground-floor Kissa offers casual coffee and low-ABV sippers, while the upstairs Sakaba restaurant and cocktail bar serves ten signatures inspired by Japanese cities. For a livelier vibe, head to the Tipsy lounge on the second floor — where the who’s who of Shanghai gravitate towards.
Sober Company also does food, a menu of Japanese-inspired bar bites as well as a full food and cocktail pairing experience within their ground floor sushi bar.
Sober Company
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Pony Up
Pony Up is an award-winning cocktail bar in Shanghai, having earned its place as one of the newer entries at No. 97 on the coveted Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list. A homegrown brand independent from big-name bar groups, it has totally earned its prestigious ranking. Founded by former The Odd Couple head bartender Dre Yang, this Huangpu district spot exudes a homey yet stylish vibe with minimalist wood, dark leather, and a vibrant namesake mural.
The bar operates with two distinct menus: a daytime menu offering fun and easy-to-drink cocktails, and an evening menu where drinks are ¥95 each, featuring eight seasonal signatures and eight classics. These cocktails are technically solid yet deceptively simple in presentation, featuring creative twists with flavors ranging from bak kut teh, Pu’er tea, and wormwood to yuzu, tomato, salted plum, and guava.
Pony Up
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Union Trading Company
American-style cocktail bar Union Trading Company built the blueprint for many Shanghai bars. An Asia’s 50 Best Bars honoree, it peaked at No. 9 in 2016 and currently holds the No. 74 spot in 2025. It also placed No. 48 on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2021.
Founded by principal bartender Yao Lu, this lively saloon has been the city’s cocktail anchor since 2014. Now holding court on Hengshan Road, UTC remains the place where Shanghai’s cocktail loyalists go for a perfect, seasonally-attuned drink. This is where you order the now-legendary signature cocktail, Shanghai Breakfast, a wild but brilliant mix of champagne, huangjiu, black sesame, and banana, or a barrel-aged classic that reminds you why this place never goes out of style. In addition to the signature drinks list, the menu also features seasonal creations.
Union Trading Company
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EPIC
EPIC is a long-standing and award-winning cocktail bar in Shanghai, currently holding the No. 74 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and having previously reached the pinnacle of #41 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021.
Founded in 2014 by the celebrated bartender Cross Yu, this high-energy venue in the former French Concession is famed for its creative, magazine-style menu featuring 14 signature drinks (¥98-¥108) inspired by Chinese cities and their unique local ingredients.
The three-story space, with a ground-floor bar, a cozy lounge on the second floor, and a bohemian top-floor lounge with a terrace, truly embodies the bar’s motto “Do EPIC Shit!” — a spirit channeled through an excellent uptown funk playlist and Cross Yu himself, who is known to energize the weekend crowd, sometimes even with a megaphone.
Speak Low
Speak Low is a foundational award-winning speakeasy that paved the way for Shanghai’s cocktail scene since opening in 2014. It has accolades like No. 50 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021 after previously claiming the No. 2 spot in 2016, and No. 10 on the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2017.
Operated by the renowned SG Group and principal bartender Shingo Gokan, its “hidden entrance” behind a movable wall in the OCHO bar tool boutique is now an iconic gateway to a multi-level drinking experience. The second floor serves as the main bar, while the top floor offers rare spirits and sophisticated cocktails, with an even more exclusive third room providing an ultra-private speakeasy experience. Their consistent and exceptional cocktail program has earned it a permanent place in the global cocktail conversation for the last decade.
Speak Low
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COA Shanghai
COA Shanghai is a celebrated agave spirits bar, with its Hong Kong flagship ranked No. 17 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and its Shanghai outpost debuting at No. 85, continuing the legacy of a brand that held the No. 1 spot in Asia for three consecutive years.
Founded by Jay Khan, this high-profile bar is a multi-concept destination housed in a lane house on Middle Fuxing Road, featuring four distinct floors: a Taqueria, Cantina, Salon, and Mezcaleria, each with its own menu dedicated to spirits like tequila and mezcal. While notorious for its long queues, the immersive experience through its themed floors, complete with food service of Mexican bar bites in the lower levels, solidifies its reputation as a must-visit for serious agave enthusiasts.
COA Shanghai
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Bar Leone Shanghai
Bar Leone is opening its doors in Shanghai’s Sinan Mansions this November. The Hong Kong cocktail bar made history by clinching the No. 1 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 as a brand-new entry, holding it for a consecutive year in 2025. Founded in 2023 by principal bartender Lorenzo Antinori, the bar is built on the core philosophy of ‘cocktail popolari’ — crafting ‘cocktails for the people.’ This ethos translates into a wholly Italian-inspired experience featuring impeccable classic cocktails with a creative twist.
