Shanghai’s nightlife scene has a stylish new contender — Upperwood, a multi-faceted super lounge that elevates Fuxing Park INS club hub’s second floor with an air of refinement.
This sprawling concept seamlessly blends contemporary Sichuan-Spanish restaurant CUN, premium shisha, and an elegant, generously spaced lounge into one cohesive experience.
Upperwood
The space itself is striking and effortlessly sleek, with distinct zones that cater to every mood.
The main area balances dining with low-slung lounge seating, while a long bar stretches in front of an open kitchen and cocktail station.
A plush VIP section with elevated boho-chic decor offers a more intimate setting. There’s even a dedicated DJ spot for the evening’s programing.
For those seeking privacy, there are four private rooms: two for wining and dining, and two outfitted with top-tier sound systems and KTV setups — perfect for late-night gatherings.
The lounge makes its premium ethos clear with an artful display of high-end shisha pipes — a centerpiece that’s hard to miss.
CUN
Tucked to the left of the entrance is CUN, the brainchild of Executive Chef Li Tianyi (李天意). Tianyi is a Chongqing native who honed his craft in Spain’s most revered kitchens, including Madrid’s two-Michelin-starred Santceloni and San Sebastian’s three-starred Martin Berasategui, later serving as sous chef at Madrid’s Cantina Roo.
His eight years abroad inform a menu that marries Sichuan’s fiery, complex depth with Spain’s bright, technique-driven finesse — a pairing as unexpected as it is interesting.
Seating is intimate with just a dozen seats encircling the open kitchen. The current seasonal tasting menu (¥1,080, +¥480 for wine pairing, plus 10% service charge) is structured around three guiding principles: brightness (pickling, citrus, acidity), warmth (fat, aging, smokiness, spice), and depth.
The experience unfolds with a kombucha welcome drink, paired with fresh baked bread and caraway-spiced butter — an early nod to the layered spices ahead.
From there, the meal dances between Sichuan’s boldness and Spain’s vibrancy: Amberjack, quick-cured and draped over fermented pineapple granita, with fresh coconut for lightness and texture; razor clam, glossed in Iberico fat-kombu sauce, punctuated by green apple spheres and garlic; and grilled asparagus in a walnut-mushroom broth, topped with grated cured egg yolk — earthy, creamy, luxurious.
The grilled sweet bamboo shoots and courgettes, laced with Sichuan pepper and house-cured pork, deliver a one-two punch in smokiness and spice.
A standout, the Soon Hock fish — typically steamed in Chinese cuisine — gets a daring twist. It’s paired with smoked cauliflower purée sharpened with fermented yellow lantern chili, balanced by yogurt, and finished with crispy chicharron for texture.
The “cochinita pibil” — spiced Iberian pork on a fresh tortilla with bitter orange and pickled onions — is deceptively simple, its deep, slow-cooked richness revealing Tianyi’s patience with flavor.
Equally memorable is the beef tongue and scampi, draped in a numbing Sichuan pepper-laced sauce with white beans on the side. The beef tongue is buttery tender and despite the robust flavors of the complex sauce, the sweetness of the scampi still shines through. Flavors are smoky, peppery, and long lingering.
The braised goose rice, glossy with rendered fat and mushrooms, offers comforting depth. Bits of guoba (roasted crunchy rice) add texture to the bite, seasoned with a sauce of kombucha vinegar and Sichuan spices.
The pre-desert is a perfumed lemon sorbet with orange blossom atop creamy avocado. It is followed by a memorable horchata cold soup, served with a tiny dollop of caviar for a prickle of salinity, salted nuts, and a small piece of cake hiding in the center of the bowl. A delightful end that proves to be an excellent show of reinvention and creativity.
Upperwood | Lounge & Shisha
While CUN delivers a meticulously orchestrated tasting menu, the Upperwood lounge offers its own selection of approachable bar snacks and refined small plates to complement the drinking and shisha experience.
The easy-going snack selection covers familiar cravings. Black Truffle Fries (¥60) deliver that umami-rich crunch, while Fried Chicken Nuggets (¥58) — tossed in spicy oil and sesame sauce — offer a satisfying contrast to cocktails.
But the true standout snack plate is the Secret Fried Chicken Wings (¥80/five), which my dining companions immediately likened to Hong Kong’s iconic street-style wings: glistening with a sticky, savory-sweet honey glaze and extremely juicy. It’s the kind of dish that disappears within minutes.
For those seeking something more refined, there are New Zealand Moana Oysters (¥150/three).
The Grilled Wagyu Rump Tacos (¥108 for three) balance rich beef against tart green tomatoes, while the Stinky Tofu with Century Egg (¥50 for three) offers a playful and delicious bite of funk and crispy tofu.
The Lobster Fish Noodles (¥210) showcases a generous lobster tail perched atop springy, wok-tossed fish noodles. I could do with just the noodles themselves. Similarly, the Crispy Marinated Duck Rice (¥220) delights with its crackling skin and fragrant rice — though the portion feels modest for the price. Overall, the mains do appear to require deeper pockets.
Shisha & Drinks at Upperwood
Yet most guests come not for a full meal, but for Upperwood’s liquid and shisha offerings.
The signature cocktail list provides a wide range of profiles, priced at ¥88 to ¥98, from riffs on classics like martinis to easy-going light sippers. Though, from my visit, I did notice many patrons settling on bottles of wine instead. (This is, after all, a space designed for lingering, not raucous clubbing.)
And of course, there’s the shisha (¥388–588), with flavors like “Spongebob Loves Pineapple” (grape and pineapple) and the namesake Upperwood blend (woody with tropical fruits) — perfect for lingering into the night.
Whether you start with an early dinner at CUN or dive straight into the lounge’s sultry energy, Upperwood delivers a polished, multi-sensory experience — one that feels destined to become a Fuxing Park staple, and one that provides a wildly different vibe from its neighboring clubs. It’s definitely a cool and entertaining spot.
As for deals, Upperwood is running a couple via Dianping, for example, the Spongebob Loves Pineapple shisha is only ¥185, and you can get a set for 3-4 for ¥654, which includes three snacks and two bottles of wine.
Upperwood
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