Laizhou Bar is a relatively new addition to Fumin Lu — a street so central to Shanghai’s dining and drinking scene that you’ve almost certainly had a meal or cocktail here at some point.
While Laizhou doesn’t yet draw the crowds of its more established neighbors, it’s worth knowing what it brings to the table: tasty Sichuan-inspired food, well-made cocktails, their own line of spirits, and a spacious, relaxed atmosphere — that last part is at least for the time being.
Nomfluence readers get 15% off your food bill — click here to book now.
About Laizhou Bar
The bar is operated by Laizhou Distillery, a Chengdu-based spirits producer with a carbon-neutral ethos. The parent Distillery produces Ling-Lie vodka, Jiao-Yu dry gin, and Laizhou Single Malt Whisky, spirits that are used in Laizhou Bar’s cocktails.
From the outside, Laizhou Bar appears modestly sized with an inviting terrace lined with comfy lounge furniture. But that’s sorely misleading. Step inside and the space expands dramatically — a sunlit front lounge gives way to a main area featuring a long bar, dining tables, and a spirits tasting table.
The venue’s most striking design element hangs overhead: an impressive circular installation made from the distillery’s repurposed oak barrels.
It doesn’t stop there. There are a few semi-private rooms in the back, plus two private rooms, the larger of which seats up to 10.
Laizhou Bar Guangzhou
There’s also another Laizhou Bar in Guangzhou, so if you’re in town, check them out. The Guangzhou location retains the Lingnan cultural elements of the building’s exterior, and there’s also a sky well into the design that connects through the two floor space. So if you’re in town, go check them out.
Sichuan Food With A Twist
The new food menu pays homage to Sichuan cuisine, a nod to the Distillery’s home province, featuring a mix of traditional Sichuan dishes and fusion interpretations.
Lunch is also served during week days, providing a diverse option for those living or working nearby for a casual meal on the inviting terrace.
For something snack-sized, it’s got to be the Wontons in Sichuan Spicy Sauce. The boiled dumplings are filled with pork and century egg, served in a light broth topped with chili oil. The broth tempers the spice, that is, unless you’re slurping down the soup. It’s not as fiery as it looks, and delivers high satisfaction.
The Deep-Fried Spicy Chicken Cartilage stands out for its texture: the cartilage pieces retain a substantial amount of meat and achieve a golden crispness, while accompanying fried rice cakes add chewiness. It’s all dusted in an addictive spice mix that’ll keep your chopsticks in hand until every kernel has been crunched. And if you’re really into spice, go for the deep-fried chilies. It also makes for a fantastic drinking snack.
Their Mapo Tofu with Roasted Bone Marrow takes the Sichuan classic to decadent new heights. Three kinds of tofu — porous squares, creamy egg tofu, and silken tofu for texture — are mixed with a spicy-mala minced pork sauce.
It’s crowned with a roasted bone marrow, which adds a luxuriously beefy aroma to the already flavorful mapo tofu. A bowl of rice should never be too far away when indulging in this dish.
As for fusion dishes, there’s the Braised Short Rib Bourguignon, one that merges French and Chinese flavors. The short rib is slow-cooked in a braising sauce that combines wine, demi-glace, chilies, five spice, star anise, fennel, and thyme.
Little cubes of rice cake, carrots, and potatoes join in to soak up the delicious sauce, one that’s spicy, peppery, yet distinctly bourguignon-esque. It works very well and is a comforting dish that’s suitable to share. Recommended!
Another is Chili Preserved Egg Sauce Risotto with Tenderloin, a dish was the most surprising. Arborio rice is umami-enhanced with plenty of parmesan cheese, while the inclusion of green wheat kernels add a unique chewiness.
Supporting all that flavor is the century egg, diced small and stirred in for a light funkiness. The tenderloin is modest and could have been a little more medium rare, but the risotto’s complexity and enjoyability compensated for that.
The Sichuan Style Liguori Bolognese is another clever fusion combo — it’s essentially dan dan noodle topping served with al dente rigatoni and fried yellow beans for texture. It’s numbing and tingly, spicy and meaty.
Other dishes see a sizable Roasted Chicken, marinated for 24 hours in a Sichuan-spice spiked brine. It’s roasted to a juicy finish, served with sweet chili sauce and a spice mix to dip.
Another finger food that goes well with drinks is the Beef Potato Croquettes — creamy potato and shredded beef, topped with nutty sesame sauce and fresh pomelo.
Also on offer are the usual suspects of Western-inclined bite-sized bar food, cold cuts platters, and a requisite steak.
The Drinks
Laizhou Bar also has new signature cocktails too, developed by bar manager and bartender Peter Kwok.
The signature cocktails are inspired by the Five Sacred Peaks, the five famous Chinese mountains. One of the signatures is Changjiang River, made with Ling-Lie vodka, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, rice, and lime.
Other cocktails include Lemon Tree, a bright and refreshing drink made with lemon-infused Ling-Jie vodka, lychee liquor, lemongrass, pineapple, and coconut water. For something on the heavier side, there’s Panda Punch, made with buckwheat bourbon, yellow rice wine, coconut milk, oak milk (washed), and lemon.
In addition, they also have whisky tasting sets starting from ¥100, which includes three glasses (15ml). Happy hour runs daily from 3pm to 7pm; ¥40 for Jiao-Yu G&T and IPA, ¥88 for two glasses of red or white wine.
Nomfluence Readers Deals
Book via the link below to get 15% off your food bill! Deal is valid until May 31, 2025.
Click here to book.
Laizhou Bar
Click here for the venue listing.
