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30 great happy hour and drink deals in Shanghai right now

Because boozing on the cheap never gets old, here's a load of specials and happy hours for your radar

By Cat Nelson Posted: Sunday May 17 2020 3:38AM, Updated: Friday July 30 2021 12:18AM

At times Shanghai can seem an expensive city for a drink and while we all love our fancy cocktails, there’s no bad time for a bargain. Smaller budgets don’t have to mean cans of Asahi at Lawsons (though those are great in their own way). Whether you’re watching your wallet, blowing off steam after work or just love a good deal, here are 30 spots around the city and specials for every night that’ll have a drink (or three) in your hand without breaking the bank.

Note: The list is structured so that venues only appear once, but some promotions run multiple days (noted in text) and many venues have other deals on different days. Additional notable deals and happy hours are included below the main descriptions. Promotions are, as always, subject to change and may have limited validity.

Daily

The 1515 WEST Chophouse

Every day from 5-8pm at this upscale bar on the fourth floor of the Jing An Shangri-La, classic cocktails like sidecars, daiquiris, margaritas, spritzes, clover clubs and more are 60RMB, but the real hook is that each comes with a mini burger.

1218 Yanan Zhong LuOnline booking

Abbey Road

A decent way to kill a day, Abbey Road’s happy hour is a lengthy one – running from 10am-8pm all week with specials on select drinks like draft Carlsberg (25RMB) and Guinness (40RMB), house wine (30RMB), mixed drinks (30RMB) and frozen cocktails (35RMB). If you’re looking to really lean into it, partake in the 'super hour' that sees two hours of free-flow on select beer, wine and cocktails for 150RMB, available from open ‘til close.

3 Taojiang LuOnline booking

ALL Club

The avant-garde club recently released a batch of equally experimental-looking new cocktails. Try those and all other drinks for half-price from 9-10pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

17 Xiangyang Bei Lu

Ars & Delecto

A strong look for a casual but classy post-work drink. House highballs, G&Ts, house wines, IPA and pilsners are 50RMB every day from 6-8pm. And while the café-bar now serves cocktails from the second floor only, it’s just rolled out its balcony for summer.

222 Jinxian Lu

Café Gray Deluxe

Popping bottles of champagne is half off each and every day at Café Gray Deluxe from 5-8pm and the fizz also flows 50 percent cheaper during the lounge’s brunch hours from 11.30am-3pm on Saturday and Sundays. Bottles of selected liquor are half-price as well from 5-8pm daily.

366 Shi Men Yi LuOnline booking

Colca

Happy hour runs from 5-7pm every night except on Mondays when both Colca locations get extra happy with the deal extended until 11pm. Estrellas are 20RMB, while a selection of cocktails clock in at 48RMB – the highlight being the restaurant’s killer pisco sour (normally 68RMB).

199 Hengshan LuOnline booking

D.O.C.

Critics' pick

The earlier the start, the cheaper the spritz is the rule at D.O.C. The restaurant’s Spritz Social runs between 3pm and 7pm each day, with starting prices from 25RMB, and includes both Aperol and Campari spritzes (plus Peroni, house wines and arancini), which increase by 5RMB every hour.

390 Dagu Lu

Online booking

Funkadeli

50RMB on Funkadeli’s signature Aperol or Campari Superspritz, Negronis and other select cocktails. Plus house wine, prosecco and draft beer from 30RMB. Mon-Fri from 4-8pm and Sat-Sun from 4-6pm. Also available at Funkadeli, Yanping.

More deals: Buy-one-get-one-free on select cocktails for ladies on Thursdays from 8-11pm.

291 Fumin Lu

M Glam

One of the better Bund-side bargains. Get two drinks for 98RMB at M on the Bund’s chic cocktail lounge between 5-7.30pm each day. Drinks include summery signatures like the Shanghai Mule and Secret Garden as well as house wines from South Australia.

20 Guangdong LuOnline booking

Kartel

Sparkling views paired with sparkling drinks is a concept that’s easy to get behind. It’s cheaper as well between 6-8pm each day when drinks like Aperol spritzes, Highlight Mate, sparkling wine and much more are 35RMB. Gets busy, but this one’s worth fighting the crowds for.

1 Xiangyang Bei Lu

Morton's The Steakhouse

An old favourite. Nurse 45RMB classic cocktails like martinis garnished with blue cheese-stuffed olives and more seated a stone’s throw away from the Pearl Tower at Morton’s IFC Mall location. The power hour goes from 5-7pm on weekdays (Monday-Friday), making it a prime post-work clear your head destination for the folk in Pudong. There are also 40RMB bar bites like buffalo chicken goujonettes that are big enough to serve as a quick dinner.

8 Century Avenue

Online booking

Perch

Level up from your less-than-100RMB supermarket and convenience store wines at Perch when the bar offers select bottles of red or white wine for 88RMB (yes, 88RMB) from 5-7pm (Tuesday-Sunday, closed Monday). Bottles rotate every couple of weeks.

More deals: three craft cocktails for 120RMB on Wednesdays. 88RMB free-flow prosecco or cava, house wine and select cocktails for ladies between 7-10pm on Thursdays.

445 Jiangning LuOnline booking

Pierogi Ladies

Love a liquid lunch? At Polish hangout Pierogi Ladies all cocktails are 45RMB and beers buy-one-get-one-free from 1130am-3pm, Tuesday to Friday.

More deals: buy-one-get-one-free mules from 6-9pm on Wednesdays. Buy-one-get-one-free pandan-tinis from 6-9pm on Thursdays. All espresso martini flavours go for 55RMB from 6-10pm on Fridays.

Lane 283 Jiaozhou Lu

Pudao Wines (Shankang Li)

A glass of wine is a wonderful thing, even more so when comes in at half price. This is the case from Tuesday to Sunday from 5.30-8.30pm at both Pudao Wines outposts and also on the weekends from 2-4pm.

358 Kangding Lu

Ray's

A deal decent on day any of the week. Aperitivo hour sees Italian tipples like Negronis, spritzes and G&T’s priced at a very reasonable 40RMB along with house wines from 6-8.30pm.

433 Changle Lu

St Regis Bar

Enter your evening feeling sophisticated and finish it potentially less so, with fancy two-hour free-flow (available daily from 6-8pm) at this high-end hotel bar that features selected cocktails and wines for 188RMB. There’s also lots of plush leather to lean into if you do end up making of most of the deal.

1008 Beijing Xi LuOnline booking

The Apartment

Make the NY-styled lounge your home for the evening with its daily happy hour. House spirit pours, draft beers (Sol, Heineken, Mythology fruity lager) and a selection of cocktails that include old fashioneds, chocolate martinis and snowballs are buy-one-get-one-free from 4-8pm.

160 Chengdu Nan LuOnline booking

The Bull & Claw

The Bull & Claw has done up its garden terrace and you can check it out on the cheap between 4-7pm on Tuesday through Friday when Fiero spritzes, mojitos, house wines and the Bull & Claw lager are just 40RMB.

110 Fenyang Lu

Online booking

The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai

Live the good life for 148RMB in the Old Shanghai-inspired lounge of this swanky hotel with as much beer and sparkling, red and white house wines as you can handle for two hours, anytime, daily from 5.30-10.30pm.

1376 Nanjing Xi LuOnline booking

Zeitgeist

The big plates of Bavarian fare you’ll find at Zeitgeist are helped down easier when paired with drinks, namely some of the restaurant’s German beers in Kalternburg, Brander Urstoff and König Ludwig, which are 20 percent off each day from 3-7pm (0.5L pours) along with a few other European draft offerings. House wine, prosecco, G&Ts and Hugos are also part of the deal if beer isn’t for you.

537 Haifang Lu

Online booking

Monday

Bar Basil

A solid choice to crush a case of the early-in-the-week blues. On Mondays, Bar Basil’s summer cocktail line-up including the Shanghai-famous Basil Drops are 50RMB from 5-10pm. The deal also applies for the rest of the week from Tue-Sun but for a shorter duration (from 5-7pm).

378 Wukang Lu

La Bodeguita Del Sur

Monday is fun day at the offshoot of Southern American steakhouse El Bodegon. Latin libations from pisco sours to mojitos, caipirinhas and margaritas are buy-one-get-one-free for the evening (normally priced at 60RMB).

More deals: Negronis are buy-one-get-one-free on Tuesdays. Three flavours of G&T are buy-one-get-one-free on Thursdays.

897 Julu LuOnline booking

The Hop Project

Not that an excuse is needed to order a grilled cheese sandwich, but large ones on Mondays at The Hop Project come with a complimentary beer. The offer is on from 4.30pm to midnight.

More deals: happy hour all-night-long on Tuesdays. 25RMB for Pabst Blue Ribbon (an American lager), sparkling wine and Mentrida Spanish Vermut on Wednesdays.

372 Dagu Lu

Tuesday

Bar Rouge

Hitting Bar Rouge when the weather’s warm always appeals, but Tuesdays stand out when the terrace gets tropical each week and also a little loco as the 100RMB entry gets you unlimited mojitos from 9-11pm.

18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu

Wednesday

Hakkasan

On Wednesdays from 7-11.30pm, the high-end Cantonese restaurant's bar welcomes a special guest to helm its bar and showcase a certain spirit first through a masterclass, and then a small cocktail menu that’s also affordably priced (48-68RMB) considering the location. The bar’s namesake martini the ‘Hakkatini’ is also on offer at 48RMB.

18 Zhongshan Dong Yi LuOnline booking

X Bar

The hours between 9pm and 11pm (Thursday-Saturday) are a period of calm before the storm at X Bar when you can sit down, chill to casual tunes and even hear the sound of your own voice, before the party does take off. A selection of the bar’s signature cocktails also drop down to 50RMB (normally priced 68-78RMB) and on Wednesday, this is applicable all-night-long.

7 Donghu Lu

Thursday

Gin & Juice

Negroni nuts can knock back the cocktail in seven varieties for 68RMB each all night long on Thursdays. Normally priced between 88-108RMB, versions beyond the classic include coffee, fig, smokey and citrus.

More deals: beer, wine and house pour sprits are 40RMB until close on Tuesdays.

358 Kangding Lu

The Cannery

The Cannery possesses plenty of ways to lead one astray, especially on Thursdays, when the team line up a selection of wines atop of the bar by the bottle (organic, biodynamic and natural) and whack 50 percent off their prices. Hip-hop tunes from DJ $.Kiv and Kadwell keep that easy-going energy for duration of the night.

More deals: buy-one-get-one-free on all champagne during the last weekend of every month. 1kg bucket of steamed clams and a pitcher of beer for 98RMB each on Mondays. 25RMB Coronas or six for 120RMB, plus 28RMB tacos on Tuesdays. Buy a bottle of whiskey and enjoy all-you-can eat wings on Wednesdays.

1107 Yuyuan Lu

Online booking

Friday

UP Shanghai

One for those who care more about their Friday nights than their Saturday mornings. Weekends at UP begin with two hours of free flow or buy-one-get-one-free on simple mixed drinks, spritzes, Moscow mules, beer and house wine before 10pm.

More deals: 100RMB free-flow mojitos from 9pm until 11pm on Tuesdays. Free shisha for groups of four and 58RMB highballs on Wednesdays. Buy-one-get-one on all drinks until 11pm on Thursdays.

688 Shaanxi Bei Lu

The Shed

All alcoholic beverages are 50 percent off from 6-8pm at this Shanghai institution’s two locations (Shaanxi Bei Lu and Hongmei Lu).

698 Shaanxi Bei Lu

Saturday

The Rooster, Jingan

If you're looking for a wallet-friendly but still refined starting point for your Saturday night out, the neighbourbood bar is a solid option when signature cocktails like espresso martinis and Moscow mules go for 45RMB from 8-11pm. For the day drinkers, regular happy hour is from 3-8pm (every day) with the signature cocktails bumped up to 48RMB and mixed drinks (35RMB) and craft beer on draft (40RMB) added to the mix.

455 Shaanxi Bei LuOnline booking