Crowd-favourite Wuding Lu bar, Barbarian has opened its second branch on the third floor of Sinar Mas Plaza on a stretch north of The Bund. Like the first branch, the new Barbarian has a cave-like, tavern feel and looks like something out of Game of Thrones or Britannia.
A curved tile-topped bar welcomes you into the space that is filled with wooden tables, and has wagon wheels hanging from the ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows curving around the oval space. Doubling down on the first Barbarian, this new branch is a bit more upscale, with slightly higher prices to match.
While still serving up its classic skewers, there's also a new section on the menu dedicated to different meat platters like the Australian porterhouse steak with grilled vegetables and Homemade Ugly Garlic Bread with Romesco, coconut chilli and red wine sauces (1,111RMB). Another is the prime Australian tomahawk that's dry-aged in house for up to 45 days (1,888RMB).
Other highlights include a fancied-up version of its classic Skinny Barbarian salad, with smoked salmon, roasted veggies, balsamic dressing and homemade baguette with cashew butter spread on top (78RMB); and Mongolian lamb satay with pickled vegetables and sprinkles of dukkah on top of homemade rose yoghurt (88RMB).
To finish off on a sweeter note, order the Brownie Sundae On Fire (served flaming on spiced rum), and watch the chocolate ball melt perfectly onto the marshmallow cream and vanilla ice cream (78RMB).
But the real deal is the skill behind the bar, with ballsy and inventive takes on drinks that use homemade infusions and syrups, and fresh fruits and herbs. You can also get custom-made, one-of-a-kind drinks based on your preferred choice of spirit and flavours starting from 75RMB.
Overall, Barbarian 2.0 is good vibes with great views that won't hurt your wallet. This branch is currently only open during the evenings, but expect daily brunch deals coming soon.
