In the best possible sense, drinking at Pine Tree feels like you’ve left Shanghai and been dropped straight into a Tier Three city. Tucked away on a grungy side street, Pine Tree’s regulars come for its shisha, cheap booze and friendly staff. The music, like the crowd, is eclectic and if you get to know the owner, he might let you DJ on a quiet night. Its outrageously cheap happy hour deal is the real draw though – for 138RMB, you get free-flow cocktails from 6pm to 2am any night of the week. Need something to line your stomach? The food is also surprisingly good for how affordable it is. Be sure to try the pad Thai and cheese sticks while you’re there.
