The best late night things to do in Shanghai

The mother of all dives 

Open until 5am 

Cavernous underground dive C’s is the sort of place where you lose all sense of time and reality – you’ll be punch drunk and it’ll be 5am before you know it. The vibe here is right on the mark thanks to an eclectic soundtrack that ranges from drum ‘n’ bass to ’90s Britpop and a varied selection of reasonably priced drinks – go for the signature mojito (30RMB). 

Basement, 685 Dingxi Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu.

The student party 

Open until 3am

If you want to party like you’re still at uni, join the young and the young-at-heart at Shanghai institution Perry’s. There are now five Perry’s venues littered across town, and the flagship on Huaihai Lu is a pretty safe bet for a jumping party with alco-buckets aplenty. Cheap drinks, cheesy music and a guaranteed hangover.

1333 Huaihai Lu, near Baoqing Lu.

Rave to the finish

Open until 10am

If you’re still moving through the small hours and really feeling it, there’s really only one place to go, and that’s techno-head haven Celia. It’s not an experience for the faint of heart, and like most after-party spots it can be a bit of a state. But the music is good and the people come in droves to dance beyond breakfast time.

298 Xingfu Lu, near Pingwu Lu.

The pint-sized club 

Open until 5am

Elevator is Shanghai’s go-to club for house music lovers. As well as regular big name international bookings, the club stands out for its warm and friendly atmosphere, making it a favourite spot for those who just want to dance. Combine it with ping pong tables, ‘spiked juices’ and a good sound system and it’s no wonder we end up here till many a weekend morning. 

Fourth floor, 218 Xinle Lu, near Fumin Lu.

Ain’t no party like a hostel party 

Open until 7am

Westward house of hedonism The Mansion is its own little world with parties going on until silly o’clock. It’s also a hostel where you can stay for free and help with chores such as bartending and promotion to earn your keep. In the summer they fill up the swimming pool out front and host some proper pool parties. Whatever the hour, you’re likely to find a good time here. 

851 Hongjing Lu, near Hongqiao Lu.

Old school Hollywood 

Open until 7am 

This club on Yueyang Lu has had something of an identity crisis of late, over recent years calling itself Hollywood, Lola and now Hollywood again. It’s early days for the latest iteration, but the late-night parties Lola was famous for will continue, albeit with a more commercial house and hip-hop-leaning soundtrack. 

46 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu.

All-night breakfast 

713 Dingxi Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu.

Hotpot 

For a taste of the royal treatment, try Sichuan-style hotpot chain Hai Di Lao. Not only is it the place where you get your nails manicured and shoes shined while you wait for a table (which you will do); nor is it only the place where noodles are served with a kung fu dance show; it’s also where you can get actually great hotpot (and even better service) no matter what time of day or night you stumble in. 

1068 Beijing Xi Lu, near Jiangning Lu.

‘Late-night’ dinner deals 

Sucker for a bargain? Hold out until 10pm to make the most of some of the city’s sweetest deals. D.O.C Gastronomia Italiana's late night menu (10pm-1am, Thu-Sat) knocks up to 85RMB off its pizzas, offering them all for 100RMB – plus Aperol spritzes and Peronis for 35RMB. For a taste of the French fancy, there’s Mr & Mrs Bund’s late-night sets (11pm-2am, Thu-Sat), with two courses for 250RMB or three courses for 300RMB, plus buy-one-get-one on certain cocktails, champagne and wine. Not bad for a restaurant which has received international accolades. 

Gastronomia Italian is at 5 Dongping Lu, near Yueyang Lu, Xuhui district.

Mr & Mrs Bund is at Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu.

Pan-fried dumplings

188 Chongqing Bei Lu, near Dagu Lu.

Cantonese comfort food 

175 Changle Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu, Xuhui district

Round-the-clock pizza

Tacos and Tequila

Rasta + tacos. You’re into it already, aren’t you? Rastaco, a humble joint down a small alley off Ruijin Er Lu, slings both decked-out tacos and silky-smooth shots of Patron for just 20RMB. Best of all, the grill stays hot until 2am, with delivery available via Eleme. With cheap, tasty bites and a steady flow of roots reggae playing from the speakers, Rastaco’s got all the good vibes. 

15 Ruijin Er Lu, Lane 225, near Taikang Lu, Huangpu district

Shanghai’s greasy spoon 

251 Xizang Nan Lu, near Taoyuan Lu.

All the soup dumplings

641 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Gaoan Lu.

Cantonese and cocktails 

Drawing inspiration from Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City – formerly home to opium dens, gambling and prostitution – raucous Cantonese and cocktail concept Daimon Bistro borders on a nightclub. The Bund-side space is decked out with neon accents, a graffiti wall and loud music on the speakers. The main attraction here though is the contemporary dim sum which, simply put, is fantastic – plus Friday through Sunday you can get it until 2am. 

Sixth Floor, Five on the Bund, 20 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu.

Fancy-ass cocktails 

While a lot of Shanghai’s fancier cocktail bars start closing their doors around 2am, Shingo Gokan’s World’s 50 Best Bar award winner Speak Low and latest project Sober Society give you an extra hour of boozing on Fridays and Saturdays. Whatever your tipple, you can rest assured you’re in safe hands with this expert team of master cocktail crafters. 

Sober Society is at 99 Yandang Lu, near Nanchang Lu.

Secret-side cocktail cart

12 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu.

Margaritaville 

Post-breakfast pint 

21C, 3338 Hongmei Lu, near Yanan Xi Lu.

The newcomer 

A chilled hangout by day, Dingxi Lu newcomer Smash shifts up a gear after nightfall, transforming into a lively bar with a regular line-up of local DJs. There is a dance floor on the first floor, but if it’s just a drink you’re chasing, the second floor’s sofas should do you nicely. The cocktail menu, created with a little help from Sebastian Robinson of Candor and Union Trading Company, has some creative libations – try the huangjiu-based Talking Shop (68RMB). 

685 Dingxi Lu, near Niuqiao Lu.

Large-format drinks

Following the mantra ‘pour big, play big’, Logan's punch rejects the stuffy vibe associated with Shanghai’s cocktail bars. It’s a place to let loose, unwind and get inebriated over the namesake sharing punch bowls (450RMB for one litre; 800RMB for two litres). 

Catch ‘the game’

The majority of Shanghai’s watering holes have fairly standard opening hours, but like any good sports bar, The Camel throws those schedules out the window when there’s a big sporting match on, opening as early and staying open as long as necessary for pretty much any World Cup, NFL or Champions League matches – to name just a few. 

1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu.

Bowling

KTV 

Open until 6am

Shanghai’s not short of KTV joints, but when it comes to the best song selection and best service, Taiwanese chain K Party can’t be beat. Rooms start from 88RMB, and because you just never know when the urge to put mouth to mic is going to strike, it’s open everyday till the crack of dawn.

Third Floor, SML Centre, 618 Xujiahui Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu.

Peep top-tier art

Open until midnight

Set inside an old aircraft hangar, the enormous Yuz Museum has over 9,000 square metres of space to explore. It’s arguably one of Shanghai’s most impressive art spaces, exhibiting the private contemporary art collection of founder Mr Budi Tek. Because there’s just so much to see here on Fridays and Saturdays it stays open until midnight (last admission at 11pm). 

35 Fenggu Lu, near Longteng Dadao.

Take a bath

Open 24 hours

When the big city gets a bit much, a trip to Korean spa New Star will cure what ails you. The hot and cold baths, steam rooms and saunas are perfect for unwinding – once you get over everyone being naked. You can also pay a little extra for a bath-side massage or body scrub. Spa facilities aside, there’s a sizeable dry area with TVs, food and plenty of places to just lie around in your robe. A steal at only 108RMB entry. 

1900 Tianshan Lu, Yanan Xi Lu.

Get schooled

Open from 4am

In the small hours of Sunday morning, the Ghost Market forms on the steps of the Wenmiao Lu Confucius Temple in Old Town, with vendors offering a selection of secondhand books for a few kuai each. There’s a good selection of magazines (some more family-friendly than others), children’s books, those infamous Little Red Books, and even a few English language paperbacks. Although it used to start at the crack of dawn, things are only really getting going by 6am these days – though the most dedicated vendors still arrive from 4am. 

215 Wenmiao Lu, near Zhonghua Lu.

Hit the cages

Open 9am to 2am

Besides a fully stocked bar with a decent selection of draft and bottled beers, spirits and cocktails, and a load of screens showing the sport of the day, there’s plenty to keep you entertained at Cages Bar and Sports. Housed in Jing’an Sports Centre, Cages pairs boozing with batting and has four cages to choose from – a slow-pitch softball for beginners and baseball at 50-70km per hour speeds. Plus there are a load of pool tables, dartboards, a squash court, a corn hole area, a bubble football arena and more. Get half-price batting from 9am-5pm and 15RMB off alcoholic drinks from 5-8pm every weekday. 

Third Floor, Jing’an Sports Centre, 428 Jiangning Lu.

Get some speed 

Open until 1am

Undoubtedly the most fun karting centre in town, Disc Kart’s 550m indoor racetrack is full of twists, turns and plenty of opportunities for overtaking. It’s 100RMB in a slower car or 120RMB in a faster car for eight minutes of track time. Disc Kart’s bar area offers circular banquettes overlooking the track and cheap beer – drink driving not endorsed. 

809 Zaoyang Lu, inside Changfeng Park, near Guangfu Lu.

Stock up on the essentials

Open 24 hours

Don’t be fooled by the size of Laura’s Shop, this unassuming international grocery store packs plenty of goodies into its small space. Offerings might vary depending on the day, but Laura’s generally seems to carry a nice amount of fresh produce (bread, cheese, fruit, veg and cold cuts), tinned goods, baking ingredients, pet food, bathroom essentials, all kinds of late-night munchies – including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream – and plenty of reasonably priced wine, beers and spirits. 

66 Wulumuqi Zhong Lu, near Changle Lu.