Situated on the top floor of 18-on-the-Bund, Bar Rouge encapsulates contemporary China. The 18th-century casing is starkly contrasted by the ultra stylish interior and views across the Yang Pu River to what is one of the most modern cityscapes in the world. With its velvet red sofas, a glass wall looking out on to a decked veranda, secluded booths and a lighting scheme that contrives to make the ugly look less so, in its year or so of business Bar Rouge has carved a niche for itself at the top of Shanghai’s bar scene.

It has become somewhat of a magnet for the cities well to do, including a scattering of national, and international, celebrities.

However, the bar also typifies China’s almost super human commitment to ignoring any concept of customer services and Bar Rouge takes this attitude to new levels. Many one time punters come away scoffing at paying 80RMB for a drink and not only not getting a smile but more often than not actually being ignored. (This probably stems from the fact that a round of drinks here is roughly equivalent to the waitresses’ nightly earnings.)

So, the services isn’t great, (or down right awful) the drinks are expensive and understatement doesn’t do justice to the word pretentious, but hey, this is Shanghai in 2006 – what was it you expected?

7F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Lu; tel: 633 9119

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