Bar Rouge on the Bund - Shanghai

Shanghai, September 11, 2006

I might have brought the weather from London with me – Shanghai is grey and foggy. I sometimes wander where do people take nice pictures of shanghai with blue sky, which I haven't seen the last 5 times when I dropped by since 1998. Fortunately the high-rise buildings in Pudong are well-light until 23.00. The view from Bar Rouge on the top of Bund 18 building is stunning – the glittering Pearl TV towerr stands out over-self-confidently, whereas the infamous Jinmao Building (hosting the Grand Hyatt) flirts mysteriously with the heavy mist dancing around it is top in concordance with the building’s swirling light. My only sorrow was actually the security guard denied my request to go out to the roof terrace for a panoramic picture of the Bund, in an exceedingly rude manner. Maybe I should have waved my EU passport to his face? This is afterall the place where once “Access for Chinese and Dog is not allowed”…

But it is (one of) THE place(s) to be, especially for the expats and foreign visitors, I was told the next day. It is, rouge, lit by solid crystal peony shape lustre over the bar and on the top right hand corner of each wall panel painted with face portraits of Asian ladies. Five bar men stood behind the black lacquered bar in red t-shirt and golden hairdo’s. The cocktail list is not huge, but comes with my two favourites - mojitos and cosmopolitan. There is a Shanghai version of mojitos with Kamquat (the small orange fruits you see around the Chinese New Year, or at Sainsbury around Spring time). But it is sold out tonight (dont ask me how) so I will have to go back. The house speciality is however “Flaming Tower”, which means, a flaming tower. Three wine glasses were placed one over the other, upside down. A milky liqueur blended with Grand Marnier, Bailey's (and a third one which I wasn't able to decipher from its Chinese name) was poured from the first reversed glass. A gentle kiss of a lighter wakes up then a dancing dragon stretching down the tower of glasses and expanding to each side of the bar contour for about 2 meters long. I managed to miss the shot twice tonight. So another reason to go back.

The place is reasonably crowded for a Monday night and more people poured in when we left around mid-night.