The French Concession has the best café and bar scene in Asia outside Japan. The shikumen lane houses have been converted into coffee roasters (Seesaw, Manner), natural wine bars (Pua, Liquid Laundry), and cocktail bars (The Cannery, The Nest). Tianzifang's alleyways hold 100+ small shops and cafés. On summer evenings, Fuxing Park's bar terrace (local institution) is the most atmospheric outdoor drinking spot in the city.
Why It Belongs on the List
The French Concession has the best café and bar scene in Asia — tree-lined streets, independent coffee roasters, speakeasy cocktail bars, and a natural wine movement that rivals European cities.
What Stands Out
- Fuxing Park bar terrace: local institution, open summer evenings, families, couples, expats
- Seesaw Coffee: best specialty coffee roasters in Shanghai, multiple locations
- Pua natural wine bar: French Concession, excellent cellar, standing-room crowd
- The Cannery: American craft beer and cocktails, ex-factory space in Jing'an
- Tianzifang: explore the alleyways at 10pm when the tourist crowds thin out