Shanghai Nightlife Guide

Dance Clubs in Shanghai

Club MAO
Club MAO, Shanghai Club MAO is currently one of the most fashionable dance clubs in Shanghai, pulling in a glamorous crowd.
It will have you wondering what on earth so many pretty foreign girls are doing in the city (and where they hide during the day). A stylish interior, interesting lay-out and solid, relatively mainstream dance soundtrack combine to create a club that is pretty hard to fault. The only downside is that Club MAO gets so crowded that there is really no room to dance and no one seems too interested in doing so. Euro-fag bartenders provide efficient service, mixing drinks that will cost you around ¥70 each. A ¥100 cover charge for men includes one drink while entrance is generally free for ladies.
Ph. 15921854228 Web: www.maoshanghai.cn Open: Tue-Sat from 0:00
Address: 46 Yueyang Lu (by Dongping Lu) Subway: Hengshan Lu
Show the taxi driver: 请带我去岳阳路46号，近东平路，谢谢。
The Shelter
The Shelter, Shanghai Housed in an old bomb shelter, entrance to the club is via a long tunnel, and the vast sparse interior creates a real underground atmosphere.
The Shelter is one of the most popular clubs in Shanghai. The keys to its success appear to be the music policy and very reasonable drink prices (beer from ¥20; cocktails and mixes from ¥30). Music is generally non-commercial and of varying styles: an average week could see a live music act, a hip-hop and funk night, drum’n’bass and trip-hop among other styles. The Shelter has a large dance floor and ample seating (though you’ll still be lucky to snag a table). On the downside, ventilation is poor and the venue can feel claustrophobic. Service isn’t crash hot and it can take an age to be served at the bar. The average cover charge on weekends is around ¥50.
Ph. (021) 6437 0400 Open: Wed-Sun 21:00-late
Address: 5 Yongfu Lu, by Fuxing Xi Lu Subway: Shanghai Library
Show the taxi driver: 请带我去永福路5号，近复兴西路，谢谢。
Paramount Club
Paramount Club, Shanghai This club is housed in the historic Paramount Theater, which served as a grand ballroom and then a dance hall den of debauchery until 1949.
Paramount is an ultra-stylish and ultra-modern dance club. The interior is wonderfully plush and red laser lights give the club a tangible hint of the decadence of the past. The lay-out is perfect with the bar to the side and the stage suitably elevated to give prominence to the DJ. But, as is the problem with so many Chinese clubs, the dance floor is tiny with most of the floor space taken up with tables. Drinks are around standard prices: bottled beer from ¥40, cocktails from ¥60. There’s only one ingredient missing – patrons. But if Paramount can start pulling in a bigger crowd, it has great potential.
Ph. (021) 6249 8866 Open: 20:00-2:00
Address: 218 Yuyuan Lu (on the corner with Huashan Lu) Subway: Jing’an Temple
Show the taxi driver: 请带我去百乐门，谢谢。地址：愚园路218号, 近万航渡路。
Club G Plus
G Plus Club, Shanghai Set in the trendy environs of Xintiandi, G Plus is a loud, pulsating and flashy dance club.
A hyper-modern venue, the lighting and visuals from the massive screen above the DJ can overwhelm the senses. Wednesday nights are probably the best bet for foreigners who want to check out the club with an international DJ of some sort performing weekly. For big name DJs they even clear away the tables that clog up the floor space and create a real dance floor. On other nights the Chinese characteristics of the club are more pronounced: miniature dance floor, having to buy a bottle of spirits or champagne to be able to sit at a table and bizarre dice games abound. Bottled beer is from ¥40, cocktails start at ¥60.
Ph. (021) 5386 8088 Web: www.clubgplus.com Open: 21:00-late
Address: Block 6, Xintiandi South, 5th Floor Subway: Xintiandi
Show the taxi driver: 请带我去新天地南里6号5楼, 近马当路，谢谢。