Long Bar

Address: Level F, Waldorf Astoria Club, 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu/Zhongshan East Road (near Guangdong Lu/Guangdong Road), Shanghai, 上海外, China
Tel: +86 21 6322 9988
Website: view Long Bar’s website
Style: Hotel bar
Food: Bar Snacks

Review

Shanghai's Waldorf-Astoria opened in 2010 in a historic building where the iconic Correspondents' Club (later the Shanghai Club), opened in 1861, and the Long Bar captures that timeless Old Shanghai feel. Although the building's most recent incarnation was as a KFC, the original, 34-metre bar counter and panelling have been lovingly reproduced from old photos, and the Long Bar feels as though it's been right here, in the heart of the Bund, without interruption.

In fact, if you were to invent a fantasy five-star hotel bar on a landmark location, the Long Bar is probably what you'd come up with. There's dark wood panelling and cabinets, Chesterfield sofas and leather armchairs, idling ceiling fans and a grand piano - even river views from the right-hand front table.

The menu begins with Forgotten Classics and runs through Signature Cocktails, Unforgettable Classics, Seasonal Cocktails and Temperance Drinks. All are well-made, and come with ye classic hotel silver nibbles; a 100-plus list of whiskies includes rare drams available only by the bottle, as well as tasting flights; the champagne offer includes Dom Perignon 71 and Ace of Spades.