Shanghai French Concession Cocktail Night: Hidden Speakeasy Bars

Art deco villas hide the best bars in Shanghai's old quarter.

A 4-hour cocktail night in Shanghai's Former French Concession with a private guide who takes you to 3 to 4 hidden speakeasy bars tucked inside art deco-style villas on Hengshan Road, Huaihai Road, West Nanjing Road and nearby Fuxin Park. Hotel pickup at 8pm, one signature cocktail at each bar, snacks included, and drop-off back at your hotel. Guide speaks English, Korean or Chinese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Evening cocktail tour in French Concession

• Meet private guide at hotel at 8pm
• Visit 3 to 4 bars in French Concession
• Enjoy signature cocktail at each bar
• Explore speakeasy bars in art deco villas
• Learn about Shanghai nightlife
• Return to hotel for drop-off

The experience

You're picked up from your hotel at 8pm and driven into the Former French Concession, where your guide leads you past villa exteriors that give nothing away. The bars are hidden inside: art deco speakeasies that don't announce themselves from the street. This is what makes them worth finding: you walk past the unmarked door, step inside, and the night shifts into something quieter and more deliberate than the Shanghai streets outside.

Over the next four hours, you visit 3 to 4 bars scattered across the neighborhood's main arteries and side streets. At each one, you order a signature cocktail (or beer or house wine if you prefer), sit with the other people at the bar, and listen to your guide explain what you're drinking and why this particular spot matters to how Shanghai's nightlife actually works. The bars themselves are the education (the way they're hidden, the people who find them, the drinks they pour), and your guide is there to translate the details you'd miss alone.

Snacks come with the stops. The tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel, so you don't navigate the late-night streets yourself. Minimum age is 18. Dress code is smart casual.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup at 8pm and drop-off after the tour.
• private guide in English, Korean or Chinese.
• three signature cocktails (one at each bar) or alternative drinks such as beer or house wine.
• snacks at each stop.
• transportation between bars.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 20:00

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Chinese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Shanghai Foodie

Is this one for you?Book this if you're new to Shanghai and want to see the nightlife the way locals do, not as a tourist following a map. The private guide is what unlocks access to the hidden bars. You're not just finding bars that are open to anyone, but learning which ones matter and why they're worth the detour into the villas.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Korean and Chinese.

What makes these bars hard to find if I'm walking around on my own?

The speakeasy bars are built inside art deco villas in the Former French Concession, and the exteriors don't signal what's inside: no signs, no obvious entrance. Your guide knows which doors to use and how to access them, which is why the tour works: you get into places that don't advertise to walk-in traffic.

Do I get to choose which bars we visit, or is the route fixed?

The route visits bars on Hengshan Road, Huaihai Road, West Nanjing Road or a secret spot near Fuxin Park, but the specific three or four stops depend on the night and what your guide thinks will work best for the group. You're not picking individual bars, but you're moving through a neighborhood you'd struggle to navigate alone.

How much drinking is actually involved in this night?

You get one signature cocktail at each of the 3 to 4 bars, so three to four drinks over four hours, plus snacks. Beer or house wine are options if you prefer something lighter than cocktails. It's paced enough that you're tasting the neighborhood, not racing through it.

What time does this finish, and how do I get back to my hotel?

The tour starts at 8pm and runs for four hours, so you're back at your hotel by midnight. Hotel drop-off is included, so you don't need to arrange transport home.