Shanghai: A Night Out

OK, here's the perfect Friday or Saturday night out in Shanghai if you're traveling with your significant other... a romantic dinner at Bali Laguna, followed by a taxi ride to Bund 18, where you'll take the lift up to the 4th Floor and Lounge 18 for drinks and dancing... and later, if you're in the mood for a change of scenery, head up to the top floor and Bar Rouge for more music and fun.

Shanghai's best Indonesian cuisine, Bali Laguna, is perched over a large lily pond inside of Jing'An Park. The exotic decor and music inside have a distinct and soothing Indonesian feel, with high wooden ceilings (bar on the first level, dining on the second, with outdoor seating by the lake as well ~ weather permitting). Dubbed Shanghai's Most Romantic Dining by the Asian Wall St Journal. 189 Huashan Road.

In 2008 Shanghai City Weekend gave Lounge 18 its Editor's Pick Best Bar award... it's a tasty mix of classical and modern décor (plush colorful chairs and couches, eclectic paintings, candles everywhere) with spectacular views of Pudong across the Huangpu River, delicious food (skip Bali Laguna if you want to simplify your evening) and cocktails, great DJs and a busy dance floor. Super nice, you'll want to return.

Bar Rouge on the 7th floor is a bit more rowdy, and has an outdoor terrace for fresh air views of the Bund and Pudong. Shanghai being a hub of international business activity, the clientele inside Lounge 18 and Bar Rouge are a good mix of Chinese, Americans and Europeans... and the DJs are too. Address: Bund 18, 1 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road (as of this writing Lounge 18 is currently closed for rennovations).