In recent years, Shanghai clubbing culture has grown even more sophisticated and mature. Nowadays, it takes more than velvet ropes and bottles of Dom to lure punters in, and venues like The Nest on East Beijing Road have taken notice. Here you can start the evening with a gourmet meal and continue with some expertly crafted cocktails. Music is a departure from the typical incessant thump you expect in most clubs, and the volume is loud enough to fill the room, yet you can still carry on a conversation. The Nest's sister gastro-lounge, The Cannery on Yuyuan Road, offers something similar with more focus on food, cocktails, and craft beers, and when the weather is nice, there is patio seating, too.
Clubs like M1NT and Linx are regular tour stops for DJ Magazine Top 100-listers. Swank, champagne-soaked Bund lounges like Roosevelt Sky Bar and Bar Rouge are popular haunts for Shanghai's glitterati, while ASL and Monkey Champagne (closed) cater to the hip hop crowd. LeBaron features a diverse mix of anything from disco and house to soul and even live music performances from renowned DJs and producers. There are also proud pockets of counter-culture to be found in clubs like Arkham (closed), ALL and Reel to Reel (closed).