Speak Low

Speak Low is a four-floor cocktail bar on Fuxing Zhong Lu in Huangpu, reached through the OCHO bar-tool shop that fronts it. Each floor runs its own concept and its own menu: the second is the loud, sociable one where the classics start in the mid 80s RMB, and the rooms above get quieter, more precise and reservation-led. It has held a place on the international bar rankings for years, and the average spend sits around 220 RMB a head. Come on a weeknight if you want a seat and a bartender with time to talk.