Shanghai’s skyline is the city’s biggest draw, and the best way to take it in without fighting the crowds on the Bund promenade is from a rooftop bar. We’ve sent friends, colleagues, and foodies up to these terraces for years, and the view from 50-plus floors — the Huangpu River bending past Pudong’s towers and the neo-classical Bund frontage lit gold — is worth every yuan. This guide covers the rooftop and sky bars we actually recommend, with the prices, booking rules, and timing that matter when you’re planning a night out.
Why Shanghai Works for Rooftop Drinking
Shanghai has a dense clutch of high-rise hotels on both sides of the river, and most of the luxury properties built a bar on their top floors in the late 2000s. That means you can hop between terraces in a single evening without leaving the city center. The Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and Jin Mao cluster on the Pudong side give you the classic postcard view; the Bund-side bars give you that same skyline reflected across the water, plus the historic waterfront buildings right below your feet. In our experience, first-time visitors get the biggest wow from a Pudong perch looking back at the Bund, while repeat travelers prefer the Bund-side terraces for the river-level intimacy.
Best season and time to go
- Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the most comfortable months for open-air terraces. Summer is hot and humid, with frequent thunderstorms; winter terraces often close or get windy after dark.
- Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunset (around 5:30pm in spring, 6:30pm in summer). You’ll catch golden hour and the light show that starts after dark, and you’ll beat the post-dinner rush.
- Weeknights are calmer and easier to get a terrace table without a reservation. Friday and Saturday nights fill up fast, especially at Flair and Bar Rouge.
The Bars We Send People To
Bar Rouge — the Bund classic
Perched on the 7th floor of Bund 18 (中山东一路18号), Bar Rouge has been the default expat and visitor rooftop since 2003. The terrace is low by Shanghai standards but the location is unbeatable: you’re directly across from Pudong with the river below. Cocktails run ¥80–120, beer ¥60–80, and a bottle of house wine around ¥380. It stays open until 2am, and the crowd gets livelier (and louder) after 11pm when the club night kicks in. Dress is smart-casual; we’ve seen people turned away in flip-flops and vests, so bring proper shoes.
Flair Rooftop & Lounge — highest open-air terrace
On the 58th floor of The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong (世纪大道8号, Lujiazui), Flair is the one we tell first-timers to prioritize. It’s the highest open-air rooftop in the city, and the 270-degree view of the river and the Bund is the money shot. Signature cocktails are ¥120–180, and there’s a decent Japanese-Peruvian snack menu if you want food (small plates ¥60–120). Book a terrace table online via the hotel site or call ahead — weekends need a reservation two to three days out, and walk-ins to the terrace are often told to wait 40 minutes. Last orders around 1am.
Cloud 9 — Jin Mao’s open-air perch
The 56th-floor bar at the Grand Hyatt inside Jin Mao Tower (世纪大道88号) wraps an outdoor terrace around the building’s dramatic atrium. Drinks are ¥100–150; the view straight up at the Shanghai Tower’s twisting form from this lower vantage is the highlight. It gets busy after 11pm when the late crowd arrives, so go earlier for a quieter drink. Note the terrace closes in heavy rain, which is common in summer — call before you set out.
Vue Bar — two levels, both views
At the Hyatt on the Bund (黄浦路199号, 32nd floor), Vue splits into an indoor lounge and an outdoor terrace that catches both the Bund and Pudong. Cocktails ¥90–140. It’s less of a scene than Bar Rouge, which we like for a more relaxed second stop on a bar-hop. The “Vue Bar Nightcap” set (a cocktail plus a small bite) is around ¥168 and a good value if you just want one drink and the view.
Char Bar & Grill — Waldorf terrace
On the 5th floor of the Waldorf Astoria (中山东一路2号), Char is more grill-than-bar but the outdoor terrace is a gem for a pre-dinner drink with the river behind you. Cocktails ¥95–130, and the steak-frites menu makes it a good early-evening option before the late bars. We send people here who want a sit-down meal with a view rather than a standing crowd.
Highline — rooftop with a neighborhood feel
On the 7th floor of 100 Amherst Avenue (near Wukang Road, in the former French Concession), Highline is the outlier — it’s not on the river. The draw is the leafy neighborhood skyline and a relaxed, less-touristed crowd. Cocktails ¥90–130, and the burger is genuinely good. We send people here who’ve already “done” the Bund view and want something local, ideally after a Wukang Road walk.
Prices, Booking, and Logistics
Most rooftop bars in Shanghai don’t charge a cover, but they do expect you to order. A realistic evening budget per person is ¥250–450 including two or three drinks and a snack. The Pudong hotels (Flair, Cloud 9) sit inside secure buildings, so bring ID and expect a security check and a lobby handoff to the bar host.
- Metro: Line 2 to Lujiazui for the Pudong bars; Lines 2/10 to East Nanjing Road or the Bund for the Bund-side spots. Taxis and Didi are easy, but the Bund is pedestrianized at night — get dropped at the nearest cross street and walk in.
- Booking: Flair and Cloud 9 take online reservations through their hotel pages. Bar Rouge and Vue usually accept walk-ins but call for groups of six or more. Highline takes walk-ins and has a small queue on weekends.
- Dress code: Smart-casual across the board. No shorts or sandals at the hotel bars; the French Concession spots are more forgiving.
- Payment: All take Alipay, WeChat Pay, and international cards. Keep some cash for tips if you want to tip the terrace servers (not expected, but appreciated).
A Sample Sky-Bar Evening (and What It Costs)
If you want to hit three terraces in one night without overspending, here’s the route we give friends. Start at Highline around 6pm for a pre-dinner cocktail (¥110) and the French Concession glow. Take a 15-minute Didi to the Bund and walk to Bar Rouge (¥100 cocktail) for the classic river view around 8pm. Finish at Flair (¥150 cocktail) after 9:30pm for the high view when the towers are fully lit. Total drinks cost roughly ¥360–420 per person, plus ¥40–60 in Didi rides. You’ll see the skyline from low, mid, and high angles, and you’ll never repeat a view.
Money-saving notes
- Happy hours are rare at the top hotels; Bar Rouge sometimes runs a 2-for-1 before 8pm in the lounge (not the terrace), which is the one deal worth catching.
- Buy a drink, not a bottle — bottles start at ¥1,200 and only make sense for groups of eight-plus.
- Non-alcoholic mocktails are ¥50–80 if someone in your group is driving or abstaining; no one judges a zero-proof order up there.
Practical Tips From Our Own Nights
- Arrive before the crowd. Terrace tables at Flair and Cloud 9 are first-come once you clear the reservation; a 6pm arrival usually gets you a rail spot with the best sightline.
- Photograph early. The light show runs on the hour after dark; shoot during the first loop before the terrace fills with selfie sticks.
- Watch the wind. Pudong terraces face the river and get gusty; bring a layer even in spring, and tie down any napkins or menus.
- Don’t rely on the terrace in summer storms. Have an indoor backup — the same bars have lounges one floor down that keep the view through glass.
What’s Bookable Right Now
If you want the view without the bar bill, several of these sit inside hotels you can book a room at: pair a night at one of the best hotels in Shanghai with a terrace drink, or go full splurge via our Shanghai luxury hotels guide. For a daytime warm-up, the Shanghai soup dumpling guide maps the xiaolongbao spots before you head up for sunset. The Bund waterfront itself is free and open 24 hours; read up on the Bund’s colonial architecture before you go so you can name the buildings from your perch.