Best after-hours Shanghai bars

We’ve all been there: it’s three in the morning, the night is still young, you’re not yet ready to head back home, but the barman is calling last orders.

To avoid running around town helplessly searching for more liquor (sadly Sherpa's doesn't deliver this late), here’s the five best after-hours Shanghai bars to welcome the new day.

Shiva Lounge

Shiva Lounge holds down the late-night partying on the Yongfu Lu bar strip.

Located between the high-class Apartment and frat basementesque, DJ-haven of the Shelter, this bohemian, Indian-themed lounge plays house and disco music from some of Shanghai’s best DJs.

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With a higher-end atmosphere than most late-night watering holes and decently priced cocktails, you might feel slightly better about ending your night here than stumbling out of some of the other places on our list.

Don’t leave without: Taking photos in ridiculous poses with the two statues of Ganesh, son of Indian god Shiva, guarding the entrance to the bar. Someone has to watch over party-goers.

Shiva Lounge, 47 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Lu 永福路47号, 近复兴路, +86 139 1829 3288

No. 88

It might be dark, but you can make out one of No. 88's key features: rows of tables ready and waiting for bottle service and dice games.

Imagine the craziest club you can and it would probably end up looking like No. 88. Think a cross between Willy Wonka's factory and a pirate ship, then add flashing lights and a setlist of top 40 remixes (remix of “Happy Birthday” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” anyone?) and you can't lose.

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This chain of bars is wildly popular in many of China's second- and third-tier cities and since they opened their first Shanghai incarnation last year it's become apparent that the formula works wonders here as well.

Expect over-the-top decor, lots of dice games and whiskey with green tea. The crowd is mostly Chinese, packed on the weekends and most nights of the week.

Don’t leave without: Trying the No. 88 staple whiskey with green tea and challenging the table next to you to dice.

No. 88, 2/F, Wujin Building, 291 Fumin Lu, near Donghu Lu 富民路291号2楼, 近东湖路, +86 21 6136 0288, www.no88bar.com

The Beaver

The Beaver lets people move the dance party to the bar.

Run by a friendly Aussie, The Beaver (once named The Eager Beaver) is a Shanghai favorite. After your few first visits you will realize you know almost everyone here and soon all the customers and the owner himself will become your best friends.

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With a relaxed atmosphere, reasonable prices (cocktails are RMB 40 and shots RMB 35) and one of the largest selection of beers in town, Beaver is a perfect place to chat or dance the night away until the sun comes up.

Don’t leave without: Dancing on the top of the bar and having shots with the owner, Kit.

The Beaver, 28 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu 岳阳路28号, 近东平路, +86 21 6474 3216, www.beavershanghai.com

MAO

Where to find Shanghai's European techno lovers? MAO.

If tech-house is your kind of music, then MAO is your kind of place. One of the oldest clubs still open in the former French Concession, MAO attracts mainly expats of the Euro variety looking to dance the night away.

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Once you get in the club, you don’t get out until the break of the dawn. The party usually does not get started until 3 a.m. so there is no need to rush. Usually it’s a free entrance for women and a RMB 100 cover for men (including one drink).

Don’t leave without: Shaking it to the techno beats on the dance floor and then going to the noodle man who sets up shop on the intersection of Dongping Lu and Yueyang Lu.

MAO, 46 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu 岳阳路46号, 近东平路, +86 139 0185 3963, www.maoshanghai.cn

Dragon Club

The red lights at Dragon make everyone look good, even at 5 a.m.

Set on two floors in an old sound-proof mansion (the sound-proofing was installed much later), Dragon Club is a long-time favorite among the Shanghai party-goers and one of the original late-night spots -- also conveniently right down the block from both The Beaver and MAO.

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Although generally a good place to wait for sunrise, it’s the hip-hop room upstairs that makes this a place to party, although there is electronic music downstairs for those who don’t feel like dealing with MAO crowds. Women get to the after-hours Shanghai bar for free and men have to pay a RMB 50 entrance fee.

Don’t leave without: Checking both the upstairs and downstairs party rooms.

Dragon Club, 156 Fenyang Lu, near Taojiang Lu 汾阳路156号, 近桃江路, +86 6433 2187, www.dragonclub.com.cn