What's so good about 528 Kangding Lu?
Here's to Kangding Lu and a reason to head north in Jing'an. "It’s not stylish or 'me-me-me Shanghai,'" one punter told us.“Why would you go north of Nanjing Lu?” One year ago, this phrase was almost inarguable. Shanghai’s nightlife didn’t extend into the outer reaches of Jing’an district. A few decent regional Chinese restaurants, lots of apartment buildings and scores of construction sites. But good bars? Nope.
Then a former monastery was renovated on Kangding Lu (528 Kangding Lu, near Xikang Lu 康定路528号, 近西康路), and everything changed. Literally. Four bars -- Kuluska (Basque), Kaiba (Belgian) and Exit (Serbian), plus Cuvee (global wine bar) -- with a distinctly European feel opened around a paved central courtyard.
On a hot, early summer Friday afternoon, Exit was open (the others open at 6pm) and sipping beers in the corner were Adam Fogerson, an aspiring novelist from Guam, and Chris Prior, the Austrian-Canadian President of WorldCare Foundation, a charity supplying aid in West Africa. So what’s so good about 528 Kangding Lu?
“The relaxed atmosphere is a given, there’s no pressure here. It’s not stylish or 'me-me-me Shanghai.' It’s just like being in Europe, you can sit with a beer in a lovely building with a high ceiling, wooden beams and arched doorways,” says Prior.
Fogerson agrees, “As soon as you turn into the courtyard, you feel like you are in Europe. Kaiba serves a lot of Trappist brews, and beers from every place you’ve ever gotten a beer from.”
Prior cuts in. “You get a posy wine bar, but this is sort of a posy beer bar. Cuvee is a sort of posy wine bar, really, but not too much. And it has a really big blonde dog, too.” He puts down his bottle of imported Budejovice beer and is lost in thought for a moment.
“And the courtyard is superb. They do occasional outdoor tastings, where all the bars put out their best beers with finger food. It’s very casual. This is also a place popular with the top people in Shanghai’s food and beverage industry. A really fun late crowd.”
Sergei, the Serbian owner of Exit comes over. “Don’t forget to mention the great English breakfasts,” he smiles. “They are perfect for a hungover weekend breakfast, say from around midday onwards.” Done.
