On the cougar trail through Shanghai's bars

Hollywood has given us cougars a bad name. We've been labeled dirty old ladies, hunting out younger men with a kind of perverted licentiousness. Well let me tell you, the 21st Century cougar can still roar like the best of them. We’re professional, confident, sexy and we are totally done with carving the meat market scene. That’s not to say we still don’t fancy eying up a fresh chop from time to time though. And that's where these Shanghai bars come in.

With two gorgeous villa locations, this hang-out is a favorite locale for the laid-back cougar who wants to keep a low-key buzz from opening to last call. Although weekend frolics may add a bit of bustle, the sleaze factor is kept to a minimum and with the mercury dropping, your target will be easier to track as the young rams venture indoors for a comfy spot next to the fire.

“I think because Cotton’s is in a 1930s French villa, it has a very relaxed and intimate feeling,” says owner Cotton Ding. “Our regulars come to chill out in the garden in the summer and snuggle by the fireplace during the winter.”

Thirty-Something Mondays are a great place to start. Cheap cocktails combined with your own sympathetic ear can earn you some serious flirting points.

This sexy combo of lounge, terrace and fine dining hosts a long list of loyal followers as a top hang out for the city’s more mature crowd. Many a cougar starts their evenings at this unaffected and casual Shanghai bar, and after lapping up a few Crazy Iced Teas, may choose to never leave.

“We pride ourselves on creating an unpretentious relaxed environment where people come together, not to be seen,” says manager Benedict Porter.

And as deep down inside we’re all ‘ladies that lunch,' the all-day Sunday Brunch is another chance to case your prospective tomcat. Good food, coffee and cocktails along with the right moves could make for one memorable Sunday evening.

“As the first wine bar in town three years ago,” says Marc-Antoine Malia, Director of Sales & marketing for Enoteca, “Enoteca finally gave women in Shanghai a new option for them to enjoy nightlife.” No truer words have been said about this beloved Shanghai bar and cougar haunt.

A hit with us more worldly-wise ladies since it opened, this venue screams comfort and chat without sleaze or pretension.

It’s no secret we love our wine and I can’t think of an afternoon better spent than over tasty tapas and a bottle (or two). Mainly a get-together haunt with few meat hooks in sight, this venue could be more challenging for those tracking their elusive stray, but there's nothing like a good chase to sharpen the proverbial claws. 

“Ginger provides a warm and cosy atmosphere not easily found in crowded Shanghai bars,” says owner Betty Ng. And we cougars appreciate that atmosphere in droves.

Quiet, comfy, delicious and healthy, we might just break out in purrs. Be it a post yoga hang-out, spot for girlie deep and meaningfuls or afternoon refuge for the solitary cougar, ambiance is truly everything.

Add to that gorgeous cocktails and fusion taster plates (feline-style, we love to graze) and it's a good place to linger for hours, albeit with one eye on the potential prey.
299 Fuxing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu 复兴西路299号, 近华山路, +86 21 6433 9437

Cougars are all about self improvement and many refined felines can be found spending their weekend afternoons here soaking up the latest cultural bits over snacks and bubbly. Sophistication, cocktails and mini cupcakes all at once -- could life get any better?

"The original concept for The Glamour Bar was a bar for grownups,” says Michelle Garnaut, founder of M on the Bund. “And it's still very much a part of The Glamour Bar's identity. Because I'm part of that older crowd, it was always important for me that it was a Shanghai bar where I would go for a drink with my friends.”

Of course, all ladies love to gussy up their posse, and it’s no surprise this venue of pure feminine-chic ranks high on everyone’s list. A perfect place for the girls that do just wanna have fun.