Best Shanghai bars to watch Rugby World Cup
The ball is on your ground. Which bar will you go this weekend?Your latest excuse to drink before noon hits the screens of sports bars around town in the shape of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Six spirited weekends ahead of international teams engaged in full contact action with no pads, and fighting it out for a chance at world domination, this only comes once every four years.
If you’re American and have no idea, just think football for hobbits.
Here are our seven favorite bars to get in on the action in Shanghai.
1. The Camel
This is going to be your Australian Embassy during the next six weeks.
It’s well positioned right in the midst of the former French Concession for a post-game crawl around the neighborhood.
The Camel shows most sports, especially anything related to the land Down Under, and is guaranteed to be showing every second of the championship (at least until the All Blacks eliminate the Aussies).
But for a sports bar, it’s well lit and comfortable, topped off with great drink deals almost every day (RMB 25 beers during happy hour from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.).
More on CNNGo: Rugby World Cup 2011: The New Zealand Experience
The Camel, 1 Yueyang Lu, near Fenyang Lu 岳阳路1号, 近汾阳路, + 86 21 6437 9446, 10 a.m.-2 a.m., www.camelsportsbar.com
2. O’Malley’s
The walled-off enclosure that separates O’Malley’s is offering up loads of specials during the Rugby World Cup, such as a RMB 350 all-you-can-drink bonanza on the terrace upstairs, which includes snacks.
Although you might expect that this is the venue for Ireland’s supporters, the Kiwis have taken over and are claiming it their home turf away from home.
To our disappointment, they weren’t showing the recent OZ-NZ game, but they’re promising to be blasting every second of the Rugby World Cup weekends from start to finish.
The great thing about O’Malley’s is, with their abundance of outdoor space, you won’t feel like a degenerate for spending your every waking hour there.
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O’Malley’s, 42 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu 桃江路42号, 近衡山路,+ 86 21 6474 4533, open 24 hours, www.omalleys-shanghai.com
3. Big Bamboo
All of Big Bamboo's three locations around the city are top choices for catching any sport that could possibly be shown on television.
They’re always blasting championship matches on one of their many screens and offer up loads of drink deals every day -- and the Rugby World Cup is a guaranteed.
They’re promising seven weekends of full-on rugger action direct from New Zealand. If you arrive a little early, not to worry, there’s plenty other sports going on in the bar including pool, foosball and darts.
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Big Bamboo (Jing’an), 132 Nanyang Lu, near Tongren Lu南阳路132号, 近铜仁路, + 86 21 6256 2265, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Big Bamboo (Pudong), 381 Hong Feng Lu, near Biyun Lu红枫路381号, 近碧云路, + 86 21 5030 1779, Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-3 a.m.
Big Bamboo (Minhang), 20 Hongmei Entertainment Street, Lane 3338 Hongmei Lu, near Yan'an Xi Lu虹梅路3338弄虹梅休闲街20号, 近延安西路, + 86 21 6405 8720, Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-3 a.m., www.bigbamboo.cn
4. The Spot
This is your go-to sports bar on Tongren Lu with televisions keyed into the game and a slightly fancier decor than a couple of the other locations mentioned. It’s also prime real estate if you’re traveling with a large group.
The Spot gains points for their breezy patio and well timed (to the Rugby World Cup) all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink deal on Sundays for RMB150.
The menu is as diverse as the teams playing with options, spanning from European to South East Asian cuisine.
Bring your junior rugby fans and they’ll grab free food and drinks if they’re under eight, and 50 percent off for kids between eight and 12 years old.
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The Spot, 331 Tongren Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu, 铜仁路331号, 近北京西路,+ 86 21 6247 3579, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
5. Boxing Cat Brewery
Slightly an odd-ball among the group, being more American brewery than sports bar, the location on 82 Fuxing Xi Lu is a perfect haunt for the Rugby World Cup.
The main and first floors have massive projection displays and great seating inside this old French Concession house, and if things get too heated inside, there’s another projection screen out on the patio.
In addition, they have a great selection of food and beers crafted by their own brewmaster, Michael Jordan.
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The Boxing Cat Brewery, 82 Fuxing Xi Lu, near Yongfu Lu, 复兴西路82号, 近永福路, + 86 21 6431 2091 ext. 801, Monday-Thursday: 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday: 3 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 11 a.m.-3 a.m., www.boxingcatbrewery.com
6. glo London
Another random interception for the game is this recently opened British bakery/restaurant/lounge. If you’re feeling like your jersey is just a bit too fancy for the regular sports bar crowd, this is your spot.
It will most likely draw the Brit crowd, and they’re slinging their namesake breakfast during the morning games.
The Wulumuqi lounge will also open up their great rooftop terrace to relax when games are on, so you won’t have to suffer a walk of shame at 8 p.m. when your team gets rubbed like a piece of dry aged Argentinian beef.
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glo London, 1 Wulumuqi Nan Lu, near Dongping Lu乌鲁木齐南路1号, 近东平路, + 86 21 6466 6565, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.(bakery café), 11 a.m.-midnight (restaurant), Sunday-Thursday: 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday-Saturday 5 p.m.-3 a.m. (lounge bar), www.glolondon.com
7. Malone’s
This two level spot has a plethora of televisions so you’ll always have an eye on the game as you tuck into their massive burger menu.
The bar tags itself as an “American Café” but definitely has a sports bar vibe and is almost always guaranteed to be playing some form of sport.
As well as their large projection screen on the second level, they also have an outdoor patio that wraps the main entrance and offers up decent respite after spending too many hours in the dark confines upstairs when they close the curtains for the projection television.
Malone’s, 255 Tongren Lu, near Nanjing Xi Lu铜仁路255号, 近南京西路, + 86 21 6247 2400, 11 a.m.-2 a.m., www.malones.com.cn
