You say Shanghai, I say Beijing
After all this research, what conclusions (also known as gross generalizations) can we draw about bar scenes in our two cities, all while freely admitting that more - much more - study is required?
Take one can, add sardines: From mid-range coffee shop Gino’s to trendy-among-professionals KABB to mansion-rebuilt-into-house-party Cotton’s, some Shanghai establishments seem to go to new heights to see just how many chairs (and bodies) they can cram into a given space. Is it perhaps a case of vertical Shanghai versus horizontal Beijing? Whatever it is, the latter offers far more elbow room.
Service ability: Shanghai bartenders and wait staff generally provide better service than their counterparts in Beijing. They are more customer-oriented and tend to neither get fazed by customer requests that drift beyond their immediate experience, nor personally insulted by the slightest criticism of the bar.
Money this, money that: It seems like nearly every expatriate in Shanghai is there for business, whereas in Beijing you regularly run into, along with businesspeople, everyone from embassy staff to students fanatical about Chinese culture and language. And unlike Shanghai, you rarely (ever?) find bars in Beijing where Caucasians make up the vast majority of the clientele (that‘s an observation, not a judgment).
I get around: The taxis in Beijing are better, but the drivers in Shanghai are more professional, whether it it’s being more polite or keeping their vehicles clean and odor-free. In Beijing, asking a taxi driver to turn down his or her radio - yes, sometimes it’s so loud he or she cannot even hear you - can bring a dose of attitude in response. On the other hand, getting a taxi in Shanghai can be a nightmare. As Kraft-D says, “In Beijing, I never planned a night around whether I thought I could get a taxi or not.”
Pocketbook pressure: Drinks in Shanghai are rougher on your wallet or purse. Some higher-end places are worth it: who could complain about a 60-kuai martini at Bar Rouge when you have that view? But it would be tougher for spots like Plan B or Eager Beaver to charge their prices in Beijing, when there are plenty of similar places here with much cheaper drinks (Phil’s Pub: 10 kuai for a Qingdao).
1 Comment so far
Leave a reply
I think there are more philippine wait staff and bartenders than in Beijing. I’ve only see them @ Browns and Goose and Ducks in Beijing. Maybe there are more…
Really?! I think cabs in Shanghai are much better than in Beijing. However I do agree with you that it can be such a nightmare to find a cab in the middle of the road in SH sometimes. I’ve heard Beijing has way more cabs than in SH. Don’t you smell the garlic smell in most of BJ cabs? Well, that doesn’t really bother me though, Shanghainess don’t eat that much. So when you arrive in BJ and get in the cab, MmmmMMmmmmMMm ah… BJ cab smell…. hahahaha I’ve also found that Shanghai cab drivers mostly turn on the radio with easy-listening music such as Carpenters, or Hotel california? On the contrary, Beijing drivers listen to some beijing-style story with a lot of kuakukaukauukaukaukukaua spiting sound in it. LOL Well, I couldn’t make myself very clearly, hope you get what I mean.