In Shanghai, if you want to eat really well... good 'western style' food... go to the revolving restaraunt on the top floor of the Radisson hotel in People's Square.
It's dear by Chinese standards (but cheap by ours) and the food really is excellent. They have a team of chefs working there of all different nationalities who each specialise in a particular type of cooking, so if you order a curry, what you get is authentic...
It's quite posh, so don't turn up in reeboks & a shell suit, but the food is really first class, and for the same standard in this country you'd have to pay an absolute fortune.
As i mentioned, it revolves and has 'floor to ceiling' glass walls so you get amazing views out over the city when it's all lit up at night.
Daytime touristy stuff... you can head down to the Bund (by the river) which is the old financial district. Some quite nice old banks & buildings and a bit of an "old town" feel. Right across the river is the "new" financial district... all the mirror-finish skyscrapers of the new money. Quite an interesting contrast between the two...
another thing you can do is go up the JinMau tower which used to be the tallest building in the world. You can go right up to the top, and it's worth it for the views and the lift ride alone.
In terms of nightlife, I only really know the sleazy bars
(of which there are plenty)
"Manhattan's" is my particular favourite. Just the right blend of ex-pat punters out for a good time, hostess girls in eyecandy outfits (whose job it is to make westeners buy more drinks) and, of course, whores by the score
The last time I was in Manhattans it was colonised by an ever increasing number of ladyboys, which seems to be the way things are going in China these days.
There's a great ex-pat bar called "The Big Bamboo" if you're after beer & banter with other English speakers. Sticking your name down on the board for the pool table is a good way to mix with people, and there's normally a great atmosphere in there (as well as some shit hot pool playing hostess girls). They also have loads of tellies dotted around, and show all the big Western sporting events, if you're wanting to catch some footy, or the F1 or owt like that. Lots of Americans go in there. It's a cool place and they also do food which isn't too bad.
One truly great place is a bar called "Malone's" which is just about my favourite bar in the whole entire world. Great relaxed atmosphere in there, pool table upstairs, really friendly barstaff, and at weekends they have a house rock band who are just brilliant. Two gorgeous female singers, and a guitar player who's a bit of rock god
Think Chinese Slash/Eddie van Halen. They do all the western rock covers you'd expect... cheesy stuff, but great for a laugh if you're out on the piss... Quite often audience members get up for a sing or play a bit of guitar with them too which can be quite amusing. There are hostesses & whores in Malones as well, but they are less in your face than the sleazier places like Manhattans.
Malone's is always my first choice of venue in Shanghai. One of those bars that is just a truly great place to get steaming drunk in.
Dunno if you've been to China before, but if you've not, then yes there are prostitutes everywhere, and girls who are just out for your money, but to be honest it's all SO cheap there, and it's done in such a friendly good-time spirit then my advice is to just suspend disbelief, let your hair down, and go with the flow.
It's a great place. Sadly changing for the worse each time I go back there. You're going there at just the right time. A year from now it won't be half as good.
Sorry I've not posted directions to these places by the way... Because there are no English street signs and stuff it's tricky... I just know how to get to these places from wandering around the city, and being there a few times.
Will you be going there with any Chinese speakers?
