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The Urban Edit

Shake Bar

The bar at Shake.
The bar at Shake.

Leafy Jinxian Road in Bespoke’s own corner of the former French Concession is best known for its home-style restaurants and copious amounts of laundry flapping in the breeze. Now, however, in Shake it can claim to have one of the city’s best intimate live music venues too.

Tucked away in a 3rd floor loft, Shake is an small space with a well-stocked bar at the rear, but all the seats set to face towards the stage. Expect live performances of soul and funk at least four nights a week* from a roster of Shanghai’s most-seasoned performers  – on our visit the house band’s classic funk set was going down a storm with eager punters, so much so that we wished the owners would clear the decks and include a bit of a dance floor.

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Reign on the Bund: A Touch of Vegas in Shanghai.

Bath Tub
A bit of bling with your bath.

Remember when the Park Hyatt opened and we all ooohed and aaahed over its elegant white walls, blond wood furniture and subtle lighting. Shanghai was ready to embrace a future of tasteful elegance and refined sophistication. Well, folks, that was way back in 2008 and guest what – it turns out minimalism was simply a passing fad. Wanda’s new Reign on the Bund hotel leads the new charge of ‘more is more’ venues that reminds us just how much fun unbridled extravagance can be, and then some. Watch out Vegas, Shanghai is coming for you.

Pool
A relaxing dip in the pool.

Wanda, the Chinese mega-conglomerate, has been busy furiously buying and developing commercial properties the world over, but it’s Shanghai that they’ve picked for their top level, flagship hotel.  And when your CEO is Wang Jianlin, the country’s richest man, you don’t do things by halves that’s for sure. It’s very clear that no expense has been spared here – and whilst the building’s exterior has been overseen by none other than British ‘starchitects’ Foster and Partners, it’s the interior design by the company’s own Wanda Design Institute that is very much the star of the show here.

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Tesla Time! We’ve Pimped our Rides

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Tesla
I can park here, right guys? Photo credit: 4wheelsnews.

At Bespoke we’ve always put a lot of effort into making sure our vehicles are the best out there. In-car Wi-Fi as standard, besuited drivers, a choice of soundtrack and a bunch of other useful little knick-knacks like phone chargers and umbrellas. But now we’re attempting to up the game further with a couple of sexy new additions to our touring fleet.

From this month onward we’re unleashing a handful of hot red Tesla cars onto the city’s mean streets. Those touring with us will have the option of booking one of these natty numbers to cruise around town allowing then to relax in in the knowledge that not only are they clearly out-cooling the competition, but also that their entirely electric vehicle is giving the city’s sometimes-less-than-perfect air quality levels a bit of a break. Result!

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Seven Shanghai Hidden Gems That You Should Know By Now

1. The Back Alley Bow Tie Showroom

Hidden Gem Bow Tie Showroom
Weixu Wang’s Hidden Bow Tie Showroom.

Shanghai’s glam ladies enjoy a reputation as the nation’s most fashionable, but the city’s millennial gents are snapping at their heals thanks to up-and-coming designers like Weixu Wang. His quirky little studio is tucked down a narrow lane behind the elegant old Meilong Zhen restaurant just off Nanjing Xi Lu, and you’ll need to pass groups of knitting aunties and bathtubs full of goldfish in order to find it. Inside, you’ll find a dazzling array of bow ties made from almost every conceivable material (including plastic ceramic and metal) that cover all the bases from conservative to crazy! Weixu Wang is at 1 F, Building 72l Nanjing West Road 1081.

2. The Great (Free) Glass Elevator Ride

Hidden GemShanghai Glass Elevator
View from the top! The Okura Garden’s Great Glass Elevator.

The glorious old Art Deco wing of the Okura Garden Hotel – formerly the ‘Cercle Sportif’ – is well worth exploring, however many ignore the modern tower block stuck on the back. It does offer one wonderful gift though: a glass elevator on the outside of the building that whizzes from the lobby to the 33rd floor, giving those inside wonderful views right across the rooftops of the former French Concession and across to the skyscrapers of Pudong. Even better, the staff doesn’t seem to mind outside guests bumbling about, as long as you keep it low key. The Okura Garden Hotel is at 58 Maoming Road.

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We’re Hiring in Beijing and Shanghai!

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Get a job at Bespoke
Come join these cheeseballs!

Do you know someone who’s bilingual, extremely organized, and either has accounting experience or loves helping visitors to China plan their trips?  We’re currently looking for people to join our team in Shanghai and Beijing so if you do, please put them in touch with us. If we end up hiring somebody you recommend, there will be a tour-shaped reward in it for you. Can’t say fairer than that now can we?

We’re hiring for the following positions:

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