The Chinese expression 一分钱一分货 ( yi fen qian, yi fen huo ), the equivalent of ‘you get what you pay for’ rings as true with bowling as anything else in China. The price of a game can be as low as 5 RMB but the machine will break down at regular intervals, drop pins, and decide that pins which are still standing do not really exist. On average it can be worth an extra ten pins a game if the computer is on your side.

 
There are three main options, open 24 hours the most prominent is Orden due to its prime location underneath Real Love nightclub on Hengshan Road. The machines are bit more reliable but has prices to match, as high as 25 RMB after 7PM, cheaper off peak. The High Point has similar prices but is a bit out of the way next to Hongkou Football Stadium in the northeast. My favourite, for its automatic shoe machines and relaxed policy towards bringing in much cheaper drinks from the convenience store is Yinghua Bowling. Prices vary according to the time 17 RMB from 7PM, 12 RMB after 11PM.

At hot pot restaurants the food comes raw and which you then cook yourself by shoving it in a pot of broth heated on your table. There’s a bit of extra labour for dinner and any responsibility for food poisoning is your own. The flavours come from the different stock and wide variety of sauces for dipping. The Dollar Shop is one of the finer restaurants of this type in Shanghai marked out by its great location and the view, well worth it for around 100 RMB per head. Right opposite Jingan Temple on the floor of the Hotel most of the tables look out over one of Shanghai’s most glamorous districts. Hot pot dinners usually take about twice as long as a normal meal so there’s plenty of time to take it all in.

 
The Dolar Shop serves a vast selection of additional flavours at the sauce bar as well as individual mini hot pots. Normal practice is everyone sits round a large vat of broth and fishes out whatever’s been thrown in. At the Dolar Shop each diner can choose their own stock and control what goes in it. In short the Dolar Shop is hot pot done with a bit of style.

 
*A word of warning, all food comes raw so make sure you cook it thoroughly, especially the prawns which at most places will come live in a bowl with a plate on top to stop them escaping. They can jump surprisingly far when faced with a bowl of boiling broth.

Many Chinese are very patriotic but, unsurprisingly in a country the size of Europe, regional differences and loyalties are also marked. The most obvious differences being in language and cuisine. Every region has it’s own dialect and if not it’s own style of cooking then at least a few specialities. Shanghainese the language is unintelligible even to other Chinese, but thanks to Yang’s Kitchen the cuisine is much more accessible. Shanghainese is characterised by it’s greater use of soy sauce and sugar so is generally sweeter than other regional cuisines.

A large menu with English translations has a decent rendition of Shanghai’s speciality Xiao long bao. English menus can be a double edged sword, of course it’s more convenient, even experienced Chinese learners can struggle to master the huge variety of dishes on offer. But sometimes seeing the translations of what is on offer is enough to ruin an appetite. Yang’s Kitchen has all the old favourites, Braised Pig’s feet (28RMB) and Stewed Shark’s Lip and Crab Meat (118RMB).  Even if you’re not that adventurous there’s still plenty of tasty and reasonably priced alternatives although portions are on the small side.

 Yang’s Kitchen has a great location just set back from Hengshan Road, a fun neighbourhood with plenty of bars, and is an inexpensive way to get an authentic taste of Shanghai.

Everything in Xintiandi comes at a price, but Ye Shanghai Restaurant is one of the few that matches up to the price tag. A good dinner in  a typical Chinese restaurant is always accompanied with a terrible din, voluble toasts and compulsory speeches, not to mention the smoke and the carnage of over-ordering piled high on the table. Ye Shanghai is an altogether more sophisticated dining experience. It is modern (mostly) Shanghainese cuisine in a smart, tasteful setting. 

Of the cold dishes the potpourri of eighteen vegetables (38RMB) was fresh and crisp, a great counter balance to the rich and meaty stir-fried bamboo shoots (108RMB). If Beijing is not on your itinerary then be sure to try roast duck (180RMB) at Ye Shanghai. The noodles with spring onions, sun-dried shrimp and soy (20RMB/bowl) were also flavoursome without being too oily. An altogether more reasonable lunch time Hong Kong style dim sum menu is also available for 98RMB/person. A booking is essential at weekends, and don’t be late, they will only hold your table for 15 minutes.

There’s not a lot to do in Pudong except look up. Lujiazui is China’s financial center and home to some truly astonishing, ultra modern, ultra tall architecture. At Cloud 9 patrons can look down upon all of this modernism. Until the neighboring World Financial Centre opens early in 2008 the neo-gothic Jin Mao Building will remain China’s tallest building. Perched on top of it on the 87th floor is Cloud 9, the highest bar in the world.

Once inside the Jin Mao three elevators are required to get to the very top. To get a real feeling of how gigantic a building it is take a walk around after exiting the second elevator. The view down to the Hyatt Hotel lobby is not for the faint hearted, and that’s only looking half way down! The bar itself, modern, sleek and dimly lit, would be nothing special on it’s own, but the views are spectacular in the right conditions. Cloud 9 towers above the Pudong skyline and offers great views of the Bund and the rest of the city. If anything, it’s too high. Others sometimes favor the view from The Piano Bar (53rd floor) or Patio Bar (56th floor), but they are half way houses and the atmosphere at Cloud 9 is better. Drinks are expensive, so go for the speciality cocktails. The Blue Shanghai was well worth the 90RMB if you treat it as a drink and a sight in one. After 8PM there is a 130RMB/person minimum to meet anyway, so it is best just to go for it. Somehow it would not feel right sipping on a coke while gazing out across this remarkable city.

Directions: The Jin Mao Building on Shiji Dadao is close to the Lujiazui metro station on Line 2.

 Face is a truly beautiful bar in an elegant 1930s building. It is an ideal locale for a few pre-dinner drinks.   Located inside the Ruijin Guest House complex in a converted French Concession villa, Face is a fine-looking nod to how things used to be done in Shanghai. Opium beds and colonial era signs on the walls give it the old world atmosphere that so many other Shanghai bars wish they had. Every detail from the drinks to the service to the afternoon teas is classy without a hint of pretension. Prices are fitting for this kind of quality bar in Shanghai.  That means 50RMB for a pint of beer, cocktails start at 40RMB, and house wines from 200RMB.  A half price Happy Hour from 5-8PM makes Face the best deal in town for a relaxing place to build up your appetite. In warmer weather an hour or two outside overlooking the lawn counts as an essential Shanghai experience.

Hunan province is famous for two things: the home of Chairman Mao and spicy food. As the influence of the Great Helmsman fades into the memories of the Chinese people, its apparent that the cuisine will be Hunan's lasting contribution. Great news for those who like it hot though. 

Shanghai is awash with Hunanese restaurants. However, those looking for a bit of extra spice with their dinner will have trouble finding another establishment thats beats Di Shui Dong.  The small 2nd floor entrance, lack of waiting area and enduring popularity of this well located restaurant means that the queues are literally out the door on weekends.

The décor is simple, yet attractive enough with reasonable prices.  The tastiest dishes are also the messiest. Don't be shy about laying down the chopsticks for the excellent ribs and prawn skewers. The battered eggplant is also a nice change from the standard fare. This can be followed by some crowd pleasing banana or apple fritters and accompanied by cheap beers.

If your stomach is hardened to all things spicy then it’s great for an authentic Chinese dining experience. Much like China itself it’s big, crowded, loud, and not to be missed.

Directions: Di Shui Dong is on the notable Maoming Nan Lu near Changle Lu. The restaurant is 5 minutes walk north of the Shanxi Nan Lu Metro on Line 1.

Located just to the south of People’s Square in the heart of the city Babyface is very much the heart of the Chinese club scene. There are plenty of places which are legendary amongst ex-pats that most Chinese  have never even heard of. Babyface is the one club that every young Chinese knows and at times it feels like every young Chinese goes there. It’s big club with a big reputation and always crowded. There are persistent rumours that foreigners are turned away at the door which, although not true, does illustrate that it’s mostly a local club for local people. One of the drinks of choice is whisky mixed with green tea. The best place to see how the Chinese do a big night out.