Semi-sober Shanghai nights

Get some extra mileage out of the city (and your liver) with these evening excursions that don't involve keg-loads of booze

Not feeling up to another open bar, free-flow deal, or all-you-can-drink special? Here are some alternative ways to get the most out of Shanghai (and your liver) without sacrificing any fun. Semi-sober nights can be enjoyable too you know.

Shanghai theater, strolling and sipping 

While everybody loves the plethora of cheap DVD shops in Shanghai, you can’t beat some big screen action. “Back home it’s a standard date,” says Charlie, from New York. “You watch a movie then head to a quiet bar to talk about how good or bad it was.” Each year more Western films are allowed in, including blockbusters on IMAX or 3D. The theaters are all smoke free, and fully up to date in the latest sound and projection technology, but they do need to work on their snack bars.
After: Barbarossa offers a chilled-but-not-sloppy atmosphere for you to look wise and philosophical as you discuss the symbolism of the high-speed car chase.
Grand Cinema, 216 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Xizang Lu 南京西路215号, 近西藏路; +86 21 6327 4260, www.shdgm.com; Barbarossa: 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Bei Lu, inside People’s Park 南京西路231号, 近黄陂北路  +86 21 6318 0220

Missy Elliot’s “Work It” night 

As Missy Elliott says: “If you're a fly gal, then get your nails done. Get a pedicure, get your hair did.” This is one of the few cities in the world where you can get your style on till 2am, just in time to hit the glitz. Rebekah from Vancouver explains, “Back home you might be lucky to get to a salon that works until 9pm. Here I can get dressed up at home and leave my mane to the professionals before I hit the club.”
After: If you’re going to glam it up, then No. 88 is the hottest spot in town to show it off.
Late night salons are all over (just look for the bright lights and spinning poles, but make sure the girls inside actually cut hair), but there one is right next door to 88: J-eleven Salon, 208 Xinle Lu, near Fumin Lu 新乐路208号, 近富民路, +86 21 5403 7237; Club 88: 2/F, A Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu, near Donghu Lu 富民路291 号, 近东湖路, +86 21 6136 0288

Ten pins and two pints (for the price of one)

Shanghai’s most famous 24-hour bowling alley sits right in the heart of the Hengshan Lu strip. Germophobes might want to bring some surgical gloves, since there’s no telling how long it’s been since those bowling ball holes were cleaned. But aside from that everything is as you’d find in any other bowling alley… including that corner pin that just won’t go down.
After: Head over to Bulldog to continue the action with some on-screen sports and more beer (it’s always two-for-one). “We get mostly armchair athletes in here, but it’s always nice to welcome the real thing,” says Alan, Bulldog’s manager. Come by Thursday for the Bulldog's now famous quiz night.
Regal East Asia Hotel Bowling Club, 516 Hengshan Lu, near Wuxing Lu 衡山路516号, 近吴兴路, +86 21 6415 5588; Bulldog Shanghai, 1 Wulumuqi Lu, near Dongping Lu and Hengshan Lu 乌鲁木齐南路1号, 近东平路, +86 21 6466 7878

Delightful, delicious decadence

Unwind at the end of a busy day with a massage and follow that up with the endorphin rush of good chocolate. Nothing quite like sending your brain’s pleasure centers into overdrive. One good choice is Taipan passage, where for RMB 138 you can get your feet rubbed for 90 minutes, watch a DVD, snack on whatever food their handing out and enjoy unlimited juice.
After: If you think you can handle it, head to hof for some cocoa-induced bliss. hof is a chocolate-themed dessert bar that offers fresh homemade baking and chocolates using pure cocoa from a variety of countries, each of which provides a distinct flavor and texture. When we went with a friend, she said, “Oh I love this place! We’ve got to try this one (pointing at the menu)… and this one… and this one… oh and this looks good, too…”
Taipan Footmassage (15 minute walk to hof), 370 Dagu Lu, near Chengdu Bei Lu 大沽路370号, 近成都北路; Kousenkaku (close to hof), 87-89 Ruijin Lu, near Fuxing Lu 瑞金路, 近复兴路, +86 21 6385 3130; hof: 30 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu 思南路30号, 近淮海中路 +86 21 6093 2058

Fruitful bounty 

Living the nightlife means you might miss out on some of the Vitamin D the sun provides. Not to worry as Shanghai has fruit markets galore that stay open late, providing all the night owls with fresh, affordable tropical fruit. They’ll even peel your pineapple for you and make it look nice while they do it. “A couple of weeks ago a friend and I bought a pineapple and a coconut before heading to Bounty. We felt like we had been shipwrecked under the most ideal circumstances possible.”
After: Bounty is a beautiful place that naturally infuses rum with flavors ranging from ginger to passion fruit. Try a sip with a bite of pineapple and you’ll be transported to an anything-but-desert island.
Fruit stands: all over town; Rhumerie Bounty, 550 Wuding Lu, near Xikang Lu 武定路550号, 近西康路, +86 21 2661 9368

Wining and dining al fresco

Like illegal DVDs and fake markets, al fresco street food is hard to find these days, but the landmark wok-jockeys are still out there. Many of them offer simple seating on furniture we’d normally reserve for the under-six crowd back home, but these guys cook a great meal and allow for quite a bit of personal tweaking with your order.
After: After your meal, explore Shanghai with the 'convenience store crawl.' Grab some friends and pick a chain convenience store (or two) and drink a beer there. Once done, pick a direction and wander until you see another of the selected chain. Drink gain. Then set off in any direction except the one you came from. You’ll see more of the city than any guide book would allow, just try to remember it the next morning. Our favorite centrally located wok-men are by the small park across from Cantina Agave.