ROAM: 3 floors of dinner, drinks, dancing in city’s new hotspot
Print Edition
From the makers of Shanghai’s favorite secret-but-not-really-all-that-secret alt lounge Tang comes Roam, the new hotspot in town for house-y, tribal-y, boho-chic vibes, newly opened at 909 Yan’an Rd. A much more ambitious concept, Roam features three floors of diversions in the form of a snacky restaurant and wine fridge on the first floor, a dime-sized cocktail bar and open kitchen on the second, and the smallest house and electronic music club in the city on the third floor.
If you’re a fan of the alt electronic music scene in Shanghai (SYSTEM, Wig Wam, Celia), and, of course, Tang, it’s one to check out. Maybe go later in the week to make sure the club portion is open. Do a late dinner and check it out afterwards.
The main draw is the food menu, which is served in a communal but comfortable room on the first floor. Pan-Chinese bar bites comprise most of the menu, with some Continental-style mains. We went for their vegetarian plates to complement the drinks.
Other options include “Crispy Pig Ears” (48 yuan), “Beef Tripe with Red Kidney Bean” (58 yuan), and “Sea Snails in Spicy Wine” (48 yuan). Moving into mains, they have just a few options that are heavy on the sous-vide. “Sous-vide Beef Short Ribs with Herbs and Baby Corn” (286 yuan), “Grilled Spicy Chicken” (68 yuan). Food is delicate and creative. Maybe a touch on the pricier side, but maybe the elevatedness of the whole thing justifies it.
It’s three floors, yes, but still really snug. It’s more like three bedrooms stacked on top of each other. They’re making as much as possible out of the small space, taking you from happy hour cocktails and dinner to clubbing moments later in the evening. Based on their goodwill from the much-adored Tang lounge, the space is already attracting Shanghai’s young and hip crowd – it’s the new hot opening in the alt scene.
Dinner plus a club is not a new concept in Shanghai, but the Tang team’s presentation is definitely unique. Singular, serene orange and gold lighting, a zany paper installation for the ceiling on the ground floor, and expressionist and abstract art pieces on the walls create an overall bohemian sort of vibe. It’s arty, it’s idiosyncratic, and it feels like it’s coming from one person’s point of view rather than from a consensus business strategy from an F&B group running multiple venues.
Up the stairs to the third floor, you’ll find the club, which is a surprising little discovery indeed. The entire space is one couch bed on one side and one DJ booth on the other, with about 10 feet by 10 feet of dancing room separating them. It’s a darkened, minimalist room – more like an attic, really – with the DJ facing away from the audience to an installation video piece. It’s very neat. And a bit trippy. Super tiny. Anywhere in the room, you’re standing next to the DJ like it’s a mini Boiler Room. Very much house party vibes. But at a friend with a really cool house’s place.
The real deal, and what we’d definitely go back for, is their excellent happy hour special. Its three price tiers – 149 yuan, 129 yuan, and 99 yuan – offer some quite excellent all-you-can-drink options between 6pm and 11pm. That’s a five-hour window at just one price. The cheapest tier gets you a few selected mixes, the second tier gets you a bunch of house cocktail options, and the top tier gets you access to a couple of labels of wine. The drinks are really quite delish. It’s a great deal.
Really refreshing. And a five-hour window to go to town. The happy hour special is a steal.
After dinner, you’re moving upstairs. The second floor is a tiny cocktail bar. Maybe about five seats deep. It’s more of a pitstop between the first and third floors, but they’ve got a range of more pricey and involved Roam signature drinks here in the 100 yuan range. This is also where their mixologist is working.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
