ONE of the bar streets in Shanghai, much of Tongren Road is taken up by pubs. While some of these bars moved over from
the once famous Maoming Road, there are also newcomers to the drinking scene along the street. If you're looking to stray away from the usual nightspots like Xintiandi or Hengshan Road, this avenue is a good place to head to for drinks
after a week's hard work. There's really not much else to do, however, on this road, as boutiques are far and few and the occasional shops mostly cater to residents in the area.


Wu Tongwen's 'ultramodern'

Built in 1938, one of many designed by Hungarian Ladislaus Hudec, this home for D.V. Woo (Wu Tongwen) was a superb example of the ultramodern genre. Covered in green tiles, the four-story building is characterized by sleek modern lines and takes advantage of its corner site with a drive-through access angled on the corner of Tongren Road and Beijing Road W. It was also one of the few private homes in Shanghai to have air conditioning and an elevator. The original owner of the house, Wu was "the pigment magnate" in old Shanghai who married a daughter of the wealthy Pei family. An English-language newspaper circulating in the city once published a special report in 1939 saying "this building is one of the most luxurious residential houses in the Far East area and its design style is ultramodern ..." In addition to this famous "green house," Hudec has left behind many legacy buildings in the city, including Park Hotel on Nanjing Road, Grand Theater on Nanjing Road, and Joint Savings Society Building on Sichuan Road.

Address: 333 Tongren Rd


Shi Liangcai's graceful villa

Built in 1922, the 2,494-square-meter graceful French-style villa at No. 257 once belonged to Shi Liangcai, who was owner and chief editor of Shen Bao, one of the most influential daily newspapers published in Shanghai at the time. The striking mansard roof, two-story carriage porte cochere, and French country-style windows and corridors reflect Shi's inimitable taste as a Shanghai newspaper magnate. Shi was born in 1880 to a merchant family but, in 1912, the 32-year-old bought Shen Bao, considered to be a moderately liberal newspaper, from Xi Zipei. In the 1930s, Shi was a strong supporter of the Human Rights Defence Alliance established by Madam Soong Qing Ling, the second wife of revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat-sen, with Cai Yuanpei and Lu Xun. In 1934, on his way home to Shanghai from Hangzhou, he was assassinated by Kuomintang agents. He had lived in the property from 1922 until his violent demise at the age of 54.

Address: 257 Tongren Rd


Malone's American Cafe

Fifteen years into business and this American cafe-cum-bar is still going strong. The secret to Malone's longevity? Probably its menu which leaves one spoilt for choice, with the usual "pub grub" like fish and chips, burgers and sandwiches, plus Mexican fare like fajitas and burritos, Asian dishes like teriyaki prawns and chicken stir-fry, mee goreng and Thai chicken stir-fry and the standard Italian pizzas and pastas. Apart from the extensive menu, customers also flock in for the live band, weekend brunches, Happy Hour (2pm-8pm on weekdays; 5pm-8pm on weekends), bi-monthly parties and sports screenings. It's much like any other North American neighborhood pub, from the wood paneled interior to the burgers, ribs and beer, but with a welcome Asian twist.

Opening hours: 11am-2am

Address: 255 Tongren Rd

Tel: 6247-2400


BronzeBodies Tanning Studio

Tanning has been for years associated with beauty and health and the desire for glowing skin increases as the temperature heats up. Turning to tanning salons to develop an artificial tan has been popular in the city for both expats and Chinese. Ivan Lam opened one of the first tanning clubs in the city, BronzeBodies Tanning Studio, on Tongren Road five years ago, offering premium tanning sessions by MegaSun tanning beds, a leading German-based manufacturer. Any visit always begins with an assessment of the client's skin type and based on the colors of the skin, hair and eyes. Tanning sessions (10-12 minutes) are charged at 90 yuan to 105 yuan depending on different machines used.

Opening hours: 10am-9:30pm

Address: 1fb, Silver Block, Jiu An Plaza, 258 Tongren Rd

Tel: 6247-7377


The Spot to linger longer

The Spot doesn't overlook the importance of being all-inclusive, despite its German roots. On a menu with mostly German leanings (grilled sausages platter, tatar steak, beef roulade), there are almost as many dishes from different countries like Thai tom yam goong, French bruchetta and Italian pastas and pizzas. Among the must-tries are the special fruit tree steak, smoked using wood from fruit trees, BBQ jumbo pork ribs and apple strudel. The restaurant and bar also has weekly specials like Sawadi Tuesdays that promotes its Thai menu and Steak Wednesdays where it's 20 percent off for the grilled steaks. The Sunday BBQ buffet, which lasts from 12pm till 10pm, has the honor of being the longest running BBQ and is a good deal at 150 yuan inclusive of open bar.

Opening hours: 11am-2am (Sundays-Thursdays); 11am-3am (Fridays, Saturdays)

Address: 331 Tongren Rd

Tel: 6247-3579


Matching Brethren Buildings

At the corner of Tongren Road and Nanjing Road W. are the two houses known as the "Brethren Buildings" because they were both built to almost the same design. Designed by Tug Wilson of Palmer & Turner, the French-style constructions were originally the homes of Guo Le and his younger brother Guo Shun. The Guo brothers, originally from Guangdong Province, owned the former Wing On (Yong An) Department Store on Nanjing Road. Guo Le died of natural causes in 1956 in the United States and Guo Shun, who lived in Hong Kong in his later years, was eulogized for his enthusiasm for the construction of Zhongshan City in Guangdong by people from his hometown.

Address: 1418 Nanjing Rd W.


Rendezvous with Singapore

Three-year-old Rendezvous may not look particularly enticing from the outside but the roaring trade the restaurant's doing only attests to the quality of the food. With a Singaporean boss and Malaysian chef at the helm, the restaurant does a pretty decent job of serving the multicultural cuisine for which Singapore is known. The kitchen pulls out all the stops, with all the Singaporean signature dishes like roti prata (Indian pancake served with curry; 16 yuan), chilli crab (138 yuan), curry chicken (38 yuan), rendang beef (46 yuan), laksa (32 yuan) and Hainanese chicken rice (38 yuan for breast/42 yuan for drumstick). There are even desserts and drinks like chendol (20 yuan), bobo cha cha (20 yuan) and teh tarik (18 yuan) that wouldn't be found elsewhere in Shanghai.

Opening hours: 11am-11pm

Address: Unit 107, Kerry Centre, 1515 Nanjing Rd W.

Tel: 5298-6126