Speak Low

A multi-floor cocktail bar behind a bookcase in a bar-tools shop

⚠ Sign says OCHO; walk-in queue

Hours: Daily 18:00–01:30 (Trip.com)
Budget: Cocktails ¥70–220
Address: 579 Fuxing Middle Road, Huangpu

Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan opened Speak Low in 2014, kicking off Shanghai's speakeasy wave, and it was a regular on Asia's 50 Best Bars. Walk into the bar-tools shop marked only OCHO, say you're here for Speak Low, and a bookcase slides open. The second floor is a relaxed bar where you can stand; the third is a seated-only classic room, opened by pressing Shanghai on a world map by the door. A 2024 refresh for its tenth anniversary added a new bar space.