Another round: Shanghai reopens 110ft bar fabled for colonial decadence

Another round: Shanghai reopens 110ft bar fabled for colonial decadence

Welcome news here of the renovation of an historic piece of colonial nightlife - the Long Bar, once part of the Shanghai Club but soon to become part of a new Waldorf-Astoria hotel on the Bund (Shanghai's waterfront district).

The epitome of pre-war style and elegance, like so many things the Long Bar was a victim of the Second World War and it is only now that it has been restored to its former glory having suffered many ignominies over the last 70 years - not least having to share space with a KFC!

Thanks to the thorough work undertaken by local craftsmen the Long Bar has once again become the jewel in the crown of the new hotel and the surrounding area. Special mention should go to the Shanghai government officials who quite rightly insisted that the décor and material should be an exact match to the original bar. All in all it sounds like a delightful venue; one could easily imagine Noel Coward at the bar making witty remarks!