Cotton's Freelance Abbey Road 'soft' opening Thursday

Turnover is the name of the game in the Shanghai restaurant and bar biz. So, just a few months after Freelance called it quits, a new bar/restaurant is ready to give it a go at the same location. It's called Abbey Road and, yes, it appears as though they are going with a — wait for it — Beatles theme. From the PR email today:

Shanghai's Abbey Road, bar and cafe has an open and friendly ambience, great food and beverages and will invite artists to exhibit their works of art about the Beatles and will sell these with proceeds to charity in due time. You can also create your own cocktails and name them to leave at the bar for your next visit.

We are a little bit worried curious about the Beatles theme, but we'll give these guys a fair chance. It's a great space and we'd love for it to once again reach its potential. Let's hope the guys from American Craft Beer have already talked to the owners — we don't feel like drinking Carlsberg or any of its clones.

The invite for tomorrow's "soft opening" says it is intended for "members of the press and friends." You, dear readers, are our friends. Festivities run from 6pm to late. And "special drinks tickets and menu available" — we're not quite sure what that means. Grand opening is May 12.

Abbey Road, 45 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu. Tel: 6431 6787. Hours: Mon-Fri, 4pm to late; Sat and Sun, 8:30am to late.