A drink at the top of Shanghai: 100 Century Avenue, Shanghai World Financial Center

The sky was a rare blue yesterday, so we decided it was high time to check out the views from the top of Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC). The observation deck has been getting consistently good reviews even priced at 150 RMB (to get to the 100th floor) and with the added convenience of getting to queue for hours. So we've been avoiding the place for a few months waiting for the hype and novelty to die down a little.

We arrived at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon hoping to catch sunset, but, were informed by the attendant that the queues would last until after dark. So instead, we headed up to the new bar and restaurant called 100 Century Avenue in the Park Hyatt (floor 91, inside the SWFC) for a drink.

100 Century Avenue (just opened at the end of November??) is undeniably an impressive venue with incredible views, a bar on the left and an open-kitchen restaurant on the right, with mosaic-tile floors, three-storey-high ceilings with floor to ceiling windows on one side, looking down on the top tip of Jin Mao Tower, with the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Huangpu River and Puxi in the background.

100 Century Avenue is modern, designy, a little pretentious but not uncomfortably so (several couples were reading books and relaxing over coffee at low tables next to the window) and it lacks the sterility of most hotel bars. The place has the feeling of Aqua in Hong Kong or something Tokyo-ish and most importantly, it beats the socks, pants, and sweaters off any other view bars in the city like 789, Vue Bar and Cloud 9. Although considering that Vue and Cloud 9 are also Hyatt properties, 100 Century Avenue, is not in direct competition. But who knows, soon another bar will likely be bigger, higher and grander in Shanghai. Just be patient.

We especially enjoyed the individual control panels in each of 100 Century Avenue's toilet stalls provided a number of exciting options from washing, vibrating, oscillating, and drying. Very hygienic and environmentally friendly. We liked that.

The staff were polite but a little slow getting our bill (we waited half an hour). My G&T was 65 RMB, an orange juice: 50 RMB, a tea: 60 RMB, beer: 65 RMB, glass of wine: 90 RMB—so not more expensive than any other such venue.

So, if you are stuck in unreasonably long queues, waiting to go to the 100th floor of Shanghai, a drink at 100 Century Avenue isn't a lowly second option.

Directions: Map
Address: 100 Century Avenue, Park Hyatt Shanghai (Shanghai World Financial Center), 100 Century Avenue, Pudong
Tel: 021 6888 1234
Email: danny.vanelten@hyatt.com


Photo by Fortunato Facchinetti.
Originally posted on ChinaTravel.net.