Best-of list · Craft Beer
The best craft beer bars in Shanghai for 2026, from Boxing Cat Brewery and Shanghai Brewery to Funkadeli and The Camel. Editorial picks, updated 2026.
The short answer
4 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Shanghai craft beer scene is the deepest in mainland China. The 10 below show why.
Boxing Cat opened in 2008 as Shanghai's first proper craft brewery and it still earns its keep. The house range runs from the TKO IPA to seasonal stouts, all brewed on site and weighed down with competition medals. Find it in the Former French Concession on Fuxing Lu. Go for the brews and the burgers, not for a quiet word.
Shanghai Brewery has poured award winning ale since 2009 and now sits at 20 Donghu Road in the Former French Concession. The taps mix its own beer with local names like Mad Dragon and Taste Room, so there is range. Part brewpub, part restaurant, it suits a long sit down. Best on a weeknight before the FFC crowd lands.
Funkadeli works as an Italian deli bar on Yongkang Lu, with a fridge of imports and a short tap list that make it a low key craft stop between the heavier brewpubs. The crowd is expat regulars who treat the pavement tables as a second living room. Order a panini, a cold bottle and a spritz. Best early evening when Yongkang Lu fills up.
The Camel is one of Shanghai's longest running expat locals, an Aussie rooted sports bar in Xuhui pouring 20 draughts with a steady craft rotation. It now shares a kitchen with Texas BBQ, so the beer comes with brisket. Big screens make it the room for a match. Go for a fixture, a pint and a plate, not for hush.