Bubbles Bar

by Rob Wallace
on Friday, September 30, 2011 12:00 AM

When Gil Serra Arnau, Freixenet's Greater China Manager, discusses his company's well-known sparkling wine, his two favorite words are "cosmopolitan" and "heritage". Fittingly, Gil is therefore expanding the presence of the world's number one sparkling wine brand by opening up a small, hip bar located within an old 1920's Shanghai villa. However, with a seemingly superficial name like Bubbles Bar, let us see if this bar has enough substance to be worth a visit.
Bubbles Bar shares its French Concession villa with the brand-new Spanish restaurant, El Patio. While El Patio occupies the first two spacious floors of this stately manor, Bubbles is relegated to its cramped attic. When I first entered this bar with its sharply slanted ceilings and taupe-painted wooded walls, I immediately felt as if I was in a teenage boy's tree-house hangout rather than a trendy new Shanghai bar.

Despite its small size, some charming touches bubbled up upon further inspection. For example, the bar offers outdoor seating on its two cozy terraces. The larger of the two is nestled between numerous large trees and is covered with a glass ceiling. The main purpose behind Bubbles Bar is to provide a venue where people can learn to enjoy the beauty of Freixenet's unique bubbly. Standard drinks are available in the RMB60-70 range; however, guests are encouraged to indulge in the special cocktails which all consist of the sparkling wine base.

Gil wishes for his guests to view Freixenet as a "fashionable yet approachable" drink. While it is still a luxury product, he hopes that Bubbles' relaxed atmosphere will attract Shanghai's younger crowd to come and fall in love with this centuries old sparkling wine. Given some time for customers to feel comfortable with this new concept, Gil believes all of his guests will realize that sparkling wine is to be used simply "as a link to communicate with friends".

While the setting boarders between interesting and awkward, enjoying an intimate glass of bubbly in this unique bar is worth a shot.