Douglas Williams/Shanghai Daily news

Explaining to his family back home exactly what he is up to here in China isn’t straightforward for Jamie Connell, manager of Barbarossa Lounge in People’s Square.
“Try this: I run a Moroccan style bar/club/restaurant in the middle of a lake in the middle of a park in the middle of Shanghai, China. People just look at me confused, scratching their head,” says the congenial 26-year-old Scot.
Barbarossa Lounge as a concept is pretty weird and it would be easy to dismiss it out of sight as being all concept and no substance; only those who haven’t been would adopt that attitude.
Those who have wandered down the path off Nanjing Road W. through the trees, pink mosque like building nestling across the lotus filled lake, tunes drifting across the water pied piper style are likely to arrive at a different conclusion.
Not forgetting that the setting is People’s Square and therefore right in the center of Shanghai, neon ago Incongruous park oasis go, arguably the most dramatic city skyline in the world and a work in progress at that.
In a way Barbarossa squares Shanghai’s already existing exoticism. One minute busy, noisy Nanjing Road — full throttle Asia, the next through some quantum, space, time, continuum Barbarossa and its North African oasis: hookah pipes, mosaic tiled flooring with slick, clubby tunes.
Disorientation can be a factor in a first visit to Barbarossa.
“We have many French customers who have spent time in Morocco and Tunisia and I’ve been told our recreation is very authentic,” said Connell, host with the most, workaholic and self-proclaimed perfectionist.
“What we have is quite unique. I think it would be fair to say,” said Connell and there is something somehow absurdly appropriate about having an African bar/club/restaurant in such a setting — the incongruity of it paling alongside the ever-changing mix and match architecture all around.
“Basically when I took on the position here six months ago the rest of my life stopped, since then I’ve had no life other than Barbarossa but it’s been great. Everyday I meet new and interesting people,” said Connell between hellos here and good-byes there, phone ringing continuously.
The demographic of the punters is wide and covers just about everyone. Hip young couples sip slick cocktails while more mature people, perhaps down from their serviced apartments in the nearby JW Marriott, sip beer between puffs on an aromatic hubbly bubbly hookah pipe.
The mix of westerners to local Chinese is nearly 50 to 50 percent. It also seems to attract a bigger proportion of Europeans than most.
There are five distinct areas of Barbarossa.
The first floor is a combination of bar area and out door restaurant. Low down circular sofas, mosaic floored bar area inside, serene and romantic restaurant area with lake outside.
Currently the food is half-heartedly North African in style, well presented and reasonably priced, but the hunt is on for a Moroccan chef.
On the second floor, the volume is beefed up and the chill-out feel exploited to the max. Once established on one of the deep sofas it can be hard to summon the energy to extricate oneself. The tent bar is all Bedouin, carpets, lamps, central bar, stools and a polished team of cocktail shakers.
It looks great and the Caipirinha Brazilian cocktail for one is pure class in a glass.
The third floor is outdoors on two levels. Bar and DJ entertain and in good weather it’s a lovely place to be.
Heating braziers are en route for restaurant and roof terrace areas. Tuesday is Chill Out Session with vodkatinis on  promotion. Wednesday is Feminine Touch with DJ Nicole and pink flamingos. Thursday is Fizzy Call with discounted champagne.
Friday and Saturday are Beats in the Air and Get Electrified respectively.
Coming at the end of this month will be a special 3-hour drinks offer between 5pm and 8pm each evening where drinks will be half price.
Service at Barbarossa is good when it’s good, mostly, but can be erratic; it’s a big place with a squad of staff.
Prices are 50 yuan (US$6.18) a glass of good house wine, 65 yuan a cocktail.
Parties can hire the place whether its 10-20 people hiring an area or a company hiring Barbarossa outright as Veuve Cliquet did recently for what one imagines was a pleasant sort of bash. Capacity is about 800.
“We work to the requirements of the customers,” said Connell, tales of a recent Eskimo themed party sounding strange if fun. From the Glasgow suburb of Dumbarton to Shanghai via Oxford, England, Connell is now managing a quite unique establishment with a talented team.
“I’ve never known anywhere like Shanghai where you meet on a regular basis such a broad variety of nationalities and I find it invaluable the way each bring their own perspective and life experiences to this city,” said confident Connell.

Address: No. 231 Nanjing Road W.
Tel: 6318 0220
douglaswilliams@shanghaidaily.com