Douglas Williams/Shanghai Daily

North of Nanjing Road W., pubs, bars and clubs start to thin out drastically: Big Bamboo, the Long Bar, Malone’s, Mint and the Spot being the main places. North of Beijing Road however, they virtually die out altogether, a shame since this is a convenient and pleasant part of town in which to live.
There is one, however, that offers a very civilized and pleasant space in the great attic of an old historic house that could easily be adopted as one’s own club.
Elm Villa sits on Shaanxi Road N., slightly up from the junction with Beijing Road W. next to a small but perfectly formed park. It’s a large former house on three levels with many different parts to it within these levels. The lower two floors are comprised of a very classy, Mediterranean style restaurant which has some private rooms available. The food is excellent, but more about that at another time.
The house is mostly wooden and it’s up the wooden stair case that visitors to the attic bar area must venture, usually accompanied by the almost overly attentive staff.
Attic it is but considerably bigger than most at more than 130 square meters, the top of the roof some five meters above the bare wooden floor.
Dark, bare, wood abounds on the ceiling, the joists, the bar and the flooring. A Moroccan designer created the vibe of the place, the dark wooden floors are covered with exotic Arabic rugs, the low wooden tables are accompanied by low slung antique chairs.
In two of the corners there are raised, rugged and cushioned areas that can comfortably hold eight friends.
The terracotta colored walls, the abundance of North African trinkets, clay jugs and even hookah pipes can lead to thoughts of camels, dates, oasis and harems.
Music played through a thoroughly professional sound system with tunes by the likes of Cafe Karma and Buddha Bar keep it modern but mellow.
The only danger about Elm Villa is that the upstairs bar area does get booked out as a party venue thus rendering pointless the trip there.
Best to phone ahead. One of the two big appeals about the Elm Villa bar is that ordering drinks ensures bar snacks come gratis. These include tapas, pinchos, bruschetta, chicken wings and sardines.
The other is week days between seven and nine in the evening, its buy one get one free. Well mixed cocktails are between 50 yuan (US$6.17) and 60 yuan, bottles of house wine start at 180 yuan.
Chances are that through the week, this vast, comfortable, ambient space could be you and your friends’ alone.

Address: 407 Shaanxi Road N.
Tel: 6253 6897