Hamish Wyatt/Shanghai Daily news

Walking into Time Passage at 173 Caojiayan Lane, things are not quite what they seem. Time Passage appears, at first, as another one of Shanghai's cheaper bars.
Quietly tucked off Huashan Road with nothing but a faintly flickering neon sign indicating a watering hole is near by, the bar has the eclectic paraphernalia of most local pubs and on my first encounter, a venomous and, frankly rather unwelcome shot of eighties rock marked my entrance.
However, as you sit down and have time to take in your surroundings, small differences begin to stand out.
Firstly, the clientele are not your usual cheap bar regulars. The entire bar is full of Chinese professionals, quietly sitting in small groups over battered wooden tables. There is table service and no need to pay after every round, which is a welcome change.
And sitting at the bar are a group of obvious regulars, having a quiet laugh with the European barman.
Time Passage suddenly seemed quite peaceful once these details set in. And once the Bon Jovi was taken off and replaced by Bob Dylan, the bar felt all right.
Price for a drink is around 30 yuan (US$3.70).
While quiet, near empty, and not amazingly cheap, the bar definitely has a relaxed and homely feel.
The barman on duty, named Jojo, is a French national who has been working at Time Passage since 1997. Jojo spent most of the night talking to costumers who had the unmistakable lounge room lethargy of real regular patrons.
However, he did have some time to spare to talk to a new comer. "This place is like a big living room...nearly everybody here knows each others' first name," said Jojo. And to prove the point, he then pointed to each man sitting around the bar and stated how long each had been drinking there.
As Jojo pointed out the locals, he tacked on their profession. I then realized that in this rustic, bohemian pub was I sitting next to a high-end plastic surgeon, a senior executive of the Chinese branch of a well-known European company and a lawyer.
The owner of the bar, Ai Jun, seems to have crafted Time Passage to draw in a local crowd. When speaking about high class spirits, expensive design and hostesses, Ai Jun said "I know these things can bring in good business, but they keep the real customers away. Though there are not many of them in Shanghai, a good bar is somewhere to have drinks, hear a piece of your favorite music and meet those you know or be alone if you want. A place that feels like a living room for both the owner and the customers."
While Time Passage is a far cry from the typical Shanghai bar, there are still the classic offers of cheap beer and ladies nights.
Tuesday is Time Passage's cheaper night. From eight until 12:30, liters of draught beer go for 15 yuan while an acoustic band play rock and Chinese folk songs.
Bands also play on Friday and Saturday. All songs are sung Chinese and the band draws a sizable crowd.
Tel: 6240 2588