Hamish Wyatt/Shanghai Daily

The Bund is famous for two things. One being its view and the other is its extortionate pricing.
Many people accept that when it comes to drinking on Shanghai's favorite strip, there is no winning. However, there isn't any reason to roll over just yet. All you have to do is be prepared to accept surroundings that may not be as elegant as the other establishments along the Huangpu River.
Captain Bar, on the roof of the Captain Hostel at 37 Fuzhou Road is, admittedly, not the height of contemporary Shanghainese design. However, it is a place where you can enjoy one of the Bund's claims to fame without being bled dry by its other.
While tucked off the main strip, Captain Bar's view equals that of any other of the Bund's bars.
The hostel below provides a steady stream of foot-sore backpackers looking for a party which gives the place a fairly good atmosphere. Beer and wine at Captain's are around the 30 yuan (US$3.70) mark while spirits and cocktails are around 45 yuan. For the Bund, these prices are nothing short of remarkable and a two-for-one happy hour from five to eight in the evening makes it all the more appealing.
Captain Bar is first and foremost a backpacker haven. This is obviously not everyone's ideal situation, however, it means there are a large amount of friendly, relaxed patrons that certainly aren't afraid of socializing.
As always, with backpackers comes the standard fare of pizza and pasta. The bar serves a variety of small but tasty pizzas that cost the same as a beer and two kinds of pasta.
Captain Bar has an immense projection TV that looks attractive for sporting events and there is a large replica of a ship running up the side of the bar, which, for lack of a better word, is interesting. However, without a doubt, the main attraction of the bar is its deck.
The deck has a surprisingly sharp design and it runs the length of the bar with a terrace at the front. Seats are always easier to get than anywhere else on the Bund and on a sunny day, it is somewhere you can afford to spend more than a couple of hours at.
Good quality outdoor heaters make these months more bearable and there is enough space to avoid the backpackers if you are so inclined.
Tel: 6323 7869