Pony Up

Pony Up is a small cocktail bar on Jinxian Road that entered Asia's 50 Best Bars at No. 19 in 2026. It was founded by Dre Yang, who previously worked for Shingo Gokan's group and at The Odd Couple, and the list's organisers describe it as a masterclass in neighbourhood hospitality.

The room is compact and full of character, with walnut panelling, orange velvet booths in the style of an American diner and a cartoon horse-racing artwork as the centrepiece. It works as two bars in one. The front bar opens from 1pm and serves Chinese-influenced takes on the classics, such as a daiquiri made with Longjing tea and starfruit, and a one-sip martini. In the evening the back bar opens from 6pm with its own menu of a dozen signature cocktails.

The evening menu is laid out like a cartoon theme park map, with drinks presented as rides. Signatures have included Jurassic Gone Wrong, which mixes gin, rose beancurd, cacao, pecan, camellia and vermouth, and Sunset Cruise, with Scotch, masala chai, pineapple and asparagus juice. Earlier menus named drinks after racehorses and the cities they represent. The kitchen serves diner-style food with Asian touches, such as a patty melt on milk toast and fries with furikake and wasabi lime mayonnaise, and chocolate chip cookies with hojicha milk foam are a sweet favourite.

Expect a queue at busy times. Staff are known for handing out mini shots to people waiting outside, which says a lot about the bar's spirit. It suits couples, solo drinkers and small groups, and the daytime front bar makes it a rare chance to try a top-ranked bar in the afternoon.

Recent seasonal menus have kept the playful approach: one earlier signature, Rocket Man, mixed Scotch and rum with umeshu, black garlic, chamomile tea and bak kut teh spices, a good example of the way the bar folds flavours from around Asia into familiar formats.

The city government's 2025 bar guide lists the front bar from 1pm to 9pm and the back bar from 6pm to 2am. Jinxian Road is in the former French Concession and is also home to the Lan Xin restaurant, so dinner and drinks can be combined easily. Speak Low is a short taxi ride away.