Barules

Barules is the bar of Sam Kuan, a bartender with nearly two decades of experience who also runs Reply in Taipei. He opened the original Barules in 2014 on Fenyang Road as a speakeasy entered through a telephone booth. That bar closed in 2020, and Kuan reopened Barules on Tongren Road in Jing'an.

The new bar is no longer a speakeasy, though the entrance still has a hint of mystery: a plain door between brick walls marked by a graffiti portrait of the bartender Dick Bradsell, whose classics feature on the menu. A small anteroom inspired by a confession box leads into a contemporary, geometric room with a triangular layout, a marble counter, corner seating and a staircase up to a loft lounge. The Barules decree hangs above the counter, and Kuan describes the bartender as your priest for the night.

The highlight is the custom cocktail. You choose two to four flavour categories, the strength and mouthfeel you want, a base spirit and a short or long serve, and the bartenders build a drink around them. Past combinations have included white peach, rosemary and ginseng, or oyster leaf, wasabi and oolong. Signatures from the original bar, such as the tequila-based Juarez and Ole Ole with cachaça, tropical fruit and beetroot, are still served, along with twists on Bradsell classics including the Espresso Martini, the Bramble, the Treacle and the Wibble. A small snack menu covers fries, noodles and fried chicken.

The bar suits cocktail enthusiasts, couples and small groups who want a conversation with the bartender rather than a party.

Another custom combination on recent menus paired osmanthus, eucalyptus leaves and litsea with whisky. The original bar was known for its humorous house rules, including the line that the bartender is always right, and for Out to Sea, an award-winning tribute to Dick Bradsell. Kuan's Taipei bar, Reply, was opened with the bartender Luca Cinalli.

Barules opens at 7pm every evening and closes at 1am from Sunday to Thursday and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, according to a Shanghai food guide updated at the end of 2025. Tongren Road is in Jing'an, and a taxi with the street address is the easiest way to arrive.