Kiitos
1/F, 127 Yongfu Lu,
Xuhui
near Fuxing Xi Lu
永福路127号1楼
近复兴西路
6431-3787
Open 7pm-2am
Price Y100-Y199 per couple
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- City Weekend says
This tiny, dimly lit Shanghai secret is perfect for impressing a date, hiding away from the world or pretending you're a Tokyo mobster. A long bar expertly mixes impressive cocktails from a thick menu while you prop yourself up on a stool or sink into one of the comfy sofas in the back.
- Contributor Description
This new cocktail bar isn't looking to be the new Saturday night spot, but a cozy location offering Shanghai's growing number of cocktail connoisseurs excatly what they're looking for. Maiko, the bar owner who used to run the bar at Le Garcon Chinoise, knows what she's doing and ensuring all details from the stocked bar to the drink ingredients in order making for a delicious cocktail experience.
Contributed by jessy1533
4 years, 1 month ago
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I've been to Kiitos on several occasions with a friend who adores it; unlike him I've yet to see the charm.
Last night (April 22), a group of four of us arrived around 10pm and were unable to sit. This didn't bother us as we found a space to lean. We ordered a whisky sour, a gin buck, and a gin & tonic.
The whisky sour arrived in a small, fluted glass. I know this is the proper glass, but if you're serving something so small, at least try to make it deadly. Instead it had an insipid, almost medicinal taste. We sent it back get some more alcohol. Even with the extra booze, it was dreadful.
The Gin Buck was just as bad. Supposedly it had homemade ginger ale in it, if so it must have been the end of the batch. It was similarly lacking in alcohol and so was sent back with a request for a bit more gin.
The Gin & Tonic was ok, but nothing special.
The other issue is the long wait between drinks. Kiitos is pretty constantly busy, so surely they could hire a second mixologist? It's not fun to stand around holding your glass while waiting for the drinks of your friends.
I know it's cheaper than Constellation, but at least there you know you will get quality and in a reasonable time.
Aside from the mediocre drinks and slow service, the bar is a nice enough spot to hang out in. That's what gets it the star.
My suggestion - if you find yourself on the Fuxing Xi Lu, Yongfu Lu intersection, take yourself up to Bounty.
to zammo: The decoration looks a little gay where I've been. This is a nice venue located in french concession, I think I'll drop by someday ;)
to danielliuinshanghai,
No, it's not a gay bar. Though I'm sure they welcome everyone.
It's a very nice spot for a cocktail no matter what one's orientation
is this a gay bar?
I nice cheaper (55 RMB vs. ~70) alternative to Constellations. Atmosphere is more like Constellations 1 than 2. They seem to make their own infused vodkas and have some very creative martinis. They carry a nice selection including Lillet Blanc to make a Vesper.
Check out what CW has to say about Kiitos and other classy Shanghai venues in "Developed Taste: Bars for discerning thirty-somethings"
Maybe it tasted wonderful AND had loads of boubon in it- but was so well mixed that you couldn't tell.
I'm not dissing Constellation- I decided to order off-menu in there and just asked for me something spicy, "like the autumn berries of my youth, but tinged with melancholy" and they gave me something really delicious.
When I was in Mokkos it was full of fashionable lesbians plotting on how they were hunt down and kill some queen or other.
(Aric secretly rejoices in not making fun of what he thought was also a champagne flute)
Yes, the Japanese do take a while to make a drink, but how come even in Constellations, there's always quick service...even on a Friday night...after, ahem, someone did a write-up about them resulting in a packed black-lit house?
Said 110kuai cocktail was a double (as opposed to 80rmb at Constellations), tasted wonderful, but had no bourbon in it. I would think even for around 50-60 a pop, you should get that kick you get when you get an old-fashioned at...oh, I don't know...Constellations?
Nice place, I'll give it that - full of...well, we already covered that, but I'm quite sure there were at least 4 guys there quoting 'Swingers'.
I'll give it one star.
Isn't Mokko's 'sake' only?
Include [HTML_REMOVED]Mokkos[HTML_REMOVED] and you're on
Doh! I'll give it another try. But only if we try Constellations and Kiitos for a taste, ambiance, price and smoke density test one evening.
Ooops- my knock-out punch link didn't show up.
http://www.drinknation.com/glasses/Sour-glass
What secret? The place is almost diagonally opposite to Shelter- not exactly tucked away in a corner like, oh I dunno, Constellation.
Yeah it takes a while to get the drinks but that's the Japanese for you, it takes them an hour and a half to commit suicide.
Besides, if you didn't want to pay 110RMB for a drink, why'd you order that one? I had a "weekend" made from Calvados and umm magical delicious fairy dust, 45RMB and plenty strong. My date had a Martini for the same price, and I'd tried a bunch of spirits there which are 40-45 per shot- pretty standard.
Anyway your opinion is moot because you don't know what a (whiskey) [HTML_REMOVED]sour glass[HTML_REMOVED] looks like.
Bam!
I'm trying to find out what it is - from the look of the crowd there everyone wished they were in Glendale...and from the wait for the amazingly overpriced drinks, they were booked for the red eye. What is it, seriously? Indie cred to head to work the next day with a hangover that cost the price of the real thing back in L.A.? An absolute waste of both time and money - I agree with the above, take your money to a real cocktail bar and f*ck the ability to say you were at a 'secret'.
@ispyshanghai Alright, hold on. What is so great about Kiitos? My eyes still sting from the smoke on a Wednesday night from that place. Sure, it's dark, slightly quiet and nearby JZ, but uh, they pour a whiskey sour in a champagne flute, 2/3rds of which are soda water. But rather than give up there, we took the advice of a regular and ordered a double "James" (Jim Beam, cranberry and peach juice)... for 110 RMB each. That's $16.02 for one drink. I could have bought an entire bottle of Jim Beam at City Super during that 20 minute wait. If it weren't for this oh-so-sweet-and-tart whiskey sour for a fair 50 RMB each at Constellations and Kate's "Mango Drink" there, I'd be angry.
Kiitos is like a library for Cocktails with a leather bound menu packed with hundreds of drinks to make your tongue and liver water.
There's not much overlap from the 100 shots list at the Blue Frog though, or the random nonsense at People 7 (a single plum floating in perfume served in a man's hat anyone?). These are mostly classic cocktails from across the years made from a big range of quality booze, served in the correct, chilled glass, with a Japanese eye for detail.
Not a loud night out, or even a late one, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better cocktail in town.
Issue 13, Shaken and Stirred: The Mango Drink, Kiitos
"We were originally going to do this feature on Kiitos' absolutely delicious Chocolate Cake Martini—it's phenomenal with the perfect balance of Vanilla Vodka, Frangelico and Cacao Liqueur. That said, it did get displaced after a friend recommend we order "the mango drink" the last time we were at Kiitos. Not on the menu, and apparently not even named after three years of existence, Kiitos owner Maiko say this drink is still incredibly popular–no wonder since it's absolutely delicious. This mix of Absolut Lemon vodka, fresh mango purée, fresh orange juice and tonic water, is the perfect mix of all things fresh and alcoholic. Maiko explains that she came up with this nameless drink because she likes to make cocktails with fresh fruit and this one just seemed to develop a following. She's open to finally christening this mix, so once you try and feel inspired, feel free to offer up your suggestions."
Last night I decided to give Kiitos another chance as it is the closest bar to my house. I am happy to report that this experience was far superior - the drinks, the atmosphere, the service - all of it good quality. I guess the lesson is: if there's a crowd go somewhere else. If not, sit down and settle in for a night of quality drinking. I'm glad I went again.