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Area: The Sinan Mansions. Again. Expect to hear a lot about this enclave in the coming weeks as the big players in Shanghai’s wining and dining scene all seem to have staked a claim here.

What it is: A gastro-lounge of the molecular persuasion from prolific restaurateur Kelley Lee. She's the brains behind , and . Manning the bar is Ryan Noreiks, a recent import from Brisbane, Australia. His inspiration comes from boredom. Boredom with the classic cocktail paradigm and the pedants who perpetuate it. He has no interest in debating which bartender in which late 19th century gentleman's club invented the Old Fashioned. Rather, Noreiks feels a close kinship with chefs and he gets a lot of his ideas by watching them work. So when Noreiks is behind the bar, it’s hard to tell if he’s cooking you dinner or making you a drink. He macerates, glazes, emulsifies and reduces. He talks about using ingredients like beets and duck fat. He infuses spirits with herbs and, of all things, tobacco in a sous vide bath. He even smokes Bourbon. I don’t know what he was smoking when he came up with that particular idea, but it works; it’s a great combination. He also supplements – and sometimes supplants – traditional mixology with techniques used in molecular gastronomy. For instance, there is the Yangtze River Tea - baijiu, tequila, Captain Morgan and citrus stirred up with liquid nitrogen to a firm sorbet-like texture, and served alongside a demitasse of spiced jasmine tea. Then there is the bitter and brooding Dark Mystic, which is Ketel One mixed with a Czech digestif called Becherovka, reduced Guinness and a dash of chocolate bitters and served with vial full of lapsang souchong tea smoke. Or there is La Flora Fixe – tequila, absinthe, elderflower syrup and lime juice shaken, stirred and blanketed with a sauvignon blanc fog (white wine vapors created by dropping in a chunk of dry ice). Understandably, you might scoff that flash-freezing and garnishing with smoke and fog are nothing more than superfluous gimmicks. But this stuff does more for these drinks than just make them look really cool. It adds extra dimensions of aroma and taste.

To go with the cocktails, Kelley Lee has created a small menu of very unique bar bites. And it looks like she and Noreiks are fighting over who gets to use all that nifty molecular cookware in the kitchen. There are snacks like sous vide egg yolk sandwiches with arugula-raclette pesto and onion microgreens or foie gras confit with jasmine tea-pear compote and bacon jus caviar. She’s picked up an offal habit these days, too, with deep-fried pig brains and crispy sweetbread and oxtail sliders. Don’t be afraid. Try them.

Atmosphere: The place conjures up the feel of an old medicine shop without stumbling into cheesy theme bar territory. Among the spirits, they stock jars of dried roots, fruits and herbs. They drive the motif home with classic Chinese apothecary drawers and a glass case displaying chemistry lab gear like test tubes, pipettes and Erlenmeyer flasks. Judging from the chandeliers of spoons and hand mixers, the upstairs area seems to be designated for dining. As for music, it’s been a mixed bag of everything from classic jazz to downbeat electronica. They’ve got a DJ booth there, too, so I expect more of the latter soon.

Damage: They could probably get away with charging a lot more than they actually do here. Signature cocktails will run you anywhere between 70 to 80rmb. If you insist on being a stick in the mud, you can order a traditional cocktail, too. Spirits on offer range from top-shelf to premium (no well pours) and prices are anywhere between 50 and 200rmb for a generous two-ounce pour. Food is also reasonable with plates costing between 58 and 138rmb and while portions aren’t huge, believe me, the caloric content will sustain you for weeks.

Who's going: Industry types - chefs, bartenders, foodies, cocktail buffs, beer snobs, wine geeks and the like.