Cafe Society in Shuwei (水围) Shenzhen, Venue for Lovers of Music

If you think its easy to find a music bar that fits your taste in Shenzhen’s nightlife scene, I would say you are wrong. Cafe Society and the owner Mantis, goes to great lengths to provide a diverse range of singers, artists, and musical styles. So straight up if you’re looking for a place to chill with friends and listen to live tunes, this could be the place for you.   

Location

Shuiwei, Futian is an old beaten path for those of us who love to eat and drink. It is well known and much loved by Hong Konger’s and us Foreigners. Not that it doesn’t attract Shenzhen locals because it does that too. Within a stones throw from the more famous Coco Park, Cafe Society is nestled amongst the revamped maze of village buildings, restaurants and other bars of Shuiwei.  Perhaps the most convenient subway station to take is Fumin (福民), it is about a 10 min walk through the village. There is a more of a convenient drop off point nearby if you are arriving by car, just avoid anything like school closing time because the road gets choked.

If you arrive later in the evening then there should be live music playing so just follow the music and you will end up at Cafe Society. 

Ambience

Several things make up a good ambience, in my opinion. Yes perhaps the decor is a major element, but so is the music and people within. This is true of Cafe Society especially on the busier evenings, where they normally have really good performers. On such nights the place bustles and hums, with patrons having a great time. tunes. In case you are wondering the customers are friendly and welcoming, which is great if you are new in town.

The final element which creates a great atmosphere in a bar is of course are the people who run it. Mantis is the boss and a prominent figure amongst the community, being both a businessman and an artist himself. He easily recognisable by his height, easy smile and welcoming nature. If he is there when you arrive, don’t be afraid to walk up to the bar and say hello,. He’s normally the first person to stretch his hand out, say hello and welcome you to his bar and introduce you to his friends.

The seating is both ample and outside and in, and it gets especially cozy on their lesser visited second floor. So it’s perfect for both groups, couples and the single person who just drops in.

Drinks

It has a few draft beers, IPA and a black beer on draft if I remember correctly. Of course they have bottle beers too, I would recommend the Duvel, Zot or the Savanna. The former are of course Belgium beers, the latter a bottled cider from South Africa. They also do have good range of cocktails and really good prices, but more about that later.

Food

I’d say cafe society has a good range of foods. Their burgers and mini burgers are amongst my own personal favourites, fries are good, I enjoyed mac and cheese there too. They also have this amazing South African sausage which I will definitely get after I am off my diet. For a bar in that area their, selection is pretty large and it is not just for meat eaters either. Mantis is a vegeterian and he makes sure that there are many great alternatives on the menu for those of you with certain dietary requirements.

Service 

The management there is very service orientated, no matter whether they have new staff or old, Mantis prioritises service at his establishment. Drinks, food and cleanliness are all spot on. Everything they can do to enhance the customer’s experience they do, wholeheartedly.   

Prices

Let’s put it this way the prices at Cafe Society are extremely fair. They have a beer or alcohol drink for every wallet. especially the food. Cafe Society tries to cater for all customers when it comes to this. I bought an Asahi beer for a friend, gin and tonic for myself all for 74 RMB. I can name several places where a gin and tonic starts at 80 RMB. 

I think you will find both the food and drinks are extremely reasonable. 

Final thoughts.

I’d say if you are in the area, cafe society is a must-pop-in-bar. Check it out, say hello to Mantis and the Cafe Society staff.  

As with most bars, not all staff speak English (expats you know what I’m taking about). That said they do have enough staff that do speak English, and Mantis is very often around as well, so communication is a non-issue. Especially in this day of phones and menus.

There are many music venues around Shenzhen, but there aren’t many great venues. Cafe society is one of them.  Cafe society, also draws a very nice crowd of people many of which are both new and old, its a great place to meet new people. 

I’d give Cafe society a solid recommendation, both for the food, the drinks, and for fun. I know I say this a lot, but this really is one of my favourite bars in Shenzhen.  So far I only really review bars I like. Make sure to check ahead to see what events they have or who is playing. What ever your doing in Shenzhen city and you’re in Futian check it out.

If your are looking for something similar check out my reviews on Echo PM, Borra and Chera, or Cafe Society, and Baker’s Base, all in Futian. If your looking something different check out the review for Rongli (rockys bar) and then there is also another great spot in Lotiko in Nanshan. Although DABhaus has good cocktails, if your specifically looking for this try Cement, Ben’s bar or RMK.

Also check out my post on rednote