Three Drinks With... is a semi-regular series where we do the noble work of sitting across the bar and drinking – for journalism. Shanghai's cocktail culture is booming, with bars landing on Asia's and the World's 50 Best lists like it's no big deal. But shiny plaques aside, this column isn't just about the drinks – it's about the people who pour them. We pull up a stool with the city's top bartenders – from world-famous watering holes to blink-and-you-miss-it speakeasies – and let them walk us through three of their favorites on the menu. We sip, we chat, we get a little loose. It's a vibe.

Far and away the friendliest and loveliest place in town, Les' Bar is a little, one-room operation on Yuyuan Rd in the heart of Jing'an. "Beloved" is a word that gets thrown around a lot when describing one's favorite local pub, but Les' really is just that – there's no other word for it – and the love comes right back at the customers. The source of this outpouring, Les herself, frequently comes around to hug customers hello and goodbye when she's not yelling, "Who needs another beer!" over some pop-up, impromptu acoustic guitar music.

Seriously, you have to be totally at peace with humanity to let people play acoustic guitar at your place. That's zen master stuff right there.

For a night at Les', expect to hear "cheers" in about five different languages, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" at least three times, and endless amounts of laughter, joy and good times.

We were honored to raise a glass with Les herself – three actually! – to find out more about her story.

CNS: Do you do this a lot? Do you make a lot of custom drinks for people when they come in?

Not really. We're not a cocktail bar, really. Just a neighborhood bar. Here, our regulars, they usually, they're not really into cocktails… lots of wine and lots of beer, though.

We get some Chinese people in, though, and they ask for cocktails. Like, what's your specialty? What should I have?

New Chinese customers will look at the menu for like 10 minutes and be like, Oh, so what do you recommend? I'll just go with that.

CNS: I guess a lot of places in Shanghai are known for a specific drink or menu item, rather than just the general scene of the place.

Yeah, people are always asking, Can I sit here? Like, yes, you can sit anywhere; if the chair is free, just take it!

CNS: I know you put real effort into your drinks. Do you have a favorite cocktail to make?

Definitely Cosmopolitans. I did those for my birthday last week…

What's this then?

This one's off-menu. Actually, we had them for my friend's birthday earlier this month. He grew up loving The Little Mermaid. I'm a big fan of blue curaçao. I love it.

CNS: I'm excited. How did you come up with the recipe?

We just figured something out that night. I don't even remember. Just throwing things together. We were shooting for the right colors. It looks really nice like this, right, with the blue, but when you stir it and combine the ingredients, it turns purple, like Ursula…

…and that's who you turn into if you drink too many of these!

We do a lot of just messing around with different combinations. We also figured out a New Year's Eve drink the other night. It was a mimosa, but it's half lemon and half orange juice.

CNS: What's your own background in making drinks?

Well, I cook a lot. So for me, in my head, I'm looking for ingredients together that make sense. As you can see, I don't use measuring cups. I just came up with the right amount by feeling it out.

CNS: So what's the story behind Les' Place? When did you open?

August 2020.

CNS: I'm always amazed that it's almost a one-woman operation. It must be hectic doing it by yourself.

If I'm here, I'd rather have to do it by myself. And I like it when it is busy. If there's no one here, I'm staring at a wall. Last night, we only had six customers.

CNS: You know, six is good for a Monday these days…

Yeah, even with a small crowd, you can have fun. The three of us were sitting outside the entire night talking, drinking, and playing music. Buying each other shots.

CNS: I've seen this place really busy, though, with people pouring out on the street.

Oh yeah, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve. I'm guessing at least 50 people; we had to pack them in because of the neighbors. But our crowd, they're not too high profile. And like most of our regulars, they know we have our own situation with neighbors.

CNS: You have a real close family of regulars, it feels like. And a real cross-section of people from different nationalities, ages and demographics.

We have a very, very great community here. Everybody knows everybody, and it is super welcoming.

[Les starts pointing at people around the bar.]

He's super new here, but now he's a bit old. And everybody knows him. He only arrived today.

People who have been gone for holidays or trips, they'll be here with their luggage because they just want to be here right away when they get off the plane. It feels good that they missed us so much!

CNS: So you opened in 2020. And it's a coffee shop by day and a bar for unsung heroes by night. Your partner runs the coffee shop, and you have the space at night for the bar. What time does the coffee shop run?

7am till 6pm, and then we come in.

CNS: Does your partner ever get to work, and it's just like chaos?

No, no, no. That's the thing. No matter how busy that night was, I always mopped the floor at least twice. We make sure everything is perfect for the next day.

CNS: That's so much work.

I know. I think summer, I feel like it's a little bit easier for, like, mopping the floor at 3 am. In the winter, sometimes I'm just like mopping, and it's shivering… Why am I doing this?

But I always, always let the place get back to ready for coffee.

CNS: So what's your own story? How did you find yourself here running your own bar?

I was born and raised here in Shanghai.

CNS: What part of Shanghai?

Pudong.

CNS: Never heard of it.

Oh yeah? Jersey?

CNS: Now I know what you're talking about.

So my background was actually in corporate training. So, business skills training, self-skills training, and communication skills training, but in English.

So I was the key account manager for a company for the longest time, from 2007 until 2011, and I took the company over because they had some cash flow issues, and I was the main person – pretty much 80% of the accounts were in my name. The company was going to shut down, but I took it over to fulfill contracts with our clients. I was like, no way. It's my credibility; they chose our company because of me.

So I registered the company right away, and then we continued doing that for the longest time. So I did that from 2007 to 2016.

Around that time, I was going to the gym a lot. I was doing Muay Thai and was really inspired by it. I had a trainer who had his own community, and I had mine, so we partnered on a gym studio.

We pulled the whole thing through in one month. So I opened up my gym studio from 2016 to March 2019. We closed in March 2019. It was good when we opened, but by around 2018 and 2019, it was really rough with the competition in Shanghai. Like, all these new gyms would open up, and they were offering classes for like 9 yuan each.

I'm not going to do that. We have good-quality personal trainers. I'm paying them 250 yuan an hour. I can't afford to charge 10 yuan a class and keep the quality.

So I had to close it. And it was the right time to close it.

CNS: Yeah, in 2019, that's the time to get out…

Meanwhile, I would hang out at CoCheese. A lot.

I would go there twice or three times a week just to hang out with my friends. Until one day, Greg, the CoCheese owner, realizes that every time I'm there, business is better.

He's like, Hey, do you have any interest in part-time work here? One shift per week.

I was working with him because when I closed my gym, I actually owed a lot of debt. But as long as I have a job, it's okay.

After a while, it was time to move on, and I got to talk to the owner of this coffee shop. He was like, Why don't you share the place and give me your offer? Super simple: you don't need to pay rent, and we'll just see what happens.

And it slowly migrated from there.

My friends would message me, What time do you start today? And we just built by word of mouth…

CNS: When you opened this place, did you have a concept or idea for the place?

When I moved here, I didn't really have an idea. My concept was, I cannot take on any more rent, but I need money! So let me move here and see what's there.

Yeah, that's why throughout the years, no matter how many people wanted to invest in me to expand into a place with a lot of capital, I wanted to clear out my debt first.

CNS: Drink! So tell me about the perfect Cosmo. What makes a perfect Cosmo?

Well, first, color-wise. You have to get the color right. It should be pink but never ever red. And then the key is going heavy on the alcohol but covering it up.

CNS: To someone who's never been here before, how would you describe Les' Place?

I would say it's a home away from home.

We have a very loving, warm, and welcoming community. And you won't feel uncomfortable if you're just here alone by yourself.

CNS: It seems like you have a support network with other bars, too.

Yeah, Juanitos, The Pearl…

Juanitos, it was kind of like, when we close up, we still have people; we just bring them over, because they can open later – they can carry on until 4am.

At The Pearl, this summer I've done it maybe three times; we have a group of 20 people, and we go to The Pearl to watch a show. And after that, Grant [owner, The Pearl] will grab their whole bar and come here.

Bars have to stay together. I really do feel like in this small community, we've got to support each other. And that's what I try to do all the time.

CNS: When you're not working here or out and about, what do you like to do?

Hiding on the couch, wine, movies! Sleep!

CNS: Do you have a favorite area of Shanghai?

I like the Xuhui District. It's quiet, with a lot of trees during the summer. Biking around…

People like us, with our jobs, we're facing people all the time, and people talk to us all the time. It's nice to get away from people. Sometimes you need to recharge your energy.

CNS: We talked about your favorite drink to make; what's your least favorite drink to make?

Here, when it's busy, I think every bartender has the same answer: The Mojito.

CNS: Yeah, everyone says that.

But I don't judge anybody. I don't judge. Mojito. I don't judge, you know.

CNS: You know, in the States, the common answer is Long Island Iced Tea. Because of the chaos that usually ensues when people drink them. But you've got an even stronger variation on the menu: the Wrong Island Iced Tea.

Yeah, it's just way more alcohol. Do you remember when I made you one behind the bar at Specters? You said you could feel your soul. I've gotten a lot of strange compliments about that drink.

CNS: So, in your opinion, what makes a good bartender?

Personality. Responsibility and personality.

CNS: For everybody that I've interviewed for this column, actual drink-making ability is pretty far down the list.

Yeah, yeah… Well, I don't consider myself a bartender. Not just a bartender. I do everything. I do the cleaning; I do the bartending. I do the therapy, you know. You can help people with their problems.

I'm more of a therapist! I take care of people, and I don't know what to talk about…

CNS: What are your plans for the future? Do you think you want to make a bigger Les' Bar? Or just stay here? Are you happy here?

I really enjoy making food. I make food and bring it here to share sometimes. So maybe someday…

But I'm happy here for now.

If you wanna go meet Les..

Les' Bar

Opening hours: They open every day at 6pm. Before 6pm... it's a coffee shop, and Les won't be there!

Tel: 132-4836-0842

Address: 6 Yuyuan Rd E., near Tongren Rd