Everyone knows that secrets are hot commodities, and best served in good company.
Shanghai MKE, Milwaukee’s East Side alleyway speakeasy, recently got a little bit bigger, meaning you can now share the joy of escapism with more confidantes. The expansion, announced in January, favors more intimate tableside chatter and barside mixology. It’s easier than ever to throw private parties, have larger group gatherings, and even book a buyout.
Voted by USA Today readers as the number one speakeasy in the United States in 2025, Shanghai has certainly made its mark on a national scale. But before being transformed by owners New Land Enterprises in 2019, it was merely a restaurant storage closet. Turned into a desirable and lively space, it went on to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, pivoting into a table-format speakeasy fit for dates, girls’ nights, and more.
Shanghai sounds like the rattle of ice cold shakers and roughly six concurrent dates, looks like flickering candles in dim light, and tastes like artisanal cocktails. Thanks to its expansion, you can now make reservations for up to eight people instead of four, sit in a back room with red velvet curtains and cozy candles, or even sit barside to watch bartenders shake like there’s no tomorrow. The capacity is now 45.
“It has maintained that quiet and subdued atmosphere, but we have seats at the bar now, which we never had before,” says Jodi Hogerton, Marketing Director at New Land Enterprises. “They’re doing artistry back there, so it’s very fun to be able to watch. It has a lively bar setting, but is on par with the post-COVID reincarnation of Shanghai.”
My sister and I visited Shanghai in early March. The experience begins before you even enter the bar. Shanghai lies within the miniature labyrinth of Black Cat Alley, home to colorful murals and famous koi fish painted by Jeremy Novy. First, you must navigate a top-notch security system to find the discreet entrance.
Once you breach the entryway, the speakeasy strikes you with a long, low-lit hallway. It’s dressed with tables and old Hollywood movie posters with “Shanghai” in the titles. The bar is lit up like a stage. A cool touch is its light fixtures, which resemble vintage film rolls. It shares a neighborly wall with the Oriental Theatre, which opened July 2, 1927. One can only imagine the history the little hideaway has endured.
“Shanghai was like a fantastical idea of an escape in Hollywood at that time. It wasn’t a real depiction, it was more of Hollywood’s idea of Shanghai,” Hogerton says. “The original designers took that idea and kind of envisioned the space almost as a little backstage or prop room.” She says that the current vision of Shanghai is to be an “escape.”
Each cocktail is imaginative, and an entire experience in itself. The menu currently includes roughly 15 cocktails, N/A options, and an array of absinthe in tandem with speakeasy history. The menu is inspired by global markets, and was brought into fruition by lead bartender Quinn.
Some highlights of our tastings included the “Apricot Red Handed,” which delivers apricot, ginger, dark rum, egg whites, and cranberry. The “Bastille Market” packs a punch of passion fruit, vodka, hazelnut, lemon, and vanilla, all tied together with a beautiful flower on top.
My personal favorite, the “Compadre Mendoza,” is a cold brew lovers dream. An ancho chile, spiced coffee mole is chilled and delivered with chocolate covered cocoa beans. On a different note, the warmed “Adam and Eve” is an apple cider forward cocktail with scotch, fig, and Shanky’s whip.
“It’s like apple cider wrapped in a sandwich, hit with earthiness, scotch, and a figgy twist,” said Cece, my sister.
Of course, we rounded out our beverages with a helping of Oriental Theatre popcorn. Our entertainment was watching the cocktails being curated by careful and steadfast bartenders, our own humor, and the fun of getting to take photos in one of Milwaukee’s most eclectic nighttime spots. We sat in Shanghai’s back room, a more private and moody setting, to chit chat, watch the bar in full swing, and look all the way into the space.
Shanghai delivers its strong, flavor-bending cocktails Wednesday through Saturday each week. An upcoming event on March 25, “The Green Hour, An Absinthe Class And Tasting Experience,” is also on the table. Stay tuned for news involving local partnerships, says Hogerton.
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