Ningbo's bar scene is more developed than most second-tier Chinese cities, fed by a substantial expat population working in the port and manufacturing sectors and a large student population from several universities. The Jiangbei district has the highest concentration of international-style bars and restaurants, with the streets around the Art Museum and along the old concession area having a lively evening atmosphere on weekends. The Drum Tower area has a more locally-oriented bar scene, with several rice wine bars serving Shaoxing wine alongside craft beer and cocktails.
Ningbo has a modest but growing specialty coffee scene, with independent cafes scattered through the old city districts offering a break from the milk tea chains that dominate Chinese commercial streets. The cafes in the Laowaitan restored buildings tend toward the aspirational-historical aesthetic that characterises treaty port renovation projects across China, but they serve good coffee and the colonial building interiors are comfortable.