The Thirsty Seahorse was started by three partners—including two who have lived in New Zealand for 10 years running bars and cafes—who wanted to offer Shanghai a "dive bar fusion" option, and that's the perfect way to describe this low-key joint. With about a dozen tables in a room dotted with chalkboards boasting daily specials, The Thirsty Seahorse does a popular lunch set and afternoon tea during the daytime, and as evening settles in the Happy Hour gets into gear from 4 to 9 p.m. with a small selection of imported and domestic beers at reasonable prices. Tuesdays are especially popular with a 2-Burgers-2-beers for 100 rmb. Food items include pizzas, pastas and salads, and the clientele is just about half-half expats and Chinese. Evenings they'll have a DJ or live music, particularly on Saturdays. The Thirsty Seahorse doesn't notch in on the trendy see-and-be-seen bar scene, but there's plenty of options in that category, leaving this bar to clean up as a great place for a casual gathering of friends over decent food and drinks. The owners pride themselves on keeping prices affordable for guests.