The mastermind behind the three-in-one concept is award-winning Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan, who also founded one of the city’s most famous bars, Speak Low.

Our evening started with pre-drinks at the Sober Cafe, which serves a range of tea and coffee-based cocktails. The oolong high (55 yuan; US$7.76), a mix of vodka and cold brew beauty oolong – which the waiter had recommended during our last visit, was disappointing this time. It’s designed to be consumed before the meal, so it’s meant to be light. But with the flavour of tea barely there, it tasted watery.

We were allowed two choices of dim sum, but neither met our expectations. Despite the addition of umami sauce and honey plum, the shiso shrimp dumplings tasted like normal dumplings, except for a hint of citrus. The crab siu mai is topped off with sea urchin, but the pork overwhelmed the flavour of the seafood.

It’s a little on the salty side, so we mixed it with the ikura fried rice, which is cooked with egg white and salmon, and topped with a sprinkle of seaweed. The drink accompanying the meal was my favourite of the night. Called “buttered” (US$12.70), it was an excellent cup of milk tea – even compared to what we could have at a Hong Kong cha chaan teng, but had a great kick from the buttered rum.

After wrapping up our meals with osmanthus brulée and banana ice cream, we made our way to the Sober Society, which gradually filled up with customers. Here the prices of cocktails crept up to 120-130 yuan. There are signature drinks available, but what caught our eye was a menu of drinks named after the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Rooster (US$17) turned out to be a whisky sour with miso egg and yuzu caramel, a perfect layer of creamy froth resting on top.

After our last sip, we were escorted through a secret panel and entered the hidden bar, aptly named, Tipsy. Here you have the chance of getting a cocktail global champion – the Chivas Masters award-winning Atsushi Suzuki or the Jameson Bartenders’ Ball winner Kazuhisa Arai – to customise a drink according to your taste. Our bartender of the night, however, was Roger, a Japanese who speaks fluent Mandarin.

Already a little light-headed, I asked for something gin based, fruity, not too sweet, nor too strong. Quite amazingly, the resulting cocktail was similar to what I had in mind. Suze, a French liqueur made from gentian root, gave it a slight bitterness, but it was carefully balanced with yuzu and Kyoto dry gin.

And as promised, we left tipsy.

Sober Company, 99-105 Yan Dang Lu, Huangpu, Shanghai, tel: +86 21 5309 8261. US$97 per person with drinks.