Our may selections are in. We've got stylish Italian, hearty Kiwi eats, opulent French and literary dining on Rockbund. ***

10 Corso Como

The restaurant at Italian concept store 10 Corso Como just rolled out a new weekend brunch menu. For 398rmb, each person gets five starters, an entree, a dessert and a beverage (coffee, tea or juice). The small, single portion starter plates are the same for everybody. First comes a platter with yogurt, fresh fruit, pastries and jams. After that, smoked salmon and toasted bread slices. Next in the procession is a bowl of mixed green salad, then scrambled eggs with tomato, and finally, cold cuts paired with Italy's version of grilled cheese sandwiches, tostino. It all looks and tastes like it was freshly, meticulously prepared. The selection of mains in the brunch menu, though, is an odd scatter of sides and actual entrees. They've got seafood spaghetti, mushroom risotto, creamed codfish and veal tenderloin on offer. Vegetable soup, as well as grilled vegetables, are choices we chose to ignore. The mains we tried—seafood spaghetti and veal tenderloin—were like textbook versions out of a home ec class. They looked great and tasted just okay. Service and setting are standouts, though. The staff here get the tricky balance of attentiveness just right, and the all-glass walls overlooking central Jing'an, high ceilings and 10 Corso Como branded decor make for a really classy spot. There's also an option to be extra classy with some daytime boozing: for 468rmb per person, the meal includes free-flow Prosecco. Sat & Sun: 11:30am-3:30pm For a full brunch listing, click here

Little Huia

Little Huia and its excellent all-day breakfast menu have been hanging around on Dagu Lu for years, but even rubbing shoulders with Cafe des Stagiaires #3 and simultaneous foot massage and food buffet haven Taipan hasn't yielded much attention from the city's foreign crowd. Perhaps the restaurant's tagline "A taste of New Zealand" isn't quite as evocative as say, a taste of French bistro #23452245. In any case, the place has some of the best classic breakfast dishes we've tried in town. They've got all of the Western breakfast staples like omelettes (48rmb), pancakes (50rmb), eggs benedict (50rmb), french toast (58rmb) and homemade yogurt topped with fresh fruit and granola (50rmb). That taste of New Zealand comes from ingredients and local favorites from the country, like Manuka honey, lamb sausages and EasiYo yogurt. Like we said, the food is great. Nothing's being reinvented or re-imagined here, but the execution is spot on. The hash browns have a pronounced crunch, the french toast is pillowy in all the right parts, all that good stuff. The portions are big enough for one person with a large appetite, though sides like baked beans, roasted tomatoes and free range eggs can be added from 10-20rmb each. The coffee (20rmb) and fruit and yogurt smoothies (35rmb) are solid, too. The space itself is a relaxed cafe-style spot, mostly popular with young families and couples. Its two floors were mostly occupied during our visit, though it's not so full that reservations seem absolutely necessary. Daily: 8:30am-5pm For a full brunch listing, click here

Light & Salt

This eclectic restaurant from the folks behind Bouquet Book Bar and Cafe has become quite a popular haunt on the Rockbund. And they've just unveiled a new Sunday brunch offering. It starts with a semi-buffet. You can make unlimited visits to that, noshing on assorted salads, fresh shellfish, charcuterie, imported cheeses and the like. After that you can choose a main from an a la carte menu. Chef Rafael Qing does some brunch staples, like brioche toast with scrambled eggs, arugula and mustard dressing or an omelet with Shanghai-style sausage and avocado. He's also doing his signature miso cod with a purple potato puree, mushroom salsa and pomegranate sauce with served with a paintbrush. That's all for 299rmb. Add 50rmb and you can get a couple of fancier options, like eggs Benedict with vanilla champagne hollandaise, half a lobster and asparagus tips or Wagyu tenderloin with truffle scrambled eggs, sausage and mushrooms. Once you're done it's back to the buffet for desserts. For drinks, they're doing Delamotte Blanc de Blancs at 85rmb, or they'll break out the Bolli at 119rmb per glass. Sun: 12–2.30pm For a full brunch listing click here.

Villandry

Villandry feels like a miniature version of Versaille. You have walk through a colonnade just to get to the dining room, and it's lavishly appointed with velvet curtains, flocked wallpaper, button velour banquettes, coffered ceilings, the works. It looks like they're trying to emulate Versaille with their prices, too. Mains start at 328 for a bacon cod and salmon roll with red wine sauce and go all the way up to surf and turf — that's a small beef tenderloin with half a lobster. Somewhere in between they've got roast chicken with tarragon and herbs for 458rmb. Sounds a bit steep, right? Fortunately, these prices get you more than just a main. Your mains come with a choice of eggs, e.g. scrambled, Benedict, Provence style. You also get an assortment of baked breads and viennoiserie, a choice of salad and then a choice of dessert, like caramel passion fruit banana cake with raspberry and banana sorbet. If none of that fills you up, they'll also offer you oatmeal. No free-flow booze, but they will keep bringing you coffee. It's a lot of food, and you'll leave full. Quality-wise, though, it's pretty average. And we're still not sure that it justifies the steep prices. Sat&Sun: 11.30am–maybe 1.30pm (that's literally what the person on who answered the phone said) For a full brunch listing click here.