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Closed Door

Open sesame -- Eduardo Vargas and Kelley Lee's new restaurant - By Hien, Nov 05, 08

Closed Door is yet another venture by restaurateur Eduardo Vargas (along with Kelley Lee), the man behind Casa 13, Azul and Bam-bou. And yet again, this one’s in that prime bit of Shanghai real estate: "the heart of the French Concession."

Perhaps Eduardo doesn't like to move around all that much. And judging by the menu, he doesn't appear to fancy straying to far from what's been working in the past either: simple Italian dishes (salads and soups, risotto and pasta dishes), affordable but not "cheap," tasty and fresh, but still hearty.

The key innovation, as I'm sure you've heard by now, is the reservation policy: Closed Door only accepts diners on a by-reservation-only basis. And so if you'd like one of the 30 or so seats quaintly housed therein, you've got to call ahead. It's been a couple months since the opening of the restaurant, but we hear it's a policy that's actually become quite successful with Shanghai diners.

Here's what we liked most: it's in an old lane house with a wonderful terrace and a lovely garden. High walls conceal the restaurant from the street, and the environment is tasteful and romantic -- dimly lit interiors and decor that exudes humility and warmth. Closed Door is ideal for dates and it won't break the bank. It's also in a great location -- wine bars, coffee shops, and cocktail bars are accessible on foot if you'd like to continue the evening after

As for the actual food itself, it was nothing too singular. We welcomed the Azul-type proportions (read: ample), but I though the clams from my Clam Linguine were a bit dry and over-cooked for my tastes. My partner had the Scallop Rissotto, which she rated "not bad but not particularly memorable." It wasn't so bad, however, that we were dissatisfied, and we'll be back again for a re-taste.

The prices make it easy as well (the dishes rarely go over 80rmb). Depending on how much you're up for, you could keep it in the 200rmb-400rmb range when paying for two.

Looking at the brunch menu and given that hey have a nice garden, Brunch on a Sunny day at Close Door could be a nice thing to do as well.

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