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If you want something to grab your attention while you grab a bite to eat then the elegant Finestre might be just the ticket. With spectacular 360-degree views of the Huangpu River and the imposing city skyline, jaws are certain to drop for the views as well as the food (the honey-glazed duck is a real treat). The restaurant is housed in partygoers' haven - Attica - so dancing is another option on the already varied menu. Be sure to take your dancing shoes…
Went last night (Sunday) to celebrate a friend's birthday with a party of 6. The food & service were excellent, and at 400 RMB a head, it was also great value for money. Everyone enjoyed the food and were puzzled as to why we were the only people in the whole place. I will definitely go back again. My steak was amongst the best I have had in Shanghai. They even managed to rustle up a cake and an impromptu rendition of happy birthday for the birthday girl (without any prior notice from us before we arrived). A great place.
Sigh. Yet another Shanghai restuarant to fall from its initial standings as spectacular to standard. The first time we visited Finestre, it was spectacular - great service, excellent food and a good value. On our last visit, while the view remained gorgeous, almost every other aspect of this establishment changed for the worse. The service was the biggest problem - we were informed after ordering that the prices of some of our entrees had been increased from what is listed in the menu, we ended up having to fill our own wine glasses, cocktails and coffee never arrived after our order was placed and still showed up on the bill, and we finally resorted to flagging down the waitstaff to get their attention. The food was not the special-for-shanghai fare I previously experienced and with the exception of dessert was downright disappointing. As I was entertaining guests, I tried to hold off on complaining to the manager but could not help myself after we pointed out the mistake on the bill and they tried to bring the coffee and cocktails (after we had asked for the bill!). I spoke to her, and was offered an apology, but no action to correct my opinion of this restaurant. Sad to say, but I think Finestre has fallen under standard typical Chinese management. I don't think I can bring myself to ever return to what once was the Bund location with the most potential to be great. Finestre management, you have my card.
Had a fantastic dinner there. No idea why the place was empty on a sunny Thursday evening. Finestre is the best choice for a decent-priced dinner on the Bund. We paid 800rmb for 2 person, but we both had the Steak (most expensive dish on the menu at 250 kuai, other mains are around 120-180kuai), a starter (starters are 30-80 kuai) and a nice bottle of red-wine. I recommend to make a reservation for one of the booth, otherwise they sit you in the main room which feels a bit cold. Go on a night with nice weather and finish your bottle of wine on the outdoor terrace, which has a nice view over the Bund and Pudong. Service was excellent and friendly. Worth the money.
Having booked a table for 7.30, we actually arrived very early (before 6.45pm) and yet the Maitre D showed us to our seating in one of the booths (it was pouring with rain and so we could not use the terrace).
The booths were small and yet spacey enough and the amazing thing was that they afforded you great privacy as you could not even hear the booths on either side.
Drinks and wine menu, expansive enough without being too ridiculous and reasonably priced.
Food menu, small enough to read and yet big enough to offer enough variety.
We started with the antipasti and I have to say, every dish was superb. The cheese selection was great, tuna fantastic, Parma ham exquisite, bread selection very fresh and we were delighted. We then took the recommendation of a previous review, to have the steak as it is very rare to have good steak cooked how you want in Shanghai.
Lo and behold, there was a mountain of chips/french fries on the plate (which to be honest, looked like they were the frozen variety and were the only negative thing we encountered all evening) and two perfectly cooked and tasty steaks. I have to say, we like our steak a little more well done than a previous reviewer and yet these were absolutely spot-on how we asked for.
Time for desert but .... to be truthful .... we had both eaten more than our fill and relaxed to enjoy the view of the Rain over the Bund and finish our wine.
All told, a superb evening that saw attentive staff present wholesome food in a relaxed and informal setting that other than the rain, would have had a great view.
Would we visit again - for sure, an overall pleasurable dining experience and including the wine, not a hefty chunk of change - that is value for money.
Ate on the terrace tonight, probably the best terrace on the bund, definately the best view. The food was great and the service, although a bit shy on english skills, still managed to walk us through the menu. I ate with 5 of my friends and was also surprised when we got the bill! very inexpensive for the bund, a great find! When the weather is totally warm I think it would make a great happy hour spot!
wow, talk about overrated! first off, don't go on a weekday. not only is it dead, but service could give a rats *** whether you were there or not. music encompassed 'the cure' , then moved into salsa, then 'hotel california'. hello?? when asking the waiter what certain items on the menu were, he had no idea and had to ask. the food was ok, but nothing inspiring/new.
was a little leery of finestre because of the proximity to attica but went with a friend to check it out. ok, so it's a lot of hype, small space, few people(on a saturday no less) and the waitstaff seemed intent on driving us through the meal despite the fact there was no one in the restaurant. on the plus side, a decent wine list (room for improvement in my opinion), our server was definitely trying, the food was good and the view was worth it. my companion and i had the duck and the scallops, both were not huge but tasted fantastic. the wine was an australia shiraz that was rough but passable and the saffron creme brulee was a nice end. even with a bottle of wine and three courses, it was only about 1200 RMB which was a bargain in my eyes. the cheese plate was well worth it (go for a nice sauvignon blanc with it) and the menu had a nice flow from light to medium (no 300g steaks, sorry gents)
I just came home from Finestra---what a great meal. I was not sure what to expect from what seemed to be a very trendy club type atmosphere BUT I was more than pleasantly surprised. The service was terrific as well. We never had to ask for a thing and yet the servers were not hovering around either. The food was good, the view was terrific and the price was right. Given the opportunity---I would definitely go again.
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