" Everything But The Food "

Value for money		Suitable for...
The food		.. a date
The service		.. business dinner
The decor		.. with friends

The place itself is impressive: high ceiling, colossal windows, and sophisticated d��cor. The service is impeccable. Only one huge disappointment is the food, and it is not even that bad, just it is not remarkable.

" A 2nd Look "

Value for money		Suitable for...
The food		.. a date
The service		.. business dinner
The decor		.. with friends

Had dinner at Hamilton over the weekend.

I've seen their menu when passing by in the past, and it looked so small that I never thought much about going into the place. On this visit, when ordering, the small menu ended up being a good thing as it was easy to select favorites.

Friends and I ordered a croque monsier (French ham and cheese grilled sandwich), spinach, mashed potatoes, French onion soup, duck confit and dessert. A brief summary of each follows:

Croque Monsier: 40 something rmb and delicious! Filling too. I was really surprised and pleased by the value and quality

Spinach: 30 something rmb, perfectly cooked and flavorful. It added a good balance to the less healthy sandwich.

Mashed Potatos: 30 something rmb, yummy as could be, but a bit too buttery for one of my friends. I love butter myself, so this rated well on my list.

French Onion Soup: 98 rmb. I remember the price because it was so expensive for soup! Friends ordered a couple bowls and generously shared 3 bites with me. This soup was divine! The manager said that they cook this for 10 hours, and the flavors backed him up. This soup is a must try, despite the price.

Duck Confit: 100 something rmb. Perfectly cooked and fully flavored. Though I'm not a duck fan, I would recommend this to friends who are.

Dessert Tart Tatin: 50rmb. Hot, crusty and buttery, it was a French style apple pie. Very tasty actually, if not a bit too sweet. Recommended!

The other dessert we shared was chocolaty, but I can't remember the price or name. Desserts were all around 50.

To sum it all up, I was impressed with my visit, very happy with the reasonable prices, and learned that a small menu isn't necessarily a bad thing. Small menu means that the chefs know how to make each dish exceptionally well and that items are tasty enough that you don't hesitate to try them again on the next visit. The ambiance of the place is exceptional too, including clean bathrooms, a luxury in Shanghai that is much loved by my female dining companions.

" A Welcome Comfort In Shanghai "

Value for money		Suitable for...
The food		.. a date
The service		.. business dinner
The decor		.. with friends

For those of who live in Shanghai understand the challenges we face everyday living in this dynamic city... we're constantly fighting to get a cab, dodging speeding buses, the list goes on... So I write in all honesty that on a recent visit to Hamilton House made me a believer that this is not only a restaurant, but a sanctuary. A true place to escape from the hectic streets of Shanghai. Not only was the food excellent, but the service was also exceptional. My friend and I felt like we could have been dining in Manhattan, but with better people-watching of the Bund foot traffic through their enormous windows . Reading the previous reviews, I wonder if we're talking about the same place? We need restaurants like Hamilton House to set a standard for others to follow and expect nothing less. Oh by the way, try the French onion soup, the heavenly broth and rich cheese converted me at first scoop.