So firstly I should point out that we went to Downstairs mainly because we had a 50% off voucher for food - you know the one - begins with E' and ends in 'Joy but thank god we did because the bill was getting on for being huge even with 50% off. I hate overly negative reviews, and seeing as this is the first time I've written one on here i'll try to get the positives out there first so I don't sound like i'm a gibbering maniac with a vendetta against the place. So, first positive - the place looks pretty cool. Right now onto the negatives. Service - It wasn't exactly busy to be honest, and initially the service was good, then around the mid starter point no longer were we being asked if we wanted more drinks, at no point were we asked if everything was alright with the food. If they had done i'd have probably said "it was 'alright'" Anyway, next, i'd ordered the Gnocchi for the main - if i remember correctly it was homemade potato gnocchi with pumpkin, some sort of nut and Gouda cheese. The smallest portion i'd ever seen arrived on the biggest plate i'd ever seen (almost), so much so everyone thought it was the starter portion by mistake (it wasn't) also, not being funny here but when you order a meal that lists itself as 'with pumpkin and Gouda' you expect a bit of pumpkin and gouda with the thing. Not Pesto, for me Pesto is the devils arse leakage, hate it, so when the Gnocchi came smothered in Pesto with not a pumpkin or bit of Gouda in sight I thought i'd ask the waiter what was going on. "Gouda is a cheese sir" i was told, really? Is it? Well here was me thinking it was Pesto. "The pumpkin is mixed in with the sauce" .. Again really? So when you say 'with pumpkin' what you actually mean is Pesto? Cut a long story short, i told them of my irrational hatred of pesto and it was duly swapped with the lamb, which was ok, but not great. I could now go on and on and on about the service, about how we had to ask for the table to be cleared after our mains, how we had to ask 3 times for a beer, how the kitchen staff were lying against the fridges on their mobiles (problem with an open kitchen innit Laris?) but I won't - or maybe I just did. In conclusion, this place is a bit rubbish (except for the cool-ish interior). If we'd paid full price I don't think I could have stomached it. There is so much competition in Shanghai for restaurants of this type that i'm surprised this place is still around. It used to be when someone mentioned a Laris restaurant, you automatically had a perception of it being good, a bit pricey but good service, excellent food. But now i'm not so sure.

Oh and if you're wondering about the title? Well when we initially handed in our voucher we were told even though it said 'unlimited' on the front, this actually meant only 500rmb, which is stupid, which we told the waiter, who got the manager who agreed with us thank god. So he kind of did save the night but it's still unlikely any of us will go back.

Finally step into this place I have pass by one hundred times, it feels more minimal and slick outside, but its totally artsy and fun inside. First I order a downstairs sour, make in perfection. Then we had some truffle mac&cheese ,pasta and eggplant side, all flavors are right on spot. My boyfriend adores their desert, whitechoc panna w/rasberry. The interior and the food make the best combination together. Can't wait to go back, and hoping the chef will add more veggie main course options to the menu.

So reading all the reviews before we headed over for our first time, we had mixed feelings. There were 5 stars to 1 star. Good and bad reviews. Well, I will say I am glad we had our Enjoy card and enjoyed 50% off the bill, otherwise I do think I would have been a bit disappointed. For a high class restaurant, I do think they would offer something like complimentary bread or some sort of simple appetizer. It was kind of awkward sitting there with nothing on the table while we were waiting for our drinks and food to arrive. The decor was nice (we sat outside). The staff seemed quite friendly so no complaints on that end. The food was good but definitely smaller portions than we had expected. We would return, but again, only for happy hour specials or for a special offer. Over all, I think our take on Downstairs was like all the previous reviews mixed together!

Went for the restaurant week.
In short the food was just pathetic...without imagination and even...without flavor, from the first dish (scotch eggs) to the desert (some sort of lemon tart supposed to taste mango)! Main dish...nothing to comment coz nothing was there to be commented in the first place!
And the service was pathetic too. Polite in - a way - but really lacking basic skills. Ordered a (2nd) glass of wine to go with my main dish. It never arrived. The waitress said she forgot and she would bring me right away...while we were done eating...so I said no.
We paid in the usual leather envelope (the same you get everywhere including pubs or bifengtang!)...she brought back the change in her hands and just put it directly on the table (before going to take care of another table w/o cleaning her hands). Had almost never seen that anywhere in SH and certainly not in a supposedly high end restaurant...
So overall this was really bad. Probably one of the worst experience in Shanghai.
Restaurant week is supposed to be a promotional event so one can except on the contrary that the restaurant will make some efforts to attract new customers...if they did then I am really worried how the rest of the year looks like...but I will never know because I won't ever come back for sure.

After reading the previous post here for downstairs restaurant, I was actually quite shocked. I think this guy must have been in the wrong place.. He certainly didn't it seems, open his taste-buds to probably some of the tastiest food I have sampled in Shanghai for a while.

When I visited just last week with clients from hong kong, it was a very enjoyable experience. Taking clients for dinner is always a gamble, however here I was certain with their menu we would all find something we liked. The waiting staff sat us down and then recommended a very nice take on a martini cocktail, 3 options - Chocolate and Chilli, Strawberry, and a mint one. They all went down very well, and after that the wine was good and the beer was cold.

The waiters were attentive (it was quiet but i think thats chinese new year for you generally) and the head chef even came out of the kitchen to speak to us, which is always nice.

I had the beef, with an amazing mash and beautiful gravy. The vegetarian in the group went for the gnocchi and then another had the fish. Perfectly cooked in all cases, and so tasty we took our time to savour every mouth full.

Then, even if you don't go for a dinner here, go for desert! wow my mouth is watering as i type. The rhubarb crumble is to die for.

Seriously if your grandma ever made it for you or your mother in the winter months, this will take you back to your childhood. A very traditional desert dish in the uk, so to see it here was a surprise, and if your not from europe it's a good one to taste. You won't be let down. oh and also the tiramisu apparently was delicious too. So all in all a very successful evening. The only thing i would say is I wish I found the excuse to take clients there every week!