I went here for Valentines Day dinner and was pleasantly surprised by the great setting, service and restaurant.

The table i had booked weeks ago, was indeed what i asked for, a lake-side window table (rarely in Shanghai do you actually get the table you specifically reserve).

The hostesses were lovely and welcoming with both the girls escorting me to my table where my girlfriend was already seated. Indeed, the service got better when 5 mins after i had presented roses to my girlfriend, a waiter came up and offered to look after the flowers while we had dinner so that they had a proper place to stand rather than be dumped on the table/window ledge.....its details like this that count.

While i have had the drinks at Barbarossa before, it was along time ago, and i had forgotten how tasty and strong the cocktails were.

As for the food, i can only judge on their set Valentines Day menu which was a four course affair of canapés, Moroccan bread dip, kebab appetizers, mains and a dessert - which were all nice, particularly the foie gras.
For mains i had the steak, which was ok but not amazing (the only real let down of the meal). I also tried the chicken & couscous that my girlfriend had, which was light & tasty - although rather a huge portion, especially in a 4 course meal.

For dessert we shared a mouse with strawberries and chocolate that was accompanied by 2 champagne cocktails. While the dessert was nice, im not entirely sure about how much champagne was in the champagne cocktails, but by that stage i had passed caring since i was well satiated from this Moroccan dinner and the floor-to-ceiling views of People's park.

The highlights were clearly the cocktails and the view, which were wonderful. The food while good, is not amazing, but it is worth it to eat there for the gorgeous restaurant, service and floor-to-ceiling lake-side windows, especially if you get a corner window table.

If you are looking for a perfect date restaurant and dont mind paying 600RMB or more for 2 people, then i suggest you forget about the awful Bali Laguna in Jing An park, and head for Barbarossa - you can even smoke hookah at your table!

This is for the 2nd floor-- happy hour, specifically.

On a Tuesday night there were still lots of small groups of people just meeting up after work or smoking hookah to unwind, so I don't think an awkward empty atmosphere is anything to worry about here. The decor is dark, themed, with faux-flickering lights (it's funny to catch them dimming and lighting them cause it snaps you back to the reality of produced ambiance).

Mixed drinks for happy hour claim to use premium spirits-- Grey Goose, etc-- which I might believe if I could taste any of it at all. It's a shame though because they offer a fair happy hour (50% off, 68 RMB normally) but all you'll really get it a tall glass of mixed juice. After two drinks I got fed up and switched to beer. They carry a small beer list upstairs, I'd say about 8 or so, but they do have an Australian beer called Pure Blonde that tastes better and is offered at the same price as say, a TsingTao.

I ordered the eggplant mushroom pizza (the only vegetarian item on the happy hour menu by the way) and it was done very well, I was very surprised as my experience with pizzas in Shanghai so far hasn't been great. The pizza could be shared by two slightly hungry person or just one really ravenous one.

Overall, go for the happy hour tapas, stick with the beer, ogle the ambiance, just to say you "did Barbarossa."

Needing a break from the City`s grime a visit to Peoples Park seemed sublime, A winters weekend walk through the plants and tree`s seemed finally to put our minds at ease. Barbarossa beckoned, we longed for a feast with some food, drinks and ambiance from the Middle East. Met at the door without reservation and minimal of fuss shown to a table given a menu and left to discuss.
The first floor was busy with a nice atmosphere of “chill”, it was warm and seductive and for Shanghai very tranquil. Cold Erdinger on draft and a bottle of red wine, food was ordered and life was just fine. Our foursome wanted meat and Lamb was the call, We opted for breads and dips and the famous Moroccan Lamb Meatballs. The bread was crusty and warm and the dips were tasty albeit small but not as addictive as our fantastic lamb meatballs. Served with a mint yogurt dip right on the side, the lamb was well seasoned, juicy in which the flavors did collide.
Pasta Fruit de Mer you can`t really get wrong, but is usually drab, ours was fresh packed with white fish, prawns and crab. Chicken Tajine is a signature dish we were well informed and was a “must”, it came out juicy and the aroma of garlic with cous cous made us all lust.
The Lamb is a staple on any Moroccan list so the “just pink rack” we ordered with rosemary potato`s and the Chef we could have kissed. Two of our number were greedy and wanted something sweet, we asked for a recommendation and the Manager we did meet. Its rare in China to meet a Manager that does care, he obligingly brought out small samples of all the sweets for all of us to share. Although not originally from Morocco the desserts stood out on their own, the cheesecake, the caramel apple crumble and the well named “Toblerone”
The latter was a mix of Hazlenuts,Kahula, Baileys, Almonds and Cream and was basically a “dream on a plate” or a sweet lovers wet-dream.
Full to the brim and not wanting to leave into the cold, we put our plans to go home on ultimate hold. We headed upstairs for a Mojito`s, Wine and Jack & Coke and a nice burnt cherry Hookah for us all to smoke. The bar was heaving, no-one was leaving we stood near the Dj where people wear dancing and weaving. A good night out, the best by far, thanks to all there and “Rock The Casbah”