Sorry, folks. We expected the worst from 1921 Gucci. Months of anticipation. Predications of China's New Rich barking on cell phones bigger than tombstones; factory bosses making it rain 100rmb notes on staff and laughing in their peasant faces; maître d's telling us "You think you can get a table here? Sorry, all we have today is Fuck Your Life." But sadly, all the maître d said was, "well, we do have a smart casual dress code…and what you're wearing is casual, but not smart [photographer was wearing camouflage cargo shorts]. But someone just canceled their reservation, and we have a table for two." Oh? Shanghai's new 1921 Gucci is a world first. The luxury brand operates two cafés -- one in Florence and another in Tokyo -- but this is their first proper restaurant. To answer the obvious questions, they do Italian food. It is quite good, though portions are small. There is minimal Gucci branding. You can walk out of here for less than 200rmb per person -- for lunch anyway. And they do one of the nicest tiramisus in town. The elevator from the Gucci store on the ground floor of the IAPM mall does not goes directly to the restaurant now, but may in the future. And the jazz on the sound system ain't bad. The place feels like a five-star hotel café, with customers matching the part and generally on their phone [unobtrusively] for half the meal. Out came the free bread and olive oil, along with water and plenty of refills. Thankfully, they don't do that whole "would you like still or sparkling?" shtick, where both cost 90rmb. Our Italian waiter, the manager, used to work at the old Mao Club. Fast and polite with just the right amount of pretension, that guy, as were the other staff. Does the food even matter? Not really. They could serve digestive biscuits and still show up in like 10 million WeChat feeds in the first week alone, which is probably one of the main goals of this endeavor. But fuck it, let's talk about Gucci Food. Lunch sets (128-148rmb) come with an appetizer and a main, like pan-seared chicken, sea bass, or beef tenderloin. For an extra 38rmb you can add a dessert. They also do share plates, like some rich chicken & foie gras meatballs with wild mushrooms & port sauce (132rmb). So good, those. Better than the sea bass, which looked nice but lacked much flavor. But that Tiramisu…god damn. Would come back just for this. Theirs is creamy -- almost like pudding, which may divide some. Now, dinner time is a different story. You're looking at 188-528rmb for mains, risottos and pastas from 148-198rmb, cheese plates for 148-228rmb, three kinds of signature Negronis (98-108rmb), and several Italian cocktails like the "Very refreshing!" Aperol Spritz. Nice yet subtle is the vibe here. A huge terrace overlooks Xiangyang Park, but currently that is only a place to smoke, not dine. That will come soon, as will brunch. Why does Gucci even need a restaurant? Is it so the rest of us can get a little piece of The Glamorous Life when we can't afford the real thing, like buying a BMW baseball cap or a Gucci keychain? Or perhaps it's an attempt at brand diversification in the face of declining sales. Whatever their reason, they pulled it off, in a surprisingly tame manner. So much for wanton depravity... Maybe somewhere in Tier-88 China, there is a wild, fake Gucci restaurant in development. Or perhaps a Hermés flower market. Or a Chanel hot springs. But Shanghai has grown up; at least downtown, anyway. For whatever reason -- austerity measures, changing tastes, the "luxury slowdown" -- China's New Rich have become more subtle. 1921 Gucci is a reflection of that. The place feels more Beverly Hills café or Peninsula Hotel than say, the nicest KTV in Anhui or Henan. I'm sure if you took your lover's mom here after a pedicure date, she would throw in her blessings for the marriage. Hell, even Prim Western Mom would dig it. But if you needed to impress a coal mining boss, well, he really might stick out here. Note: 1921 Gucci claims to be booked until early September, for dinner anyway. Getting in there for lunch seems more realistic, but perhaps it's easier to stop in around say, 1pm and see if they've got a free table. Should be easy to get a drink at the bar after 8pm, and they may let you order some small plates.