For the month of February we be bring you a swish champagne brunch with skyline views, a discount dim sum deal, a new couture cafe and cheap and cheerful diner grub. ***

Summer Pavilion

Summer Pavilion in The Portman Ritz Carlton has just started a weekend dim sum discount. Admittedly, the selection is a bit limited; it's just enough items to fit on the left panel of the menu, but they make up for it with lots of little surprises. Lots of standard dim sum staples get subtle tweaks. Think steamed dumplings with bitter melon and roast duck, ha gau (shrimp dumplings) with the addition of asparagus or barbecued pork puffs with chunks of apple. Of course, there are more traditional items too, like vegetable baozi, pan-fried turnip cakes or steamed pork ribs with preserved black beans. If you stick to the left side of the menu -- only the dim sum items are eligible for the discount -- you could easily walk out full for around 100rmb per person. If you've got deeper pockets, the rest of the menu is worth a look, too. There is got sizable selection of starch and veggie dishes like yifu noodles with XO sauce and ginger stir-fried choy sum. Tea service is also a highlight with a comprehensive selection of greens, oolongs and reds from both the Mainland and Taiwan. Most go for around 38rmb person, and, again, they charge full price for this. All told, it's tasty eats with impeccable Ritz Carlton-caliber service. Sat-Sun: 11.30am-2.30pm For a full listing click here

Jade on 36

The second the elevator doors open at Jade on 36 in the Pudong Shangri-La, you're handed a flute of Taittinger champagne that never seems to go dry. Brunch begins with a spread of starters like wine-poached foie gras with homemade buttery brioche, steamed lobster claws, fresh greens, French oysters shucked to order, sauteed sea scallops and even caviar -- not the fish bait the comes in a jar, the real stuff that comes in a tin. Then onto the mains. You're escorted into the kitchen, where Chef Frank-Elie Laloum's team carves up cuts of roasted lamb saddle and veal shank and dishes French classics like chicken fricassee. Dessert is hidden around the restaurant like Easter eggs. You'll find sweets sago with Chantilly cream nestled among all the primo vintages in the wine case while pastry attendants slice up Napoleons and tiramisu in the foyer. There is even a made-to-order crepes Suzette station. Or you can choose from a selection of artisan French cheeses with a port wine chaser. All the while, a harpist plucks Beatles covers. Okay, that part of it is a bit affected, but it's forgivable. At 788rmb+15%, it is one of the priciest brunches in town, but you terrific food, superb service and spectacular city views (usually). Besides, by the time you get to that fifth glass of bubbly, brunch has pretty much paid for itself. Sunday: 11.30am-3pm For a full brunch listing click here

Initial Cafe

Initial is a chain of clothing stores from Hong Kong with a couple of dozen outlets on the Mainland. This is their first cafe in Shanghai, a large space filled with ramshackle ornaments, distressed wood and stripped concrete. Brunch is served daily. There’s not a lot of choice but what’s offered is done well: creamy scrambled eggs served with waffles, beans, crispy bacon and a small salad (98rmb) or “Wall Street” eggs Benedict, which comes with both a slice of smoked salmon and a couple of rashers of bacon (88rmb). Coffee’s extra, and they have a short menu of suitable citric cocktails served throughout the day. It’s worth adding a few extras from the lunch menu: the tuna and avocado tartar (178rmb) is large enough to share and an excellent accompaniment. The desserts are ostentatious mounds of fresh fruit, whipped cream and sweet sauces. Presentation is immaculate, reflecting the fashionable minds behinds the brand, but all of this comes at a premium: deserts hover around 90rmb; an Americano coffee, once they’ve added their mandatory 10% service charge, is 42rmb. Ouch! Nevertheless, great to impress a fashion-conscious date. Daily: All day For a full brunch listing click here

Homies

This new diner on Changle Lu seems to have achieved instant popularity. On our visit, almost every one of the 20 or so mismatched chairs, stools, boxes and even the odd drum was taken up by a largely foreign crowd. Right now they're offering a limited menu of breakfast items, but owners Stacey Lu and pro-skater Jay Meador plan on expanding the menu after soft opening. By far the best deal to be had is the daily meal set: a choice of waffles, pancakes or French toast; bacon or sausage; two eggs; and free-flow tea, coffee or juice for just 39rmb. For 10 kuai more you can switch in a breakfast burrito or flavored waffles. Cheap and cheerful, all of that's served on orange plastic trays with enamel mugs, set to a hip-hop soundtrack. It's not really a place to lounge, and, in all honesty, the food here won't blow you away. Nonetheless it does the job more than adequately, and with a straightforward attitude and price-points to put other Shanghai cafés to shame. Daily: All day For full brunch listing click here