It's back! Originally opened in 2010 on Yongfu Lu, Apartment is inspired by New York style loft spaces. It's still a multi-hyphenate restaurant-loung-bar-party-space thing, now located on the second floor overlooking Huaihai Lu. Homey atmosphere during the day, more... Read more
Well-designed, casual French bar and lounge with a great rooftop that has one of the best views in town. The guy who started this used to be with Dr. Wine, then broke off to start his own spot. The place is warm, with wooden floors, exposed bricks, and long, communal... Read more
Hidden on the roof of Captain's Hostel, The Captain sportingly provides a cheaper alternative to some of its neighboring bars along The Bund. Comes with a roof terrace and a very nifty view. Nautical-themed decor and a drinks menu averaging in the 70rmb range. Food... Read more
It's back! The rebirthed version of the casual, colorful and quirky Spanish tapas bar by Willy Trullas Moreno. Offerings remain familiar; mostly Spanish classics, like pork and chicken croquetas, patatas bravas, tortillas and albondigas, with Willy's personal touch... Read more
Colca is serial restaurateur Eduardo Vargas trying the business strategy of "honesty" with this latest restaurant. He's cooking the food of his heritage: Peruvian. It's a nice place. Seating about 150 or so, a central patio area is housed by a cocktail bar on the one... Read more
Bull & Claw is back in that expansive, three-story mansion on Fenyang Lu used to be El Patio. It's a real nice location. Top-of-line terrace. It's cozy but not cramped, and whoever redid the interior... Read more
The new Cages is absolutely massive. More than just batting cages, they also have squash courts, a full field for five-a-side soccer and dodgeball, an area for professional darts, a private space for events, more TV screens than a Best Buy, and just everything else... Read more
Maya is a popular, upscale Mexican restaurant whose slightly odd location on the second-floor of an apartment clubhouse is a reminder that good food trumps weird locations. The cooking is contemporary Mexican, with a few concessions like tacos and quesadillas, but if... Read more
Once known as the seedy, underground bar maze Da Tong Mill, this development just off Julu Lu has sprung back to life with a boatload of venues; restaurants, bars, lounges, live music venues, a pretty decent pizza place, a little performance theatre in a bar, the... Read more
As the name suggests, this is a larger version of Poppolo Group's little "Alimentari" shops, named after the mom-and-pop food stores peppered throughout Italy, selling fresh foods and imported pantry goods. In 2020, this one replaced Italian restaurant Gemma, and now... Read more
A simple Italian restaurant driven by a wood-fired oven hiding out in the kitchen. The short menu is mostly antipasti, pizza and pasta, with a couple salads on flat bread, and is not fancy but decent stuff. The real highlight is the environment: a bombed-out... Read more
Taco venture from Saira and Thijs of BYFO, Adrian of Joe'ss Pizza and Logan of Logan's Punch. offering double-shell tacos (hard shell inside, soft shell outside) in meat/vegetarian/vegan options. The menu consist of the classics like shrimp, chicken and steak asado,... Read more
Wanghong crepe and galette place by day, wine purveyor by night, RAC has seen constant lines since it opened. Their courtyard is secluded from the main road, and it's great in the evenings for casual gatherings or outdoorsy dates. They are insanely popular,... Read more
Area 501 is possibly the city's only place to get Caribbean food, specialty rum drinks and genuine, vibrant, island-vibe conviviality. Dishes are made with a blend of tropical tastes and multicultural influences; aromatic, sweet and tart, piquant and mild citrus... Read more
This historic theater up in Hongkou was once a temple, then it was Chinatown, now it's a bubbling club/lounge/bar regularly hosting cabaret theater shows. It's a really beautiful old space with a gallery and theater boxes, with a real feeling of history in the wood,... Read more
Highline is a contemporary American and cocktails from a trio of F&B veterans. The plan: All-day and late night California classics cuisine. The look: mid-century Miami-fornia minimalist chic sunken living room batch pad. The price points: Cocktails from 68rmb to... Read more
The third location of the popular brewpub brand. They've staked out two stories of Wheelock Square right across from Jing'an Temple, and built a gastropub for the chic pub-goers downtown. Infinity mirrors in the bathroom? Bold and instagram-worthy. Foil-coated... Read more
This multi-concept restaurant by French celeb chef Nicolas le Bec occupies a century-old villa on tree-lined Xinhua Lu. As of now its first phase, Bistro 321 le Bec is the only portion that is open for business. Offerings are expertly done French classics with Asian... Read more
The second restaurant in town to bear the Jason Atherton brand on its masthead. The Commune Social is a contemporary tapas, dessert and cocktail bar. The cuisine seems largely informed by former Gordon Ramsay Lieutenant Jason Atherton's frequent flier miles log.... Read more
Cotton's chilled-out villa atmosphere is also the place to go if you're not used to Chinese food and don't plan on becoming acclimated. They've done a good job of creating a pretty spot where foreigners can feel like they are in any city. The old outdoor dining area... Read more
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SmartShanghai.com is an independent media publication dedicated to honesty and editorial transparency. We are for Shanghai residents, written by a team of long-term, opinionated and knowledgeable writers and editors. We never give an opinion or recommendation that we wouldn’t also share with our own friends and family.
SMARTSHANGHAI
