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2021-07-15 16:00:00

Patio Porn 2021: The Classics

Time-honored venues with a view...

  • Kitchen Table (W Hotel)

    Kitchen Table (W Hotel)

    The anchor venue of the W Hotel, this is the restaurant everyone’s at when they’re taking those Bund-view photos in front of that big silver W that are all over your WeChat moments. They’re going for modern style “New York City bistro” in decor and “international” in cuisine. The Kitchen Table’s caters toward a younger crowd, into the venue mixing and matching courses for weekday lunch and dinner, and making the trip down in particular for their retox-style, ‘man-I’m-so-hungover’ destination brunches.

    The Kitchen Table

    4/F, W Shanghai - The Bund, 66...
    provided by W Hotel
  • Calypso

    Calypso

    This is a big stand-alone building between the Jing'an Kerry Center towers (no, not the Mao house), designed by famed Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. It does Mediterranean food but the real draw here is the RETRACTABLE ROOF that opens up when the weather is right, turning the second floor lounge into an al fresco space.

    Calypso Restaurant & Lounge

    Jing An Shangri-la, 1218 Yan'an...
    Brandon McGhee
  • Thai Gallery

    Thai Gallery

    Just for something different. This one’s in Jing’an Park and it overlooks a pond. Serenity! The food is quite decent for such a long-running restaurant and it’s a nice, unique environment in the heart of this busy shopping district / tourist destination. Fills up in peak hours, especially during the summer. Call ahead for reservations.

    Thai Gallery (Jing'an Park)

    1649 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu...
    Brandon McGhee
  • The Fellas

    The Fellas

    We’re not sure if we like the recent glass-overhang additions to this popular Yan’an Lu-located Italian restaurant and bar — surely there is a better way to protect guests from the rain? But they have good food and drinks, and throw a good party, so there’s that. If you want a Bund view and are not looking for something as involved as Bar Rouge, here’s The Fellas.

    Goodfellas

    7 Yan'an Dong Lu, near Zhongshan...
    Brandon McGhee
  • Tomatito

    Tomatito

    Hey, it’s the casual, colorful, and quirky Spanish tapas bar by Willy Trullas Moreno. Offerings are mostly Spanish classics, like pork and chicken croquetas, patatas bravas, tortillas and albondigas, plus more Latin American dishes like Peruvian ceviches and tiraditos. This latest version is in a mall with a big terrace overlooking Xintiandi Park.

    Tomatito

    3/F, W08-10, 168 Hubin Lu, near...
    Angela Leung
  • Cafe Grey Patio
  • Yongfoo Elite

    Yongfoo Elite

    The essence of Shanghai is Yongfoo Elite. Within the diplomatic district of Shanghai, the Yongfoo Elite clubhouse has served as a consulate for the UK, Russia, and Vietnam over the course of the tumultuous 20th century, and is now an elegant manor restaurant that serves Michelin-approved Shanghainese cuisine to famous writers and artists. The garden seating is unreal. A fish-filled pond sweeps around the classic western villa and lush, overhanging trees create the illusion that you’re living in a modernist painting. It’s perfectly acceptable to skip the elaborate dinner and head straight to the speakeasy-style cocktail bar "Keep It Quiet" at the back of the garden. This is where people who know what they’re doing go to drink.

    Yongfoo Elite

    200 Yongfu Lu, near Hunan Lu
    Angela Leung
  • Cuivre

    Cuivre

    People keep returning to this long-running Huaihai Lu restaurant for the food, of course, which is country-style southern French in orientation. Leave it to the French, also, to offer one of the best burgers in town too. Just ‘cause. Don’t forget, Cuivre also has a respectable stretch of outdoor seating as well, if you’re looking for another reason to go.

    Cuivre

    1502 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Wulumuqi...
    Angela Leung
  • Mercado 505
  • Palantino

    Palantino

    This one’s a secret-ish one that we’re gifting to you here. Good things should be shared. Set up by the people behind Bella Mia, Palatino offers Roman-style cuisine, authentic pizzas and a really, nice little spot with some outside seating. It's on a stretch of Changle Lu that can feel busy with the huge construction site, but Palatino's set back form the street enough so that you feel like you’re both “in it” and “away from it”.

    Palatino

    No 7, 434 Changle Lu, near Maoming Lu
    Angela Leung
  • Chartres

    Chartres

    A classic French-style cafe that dates back to the Tang Dynasty, Chartres is where you stopped for a quick latte with friends after buying knock-off Armani and Hugo Boss button up shirts at the Xiangyang Lu fake market in 2008. The continental cuisine is actually pretty decent, and for many Shanghai ren, this is as close to the authentic Parisian cafe experience as you can get without getting on a plane.

    Chartres (Xuhui)

    855 Huashan Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu
    Angela Leung
  • Ginger

    Ginger

    The place smells like ginger as soon as you walk in the door; it’s something we always appreciate whenever coming back. The people behind Ginger have had at least six other concepts in Shanghai over the years, but this one always remains. Food is a mix of Mediterranean, Malaysian, and European. A canopy of trees hangs over the second floor patio in this beautiful, slightly off-the-beaten-track old house.

    Ginger

    91 Xingguo Lu, near Hunan Lu
    Angela Leung
  • Commune Social

    Commune Social

    A Shanghai mainstay for their reliable contemporary tapas — flavors of England and Spain, filtered through Asian perspectives — dessert and cocktail bar. Upstairs is a craft cocktail lounge with a vast terrace. Decor is dressed down and simple with naked light bulbs, exposed concrete, and plain white tiles. Calling ahead recommended, but no reservations for their popular brunch on Saturday and Sunday. It's first come, first served.

    The Commune Social

    511 Jiangning Lu, near Kangding Lu
    provided by Commune Social
  • Beach House

    Beach House

    Centrally located on Julu Lu, The Beach House offers a mid-range lounge bar and Western-style seafood restaurant with beach-y vibes — low-ride couches and comfy armchairs — and a spacious terrace. Tags: Romantic. Trendy. Lounge. Good for cocktails on a summer night, in particular as a Kartel alternate. It’s “inspired by the serenity and energy of the ocean”, which… okay.

    The Beach House

    2/F, 758 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu
    Angela Leung
  • La Maison

    La Maison

    La Maison means “house” in “French” — thank you, 12 years of French lessons, nailed it — but one of the key draws of this fusion mainstay is it’s beautiful, spacious, and serene courtyard abutting a classical three-story colonial house. Atmosphere trumps food at La Maison, but you could do worse than end up here for coffee or drinks when looking for a quick respite from an afternoon out in the city center.

    La Maison

    210 Jinxian Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu
    Brandon McGhee
  • Cotton's

    Cotton's

    No introduction necessary. Can’t go wrong with either Cotton’s location in Shanghai but we’ll always like the OG Anting Lu venue best, operating, as it has, for almost two decades now. Both this and the Xinhua Lu location host large outdoor patios complimenting old, renovated heritage buildings. Great for after-work drinks, dates, and drinks with friends is a relaxed and leafy environment -- or in a nice renovated house if the weather takes a turn.

    Cotton's (Anting Lu)

    132 Anting Lu, near Jianguo Xi Lu
    Brandon McGhee
  • Abbey Road

    Abbey Road

    Taojiang Lu sequel to one of Shanghai's most popular summer venues. With patio seating, cheap beer on tap, and lots of (often unfortunate) classic rock, this bar / restaurant is the ultimate “unpretentious” expat venue. Abbey Road's menu includes mostly Swiss fare interspersed with some American. Good happy hour deals and community vibes.

    Abbey Road

    3 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu
    Brandon McGhee
  • Villa Le Bec

    Villa Le Bec

    Multi-concept restaurant by French celeb chef Nicolas le Bec in a century-old villa on Xinhua Lu. Huge selection of French wines, and a menu of French classics with Asian accents. Think: handmade patés and charcuterie, bavette au poivre, roast fowl, and more. Expect to drop some coin here but it’s one of the most beautiful garden restaurants in town, so it’s worth it.

    Villa Le Bec

    321 Xinhua Lu, near Dingxi Lu
    provided by Villa Le Bec
  • Chili's

    Chili's

    It’s Chili’s! The first China outpost of the indefatigable American chain. They’re serving Tex-Mex comfort foods like fajitas, tacos, and platters on the banks of Binjiang Dadao. This is what their outdoor seating looks like if you’re looking for an alternative view on the river.

    Chili's (Binjiang Dadao)

    3072 Binjiang Dadao, near Fucheng Lu
    Brandon McGhee
  • Frasca (The Middle House)

    Frasca (The Middle House)

    After being open for a few years, Frasca has emerged as that rare hotel restaurant that stands on its own. No one has a bad thing to say about this place. Working in Italian casual, the main attraction here are the fresh pastas, all made in-house, along with their arty but approachable mains. Tucked away, off Nanjing Lu, they’ve also got a nice stretch of outdoor seating, ideal for lunch and / or dinner in the heart of the city.

    Frasca (The Middle House)

    The Middle House, 366 Shimen Yi Lu,...
    Angela Leung
  • La Saleya

    La Saleya

    Saleya is a little French bistro serving up simple, mid-priced dishes from southern France in an environment that is… there is no other word for it: “charming”. The patio is actually the main attraction — a surprisingly serene little respite from the busy Changle Lu it’s located on. Ideal for dates if you’re looking to pile on the romance.

    Le Saleya

    570 Changle Lu, near Xiangyang Bei Lu
    Angela Leung
  • Bull & Claw

    Bull & Claw

    Bull & Claw is in an expansive, three-story mansion on Fenyang Lu — a real nice location in the heart of downtown. The food’s high-quality lobster, steaks, and misc. Bull & Claw offers a top-of-line terrace — cozy but not cramped — and ideal for running into people you know. They’ve got big, comfy leather seats with ample back support — crucial for long boozy brunches, which is why you’re going. The second floor balcony’s real lovely and west-facing.

    The Bull & Claw (Fenyang Lu)

    110 Fenyang Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu
    Brandon McGhee
  • Yu Ba Xian (Sense 8)

    Yu Ba Xian (Sense 8)

    Sense 8 (or Yu Ba Xian) is a Cantonese restaurant that openly pays tribute to Hong Kong's famous old-school teahouse, Luk Yu. It serves some of Luk Yu's iconic dishes, and although the food is no match for the iconic Hong Kong tea house, if you're looking for an atmospheric meal, it's worth a try. Strung along the side of the beautiful dining room are a few outside tables that feel like a hidden enclave in bustling Xintiandi, from which you can order cocktails and be fabulous.

    Sense 8 (Xintiandi)

    No. 8, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, near...
    Brandon McGhee



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