If this were New York, Scarpetta would be adrift in a sea of small, quaintly formed restaurants offering a personal adaptation of a nation’s local cuisine. We wouldn’t bat an eyelid at the rustic inviting space or be surprised when the owner comes out to explain the story behind the menu.
After a slick renovation, Des Lis recently re-opened its half-lounge, half-restaurant doors onto Xinle Lu’s prime pavement. We took a seat curbside to check out the revamp and found that a little more fine tuning may be required to make this French bistro stand out from the crowd.
Mimosa is a simple, friendly wine bar that serves up some tremendously tasty bites alongside a solid wine selection and probably the best spanakopita for 1,000 miles.
So I've been rolling hard recently. If you didn't know already we launched Factory Five for real at the end of last year and we got mad busy. Thinking of starting a site called the 'Reluctant Entrepreneur'
It used to be that Eastern European restaurants in Shanghai were places people didn’t take seriously and only went to when they wanted a change. They were gimmicks, nothing more. Bloc changes this. Finally, the city has delicious, well-presented regional cuisine that will make it on your list of places to return to.
Take a leg of acorn-fed Spanish Iberico pig and cure it for 48 months. Hand carved and serve it with chunks of baguette drizzled with olive oil and let the magic unfold. de Bellotas offers plates of Pata Negra heaven in a small and relaxed tapas bar that will leave you in a spin.
Set under the Wheelock Square Tower, Sabatini’s threshold marks a line between China modern and Italy classic. Like its sibling in Hong Kong, the decadent villa-esque dining room is appropriately furnished with lushly painted arches, well-dressed wait staff and enough silverware for all five courses. None of which feature a pizza.