One lunch/dinner in Shanghai
 

Where would you eat if you had time for only one lunch and dinner in Shanghai? I have a very western palate, so I probably wouldn't appreciate any eccentric Chinese recommendations.

my favorite lunch place is suntory in the hsbc building (lujiazui). you can eat dinner there as well, of course, but that costs real money. otherwise (assuming you prefer to stay in puxi), malone's is pretty solid.

for dinner, a lot depends on the night of the week (some places have specials on certain days), your situation (i.e. is it a date?), number of people, your budget, and your mood.

but, in the absence of any more info from you, i would reccomend da marco. they do a great job for the price.

post more details here or pm me if you want more advice. i am always eager to help shanghai visitors with culinary tastes similar to my own (i.e. not all that fond of chinese food).

I liked M on the Bund, although others think it's overrated. Great view from the terrace at night.

i second the reccomendation for m on the bund..the food's not outstanding-aside from perhaps the pavlova- but the view's spectacular and will really give you a feel for the city, especially if you havent much time there. or you could try the entertainment/leisure complex called xintiandi..a neighbourhood of beautifully restored stone-framed gate houses called shikumen, which is now teeming with upscale boutiques, bars and restaurants..i remember a couple of good italian cafes as well as a really buzzing brazilian restaurant which featured live music and a lavish buffet on the upper level

in reading the other replies, it appears that i failed to take into account the fact that the op wants something special (as opposed to most effective/enjoyable way to fill stomach). as such, i'm withdrawing my malone's and da marco recs, but will keep suntory on the table. though not on the bund, it has a pretty good view itself and much better food imo than m, new heights, laris, jean gorges, etc.

my personal bund advice is to eat somewhere with food that appeals to you, then go to rouge or m after dinner. (but, as noted previously, the food at m isn't that bad.)

OP says no eccentric Chinese cuisine and must be OK for western palate.
I really like King Hot Pot. There are plenty of choices there that would
not upset a western palate, but you do have to like spicey food.

Have not really sought after western food in Shanghai but once went
to Malone's with Chinese to get some Margaritas, which weren't very good
and their Mexican food wasn't either.

As many times as I have taken westerners to hot pot restaurants never had anyone say they didn't enjoy it.

2.Hot Pot King
Cuisine: Chinese, Asian
2F, 1066 Huaihai Zhong Road
(above Planet Shanghai restaurant)
Shanghai, 200031 ^

There's a great deal of Chinese food that's not remotely eccentric but which is almost completely unknown in the West. What's typically served as Chinese food in the West is mostly ruined by adaptation for what is perceived to be the need of the Western palate, and by the desire to substitute cheap for expensive ingredients and increase profits when serving the ignorant foreigner. Even the cheapest eating in China can be a revelation, and Shanghainese food is what should be eaten in Shanghai. It's a little sweet and oily at times, but not remotely challenging.

So although I'll recommend Western restaurants, I'll start by throwing in an entertaining Shanghainese one in an historic building--an experience you won't find elsewhere:

Xuhui
??
Lao Zhan
Old Station
Caoxi Bei Lu 201
(021) 6427 2233

Well-executed Shanghai classics at budget prices in a choice of highly unusual settings: the high-ceilinged halls of a former French monastery, or two connected luxury railway carriages, one formerly used by the Dowager Empress Cixi, and the other by Song Qingling.


Huangpu District
???
Rangqiaozhi
Jean Georges
4th floor, Three on the Bund, Zhongshan Yi Lu 3
(021) 6321 7733
www.on-the-bund.com

The Shanghai branch of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s garlanded New York restaurant offers French with hints of Asia (lemon grass, coconut), each dish small but perfect in every way. Try the seasonal set menu which makes the best of available ingredients, and something from the 5000-bottle wine cellar.


Jing’an District
???
Paladuo
Palladio
Nanjing Xi Lu 1376 (inside Portman Ritz-Carlton)
N/A
(021) 6279 8888
www.ritzcarlton.com

Sumptuous menu of extravagant Italian dishes with hints of Napoli, suggesting meals should be taken at a gentle pace over an extended period of time, although briskly served business set lunches are excellent value for money, too. Highly recommended.

(Oh all right, this one's Chinese, too--but unique to Shanghai in its setting)
Luwan District
1931
Maoming Nan Lu 112
(021) 6472 5264
Eating at this cosy little restaurant is like being in a 1930s private house, the walls hung with advertising and photographs from the period. Few of the dishes are obviously Shanghainese, although all are light and pleasant, and excellent value for money.


(OK OK another Shanghainese [with Hong Kong twists]. But now I'll stop.)
Huangpu District
???
Huangpu Hui
Whampoa Club
5th floor, Three on the Bund, Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 3
(021) 6321 3737
www.on-the-bund.com

A completely comprehensive menu of traditional Shanghainese favourites in luxurious surroundings, some given a surprising modern twist (such as almond and cocoa fried spare ribs) or simply re-invented to accentuate the flavors. A tea sommelier offers 50 different fine teas from around China.

Pudong District
??36
Feicui 36
Jade on 36
Fucheng Lu 33 (inside Pudong Shangri-La Hotel)
(021) 6882 3636
www.shangri-la.com

High in the Shangri-La’s new tower, Jade offers a stimulating menu of ‘cuisine de voyage’ that combines ingredients from everywhere in stunningly inventive ways that look odd in the menu, too beautiful to eat when they arrive, but leave the palate eager for more.

Huangpu District
???
Lu Wei Xuan
Laris
6th floor, Three on the Bund, Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 3
(021) 6321 9922
www.on-the-bund.com

Australian David Laris’s white-on-white dining room is the perfect setting for his menu of ‘global cuisine’—subtle, intelligent, but never pretentious dishes which may just make this the very best foreign restaurant in Shanghai. An evening with one of the tasting menus will be long remembered.

Huangpu District
?????
Mishi Xi Canting
M on The Bund
7th floor, Guangdong Lu
(021) 6322 0099
www.m-onthebund.com

Atop a 1920s bank building overlooking the river, the pioneer of posh Bund dining continues to excel with a menu of celebrity restaurateuse Michelle Garnaut’s favourites, including signature soft-as-butter salted lamb and light-as-air Pavlova. An essential Shanghai experience.

Note that all of these, except 1931 and Lao Zhan are amongst Shanghai's most expensive restaurants, and although lunch menus are sometimes cheaper you'll be looking at US$50 to US$100 or even considerably more, depending on your choices.

Oh, and for views (pollution and humidity permitting) you might want to consider one of the ring of restaurants about the 53rd floor of the Jin Mao Dasha in Pudong, inside the Grand Hyatt: Italian, Japanese grill, and American, if memory serves. There's another restaurant on the 87th floor, too, but that's Shanghainese.

Oh, and if there are lines of gibberish beneath the district name for each place given above that's because this site doesn't handle Chinese well, or because you need to set your browser's preferences to read simplified Chinese.

Hope that helps.

Peter N-H

Have been to Jade on 36 at the new Shangril La.

Interesting selection of various fixed menus - each of us in the party ended up making selections primarily based on elimination of particular menus which contained some item or items didn't strike our individual fancy. All the dishes were very eclectic and "fusion" base, and all very interesting. Only one really failed - some sort of dessert combining chocolate and something really objectionable (can't recall, wasn't my dessert).

However, wine service was atrocious. We were served champagne *warm* and the staff had no idea whatsoever how to properly handle wines or which glassware to use. I am no wine expert, and don't claim to be, but one of my companions is in fact a well known and respected expert. We ended up hosting a sort of *wine clinic* during our meal for some of the staff, and were treated to many off-menu extras.

Summary - excellent food. Looking forward to returning to see how/if they've worked out staff training and other bugs. I expect they have.

Also been to Laris, and given my wine expert friend's reputation and relationship with this operation, we generally have a really good time. Enter, speak to the chef and give him carte blanche to prepare a tasting menu. Never been disappointed.

Went to Sens adn Bund for a wine tasting dinner, and was frankly disappointed. Of course, menu was restricted due to objective of serving a particular French winery's products and preparing all dishes using French truffles. However, dishes just didn't seem to come together. Jade offered a better presentation, saving for wine service.

T 8?
 

We have reservations here. Will be doing this rather than M, based on so so reviews. Good choice?

Will our dates of 4 May to 9 May mean that places where reservations might not usually be required will be needed due to the holiday? We do not want to be locked in too early, so even if reservations are needed, can these be done when we are there, versus having to make them now?

T8
Taicang Lu 181, Xin Tiandi
(021) 6355 8999
www.ghmhotels.com
Intelligent combinations of Chinese and Italian ideas, such as Chinese duck pizza, seared salmon with char siu pork, and mushroom soup with truffle oil, in the theatrically lit and ultra-modern interior of an revamped traditional house.

Call and book when there.

Found that to be quite true. Its impossible to eat conventional Chinese food
in the US as it just tastes bad.

Although living in LA area is OK as there are some good Chinese retaurants in San Gabriel Valley. I like the Hunan restaurant on San Gabriel blvd. There was a good hot pot restaurant on Valley Blvd called Chou's but it closed...plus the Mama there made bin lang.

you kind of need to stick to the burgers (fajitas and ribs are ok too). where malone's wins, is by importing most of its meat from the us. it is a good place to eat lunch if you're near the portman.

I heard there's a lot of hotties that hang out there. Was only there for lunch
so didn't get to check this out.