Your ice cream is melting and the pools are packed, but this could be the last real month of summer in Shanghai, so don't miss out on these steamy summer menus, tropical drinks and lightened up dishes from August's hottest tables.
Colca
Eduardo Vargas (Azul) and his executive chef Oscar Beltran are here to show the city something new. Together they’ve pulled from and pooled together their respective roots in Peru and Spain for what they call ‘Peruvian food with flair’ – it’s not classical, but it plays with the classics, and it plays nice. These are contemporary dishes you won’t have tasted before, and the results are exquisite.
Colca Second floor, Unit 2201, 199 Hengshan Lu, near Yongjia Lu (5401 5366).
Revolucion
The Latin flair bar has a new roster of summer-fied cocktails that will liquor you up, cool you down and have you forgetting these recent 40 degree Shanghai days in no time. Try them all and have no regrets, and definitely ask the bartenders to show you their bottle tossing skills.
Revolucion First Floor, 98 Yanping Lu, near Xinzha Lu.
elEphante
Chef Carlos Sotomayor's new summer menu is hot, hot, hot. The seafood is stunning, the small bites divine, the desserts works of art. Do not skip the tuna tiradito – a South American style take on sashimi served in a pool of coconut and yuzu that you won't be able to get enough of.
elEfante 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu (5404 8085).
WUJIE
The gorgeous summer set menu, 'Clouds', at this sophisticated, innovative vegetarian restaurant will impress both herbivores and carnivores alike. The chefs' fresh, seasonal ingredients, impressive flavour combinations and beautiful plating never fail to impress.
WUJIE Shanghai The Bund Fourth Floor, Bund 22, Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Xinyongan Lu (6375 2861).
Sunny's Burgerland
This chilled out new burger joint is serving up juicy patties on colourful buns in a range of styles. Best of all, the prices are great – you can get a burger with fries and salad starting at 60RMB. Don't forget the house-made vanilla cream for your fries.
Sunny's Burgerland 286-1 Fengxian Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu (136 3634 7970).
The Milkshake Bar
The Charlie's team hits Shanghai with another place to indulge. The obvious showstoppers are the towering milkshakes laden with candy, cookies, donuts, cinnamon rolls and whipped cream galore.
The Milkshake Bar 75 Changshu Lu, near Julu Lu.
Pirata
Ling Huang's tapas kitchen and bar returns with a well-curated selection of small dishes and modest sharing plates of simple, fine-tuned Spanish fare that occasionally bats its eyelashes at other global flavours. Reservations a must, as the eatery has seen nothing but fully booked tables every night since its debut on Dongping Lu.
Pirata 9 Dongping Lu, near Hengshan Lu (5404 2327).
Lychee
Inspired by Chinese beauty and famous lychee-loving concubine Yang Gui Fei, Cotton Ding's (of great FFC drinking villa Cotton's) sleek and stylish new cocktail bar and Southeast Asian fusion restaurant is lovely from decor to dishes. Start at the bar to watch great cocktails in progress, move on for an intimate dinner on the second floor, and head to the third late-night for tunes and drinks.
Lychee Lane 49, No. 2, Fuxing Xi Lu, near Wulumuqi Zhong Lu.
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