Enter spring, enter great new spots to sip and munch. Snack-paired cocktails, modernised Indian classics, more poke and all the pizza – here's what we're craving from March's hottest tables.
The Magnolia Room
Last year, Mack Ross brought us Tour, one of our favourite bars of 2016, and now he's got another innovative watering hole with more snack-paired cocktails to discover. Located underneath Tour itself, enter this small, intimate space via a discreet sliding door and descend to find a scratch-and-win lottery-style card menu that boasts a chance at several prizes – a shot of Jameson, a grilled cheese, a bottle of Chivas 18 and others. There are many highlights, but you'll find love with the PBS; a smooth, sweet and salty blend of Blanco tequila, peanut butter, lime and a bit of sugar finished off with a spicy kick of Sriracha. Check out the first look here.
E104-105, United Valley, 462 Changle Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu, Huangpu district.
Sober Company
From Shingo Gokan of Speak Low comes this massive-in-concept, intimate-in-space new venture. On the corner of Yandang Lu and Nanchang Lu, the space includes three main parts: Sober Café, with breakfast until 4pm with soft-serve and small plates; Sober Kitchen, a restaurant doing modern takes on Chinese dishes; and Sober Society, a bar focused on digestif cocktails and brown spirits.
99 Yandang Lu, near Nanchang Lu, Huangpu district.
Bombay Bistro
This sleek new Yongfu Lu eatery offers modern takes on Indian classics. Head there for the butter chicken, whose layers of spice and smoke will leave you scraping the last bits from the bowl, packing a punch with that deep charcoal flavour that only emerges in meats roasted in a tandoori oven. Stylish atmosphere, stellar soundtrack and conscientiously prepared dishes.
Basement level, Found 158, 158 Julu Lu, near Ruijin Yi Lu, Huangpu district.
Homeslice Pizza
Lately, Shanghai has been all about the slices. We're psyched that Nat Alexander's stripped-back pizza parlour is one of the first venues to open in the nascent Found 158 complex on Julu Lu, where he's slinging slices for around 25RMB a pop. It's hard to pick a favourite, but ours might just be white pizza with parmesan cream and dollops of ricotta. Plus, you can get a good Negroni there too. What's not to like?
280 Wujiang Lu, near Maoming Bei Lu, Jingan district.
Poke Poke
There’s a new contender in the world of raw fish and rice, and their game is on point. This little nook near the corner of Changle Lu and Xiangyang Lu has bowls built upon the base ingredients of ‘authentic’ Hawaiian poke: fish, salt, native seaweed and chopped nuts. We love the strong sesame flavour of the saucy Original, for which you choose salmon, tuna, Argentina prawn, or get them all (62/80RMB); plus avocado, nori and shiny pearls of salmon roe.
18 Changle Lu Lane 339, near Xiangyang Bei Lu, Jingan district.
Second Moment
If you were over speakeasies, don’t be quite yet. Hidden behind Spicy Moment on Wuyuan Lu, this new spot from Eddy Yang of Tailor Bar is a chilled-out, unpretentious neighbourhood bar with great drinks. There are two menus: ‘From Shangri-La’, focused on floral flavours and tiki drinks, and ‘Behind the Curtain’ – name riffing of The Curtain Club at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin – which are classic, ‘forgotten’ drinks.
71 Wuyuan Lu, near Changshu Lu, Jingan district.
Joe's Pizza
Straight from Greenwich Village, Joe's is the place to head for time-honoured NYC-style slices on the fly. Dig into a giant slice of classic pepperoni pizza for 27RMB – it’s laden with Joe’s secret recipe sauce (the same one used at the NY locales), Wisconsin mozzarella and loads of zesty pepperoni.
Second Floor, 47 Yongfu Lu, near Wuyuan Lu, Xuhui district.
Pita
Your new guilt-free lunch spot – this fast-casual café and eatery (from the folks behind Spanish tapas bar La Bota) is located at the Cool Docks on the South Bund, and they're doing fresh, healthy and organic foods made completely from scratch. As can be guessed from the name, the main thing here is pita sandwiches, but there are also salads, Asian-inspired hot mains, a small assortment of all-day breakfast items, smoothie bowls and detox juices. Check out the first look here.
The Cool Docks, 28 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu, Huangpu district.
The Chop Chop Club
Paul Pairet's third Shanghai dining venue has arrived. Housed inside of UNÏCO at Three on the Bund, The Chop Chop Club is a carvery with a rotating menu of meat, fish and fowl that come out in 15-minute intervals. The food might be enough to attract you, but it's the ordering that sets CCC apart, and each time you go you can expect a different array of offerings. Roll in with a small crew so you can try all the meats you desire, and be sure to make a reservation in advance. Read our take on it here.
Second Floor, Three on the Bund, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu, Huangpu district.
Ultraviolet
This is one for the bucket list – Paul Pairet's renowned multi-sensory dining concept just earned the number eight spot in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and also recently launched its latest menu. Reservations are open three months in advance and the seats get swooped up almost immediately... snag a rezzy if you can!
Details upon booking.
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