Ooooooh was there ever such a lot of gossip in a month!
New Restaurant Openings
First up, serial restaurateur Kelley Lee tells us the Fumin Lu Cantina Agave "go bye bye" – to be replaced by an updated Mexican concept. Named 'Tepito' after the Mexico City neighborhood, Lee says the new chef has already flown in from Mexico City and is anticipating the opening to be some time after Chinese New Year.
We also have it on reasonably good authority that L'atelier Joël Robuchon is finally set to open in March. The upmarket French restaurant is the latest outpost in the Robuchon empire, and will go head to head against the Bund's other powerhouse Gallic eateries Jean Georges and Mr & Mrs Bund.
Robuchon pictured in this epic 90s throwback.
Meanwhile on Jiangsu Lu, the people who brought us The Nest have been quietly constructing a sister to the popular upmarket lounge bar and restaurant. Dubbed 'The Cannery,' menus will focus on artisanal canned seafood, and is ambitiously aiming to have the "largest selection of whisky and rye in China" according to Nest honcho Mark Klingspon.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Franck Pécol is said to be opening a new crêperie concept behind his super popular new coffee shop Grains on Wukang Lu, also due to open after the New Year holiday.
On the topic of Pécol, three new soon-to-be-opened branches of lauded French bakery Farine have been spotted around town, one in Lujiazui's IFC Mall, one in the new Hubin Dao Mall, and a third in The Hub development at Hongqiao Railway Station.
There's also a new French restaurant opened on Wukang Lu, the beguilingly named 'U Gastronomy Lounge,' underneath eccentric boozery Taste Buds Cocktail Palace. With a head chef formerly at fine dining temples Sir Elly's and Jean Georges, we reckon the place looks promising. There's also a particularly charming terrace out front selling sandwiches.
Content with the success of his last opening East Eatery, veteran Shanghai F&B baron Stefan Stiller is opening a new project, 'Taian Table' – a stone's throw from the Tai'an 50 complex, home to steakhouse Chez Maurice.
New cafe Jarajam has also quietly opened on Wuyuan Lu. Selling a selection of housemade cakes, decent croissants, quiches and more, they also make a mean chai latte. You can read our review of that here should the mood take you.
Love the way you laminate, Jarajam.
For denizens of Jing'an, there's the bizarre newly opened Lobster X Chicken, which serves a whole lobster for RMB98 alongside Hainanese chicken rice. But is it any good? You'll have to read our review to find out.
Former Three on the Bund head of marketing Pascal Ballot is leaving his post to embark on a new casual restaurant concept called 'STYX.' Mr. Ballot tells us the place will serve up a globally-inspired menu of barbecue skewers. Locations and further details TBD.
Booze News
A new stock market-themed sports bar has opened in the basement of the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel, selling beer and a casual menu of pub grub. Named 'The Exchange' in a nod to the hotel's spot within the heart of Shanghai's financial district, the place looks like something in between a sports bar and banker's club house.
New watering hole for banker fat cats in Lujiazui!
There's a odd new bar opened on Yandang Lu by Huaihai Lu called Fly Bar, hailed as the city's first 'cyberpunk' karaoke bar. Might make an interesting change of pace from our usual Chun-K, find out in our forthcoming review.
A new casual cocktail bar has sprung up near Pie Society on Xingfu and Fahuazhen Lu. Dubbed ‘Lazie’ for reasons that elude us, on the menu are a selection of drinks divided somewhat egregiously by gender, i.e. whisky for men and fruity cosmos for the ladies. Good to see those gender stereotypes perpetuated into 2016!
Chains 'n' Relocations
Happy news for bagel fans – beloved sandwich shop Spread the Bagel has opened a new store at Xintiandi Style on the corner of Madang and Fuxing Zhong Lu. Make sure to check out their new menu items like the spicy sausage and egg bagelwich. It is literally the shit.
Sushi Aoki has moved from its former location in Jing'an to a plush new spot on Huashan Lu in the former French Concession. There's also a very swanky new bar in the front selling premium Scotch and crazy cocktails like this:
Clean eating proponents Hunter Gatherer have added a new branch to their kale-fueled empired in the new Hubin Dao Mall. Much like the original in Anfu Lu, there's an enticing selection of imported whole foods and a canteen-style restaurant area selling healthy eats.
Lastly, gourmet hot dog purveyors The Dog House have also announced several new openings accross town, including ones in Jing'an, Changning and Zhabei.
That's all for now, folks, and thanks for reading!
> Feel free to email us any tips, gossip and rumours vicious or otherwise to dining@urbanatomy.com.
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