Here are all the new restaurant, bar and club openings we featured in our October 2017 issue:
New Restaurants
Hammock
If you’ve been watching the WeChat Moments of a certain Shekou set, you’ve already seen pictures of Hammock – a restaurant that has created a bit of burger buzz despite swinging open its doors only a few weeks ago. The most expensive burger – and most photogenic – is the New Zealand All Blacks (RMB78). Based around a beef patty with cheese, bacon and ‘black truffle eggs,’ we’re told this stack is one of the bestsellers in New Zealand. The foie gras slider (RMB48) on the other hand, ostensibly makes use of a marinade bought in eastern Guangdong that is stewed over more than a decade.
Price: RMB80
Who’s going: locals and expats
Good for: meat, buns and all in between
Nearest metro: Sea World (Exit C), 5 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Hammock.
Samking Bistro
No longer just a pizza joint, the larger kitchen of the city's fourth Samking means a larger menu, with steaks and burgers of Angus beef alongside indulgent milkshakes with ice cream from Shanghai. Pizza is still king though, with a dozen offerings from Parma ham to durian, pepperoni to prawn (RMB68 for nine inches, RMB88 for twelve). The golden crackling crust might be enough to overcome any bias against Chinese-owned Western restaurants.
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: Xunmei office workers, coders, passersby
Good for: budget-friendly Western food, milkshakes
Nearest metro: Shenda (Exit A4) 18 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Samking Bistro.
San Marco
With its sunlit, cozy interior and reasonable prices, San Marco is neither fine dining nor completely casual. We try the large Palermo pizza (RMB108) topped with blobs of mascarpone cheese is a popular pick for a reason. The mild cheese balances salty pepperoni slices atop a thin, chewy crust. The lasagna (RMB72) is less memorable to our American palate, with crumbly ground beef that reminds us of childhood cafeterias. Luckily, it’s followed by a generous chunk of tiramisu (RMB48), saturated with rich espresso flavor and creamy with a hint of sweetness.
Price: RMB60-100
Who’s going: pizza lovers, office workers
Good for: lunch dates, Italian staples
Nearest metro: Houhai (Exit D1), 14 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for San Marco.
New Bar and Club
M2 Club
M2 is not your average Chinese club. For one thing, the music – pop hits with heavy bass beats mixed in – is eminently danceable, even on a Wednesday night. The bar, hidden at the back of the club, also serves up decent cocktails, priced at RMB70 across the board. A respectable whiskey sour delivers flavor along with the expected buzz, while the Passion Fruit Fizz is tangy and crunchy with seeds. When we visit, the first floor is packed from wall to wall with roomy booths, which, unlike seats at the bar, require a RMB800 minimum purchase to book on weekday nights (RMB3,800 for weekends). During weekly parties, though, chairs and tables are cleared away so that dancing clubbers can crowd whichever guest DJ is laying down the beat.
Price: RMB70-150
Who’s going: EDM fans, businessmen
Good for: dancing on the weekend, decent drinks
Nearest metro: Chegongmiao (Exit C), 8 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for M2 Club.
Six Sensuality
Hunky bartenders, decorative drinks and bumping tunes: could you want more? Apparently not, if you’re a young woman with a penchant for pouty selfies – that’s the impression we get after entering Six Sensuality on a recent weekend evening. The Moscow Mules – yes, in a copper mug – and Mint Juleps, in ice-encrusted vessels, don’t skimp on the booze, though they both skewer towards the sweet side. Popular with ‘bosses’ is a drink dubbed the NASDAQ, which arrives in a puff of wood-chip smoke and requires you use a small hammer to smash a rum-filled ice ball, mixing booze with black pepper.
Price: RMB95
Who’s going: single women, recent shoppers
Good for: new friends, strong drinks
Nearest metro: Huaqiang Lu (Exit B), 9 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Six Sensuality.
Read more Shenzhen restaurant reviews and bar reviews.
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