New Shanghai Bars and Restaurants: February 2017

By That's Shanghai, February 1, 2017

Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our February 2017 issue.

Restaurants

Highline

By now, the chances are that you’ve already heard of, and maybe even been to Highline, a luxe all-day eatery opened by Cody Allen (Le Baron), Michael Sun and John Liu (Scarpetta, Coquille). We held off to give their two new chefs (who stepped in after a few bumpy initial weeks), Anna Bautista and Sean Jorgensen time to flex their culinary muscles. But was it worth the wait?

Total Verdict: 4/5

Price: RMB400-600 per person
Who’s going: the well-heeled of Shanghai
Good for: contemporary Western food, groups, cocktails, dates, special occasions

Read the full review here. See listing for Highline.

Izakaya Hanabili

If there’s one thing we know about Japan, it’s that they take all things F&B pretty seriously. It’s no surprise then, that some of our most beloved Shanghai spots are helmed by countrymen from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Hanabili, a suave izakaya (alcohol with inexpensive food) just a few minutes from Jing’an Temple, bucks this trend. Here, the ambiance, service and cocktails are stellar; the food, not so much.

Total Verdict: 3/5

Price: RMB150-300
Who’s going: Japanese expats, young locals
Good for: craft cocktails, hangouts, dates, izakaya, sake

Read the full review here. See listing for Izakaya Hanabili.

Ramen Arena

Those who dream of ramen, your prayers have been answered: Shanghai now has something called ‘Ramen Arena,’ which sees seven, yes, seven, new ramen shops from different prefectures of Japan installed in a little village on the seventh floor of Joy City.

Here’s how it works; journey up the mall’s endless escalators and purchase a mandatory ‘VIP card’ from a ticket booth at the front entrance. Pay close attention to the map (pro tip: take a picture of it on your phone); you’ll need it to locate your ramen shop of choosing.

Total Verdict: 3.5/5

Price: RMB50/bowl
Who’s going: hordes of locals
Good for: ramen, ramen, and more ramen.

Read the full review here. See a listing for Ramen Arena

FED Restaurant & Sky Lounge

One of the best places to enjoy Puxi’s skyline (on less hazy days) is probably the Pullman Hotel – the highest five-star hotel in the city center, now also home to flower-themed restaurant FED (Flowers, Eats and Drinks). Opened by celebrated Chinese TV host Ma Dong in partnership with local florist brand July’s Flower Shop, the aim is to create a flower gallery against the backdrop of the Pullman’s spectacular cityscape views. It might be a restaurant in a five-star hotel, but our FED experience suggests otherwise.

Total Verdict: 2/5

Price: RMB147-500
Who’s going: young locals and business people
Good for: special occasions, small groups, dates

Read the full review here. See a listing for FED Restaurant & Sky Lounge

Bars

Dry Goods Cold Drinks

Shanghai isn’t done with speakeasies yet – far from it. In fact, we’ll go so far as to say the city has undergone something of a speakeasy revival thanks to several new ‘underground’ openings, including Dry Goods Cold Drinks (DGCD hereafter), hidden behind the façade of a general store.

Price: drinks from RMB50-88.
Who’s going: locals and expats, whales, possible Mafiosi
Good for: cocktails, whisky

Read the full bar review here. See a listing for Dry Goods Cold Drinks