Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our July 2018 magazine issue.

Restaurants

Together

We’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of Together since we heard Bina Yu (former head chef at CHI-Q) and Kim Melvin (head pastry chef at The Commune Social) had plans for a new place. Dishes at Together are meant for sharing and two people will be more than satisfied with a few starters and a couple of mains and sides. Dishes include Australian beef tartare (RMB138), mochi tofu (RMB68), octopus tentacles (RMB118), Tournedos pork with pepperoncini sauce (RMB128/small, RMB248/large) and so much more. Pastry queen Kim Melvin’s desserts are all about the ice cream and a rustic collection of cakes (RMB35) laid out on a central table.

Total Verdict: 4/5 

Price: RMB300-500 per person 
Who’s going: everyone you know 
Good for: dinner with friends, date nights  

Read the full review here. See listing for Together

Bourbon Cookhouse

Bourbon Cookhouse's head chef is a Brit named Justin Birmingham, who traveled through the American BBQ belt through Texas, Kentucky, Kansas City and Tennesee, where he nailed the formula for his dry rubs and smoking techniques in Memphis. Staying true to their name, they also have a nice selection of bourbons, craft beers and cocktails to go with your meal.

The offerings consist of starters, mains, sandwiches and desserts commonly found at restaurants all over the Deep South. Think deep-fried pickles (RMB48), top-notch pork ribs (RMB178/half slab, RMB298/full slab) and beef brisket (RMB128), macaroni and cheese (RMB48) and more.

Total Verdict: 3.5/5

Price: RMB100-200 per person 
Who’s going: International school crowd and local business employees
Good for: smoked BBQ, large portions, Bourbon

Read the full review here. See listing for Bourbon Cookhouse

The Flow Café 

Envisioned as a plant-based, healthy alternative to coffee chains like Starbucks, The Flow Café provides performance-driven meals designed to energize while avoiding the dreaded post-lunch slump. Everything except the factory-produced juices is freshly made onsite, making this an easy place to get your fill of vegetables, fruits and whole grains in the form of toasts, salads, bowls and smoothies containing more nutritious ingredients than we can count. Eating well needn’t be bland or difficult, and this well thought out concept does a good job in bringing clean-eating convenience to Shanghai’s harried office workers. 

Total Verdict: 4/5

Price: RMB50-100 per person 
Who’s going: HKRI Taikoo Hui tenants and Spacecycle devotees 
Good for: guiltless lunches, snacks and coffee

Read the full review here. See listing for The Flow Cafe

Bowl Shakalaka

Bowl Shakalaka on Shaanxi Nan Lu just south of the iapm Mall is cashing in on the Buddha bowl craze. The compact two-story restaurant serves eight styles of bowl. In terms of bases, you may opt for the standard sushi rice, mixed salad (add RMB5) or ratatouille (RMB8). Of the options we tried, the laksa shrimp bowl (RMB68) is our favorite in terms of flavor, thanks to a decent thick sauce with all the essence of the Singaporean soup. The salmon poke bowl (RMB58) also disappoints with small portions of salmon joined by classic toppings such as avocado, seaweed, roe, cucumber and cashews. In a case of real life versus Instagram, the beef tongue bowl (RMB68) looks excellent on the menu, but the version you get is nowhere near as photogenic.

Total Verdict: 2/5 

Price: RMB50-100 per person
Who’s going: health nuts, people with dietary restrictions
Good for: customizable cold and hot bowls devoid of personality

Read the full review here. See listing for Bowl Shakalaka

Bars

FUNKA del Sur

After successfully making the Italian aperitivo – a social pre-dinner gathering for bitter drinks with easy snacks – a way of life for hordes of non-Italian Shanghailanders, the FUNKA group are trying something new with a South American-style venue. Located in the popular expat hub at the Yongping and Wuding intersection, FUNKA del Sur replaces The Sailors and the patio area is packed – even on weekdays – so you know it’s the cool, new place to be.

Drinks include Latin classics such as chilcanos, caipirinhas and pisco sours with some muy caliente takes on standards, from the amazing Negroni Mezcalero (RMB70) to the refreshing Juan Collins (RMB65). There are plenty of bar snacks too. The most exciting nibble is picanha on tortilla tostada (RMB60) because the well-seasoned tri-tip is served atop a tasty shot of Bloody Mary. Arepas (RMB25) and tacos (RMB30) fare better than under-filled empanadas (RMB50/three).

Read the full review here. See listing for FUNKA del Sur

Read more Shanghai Restaurant Reviews & Shanghai Bar Reviews