Roosevelt Prime Steakhouse “We went here for dinner last night as a special treat after a hard-working week. The atmosphere provided an immediate tonic for fractured nerves; just walking up the path to the magnificent entrance made us feel like we were on holiday somewhere far from Shanghai, and the soothing, comfortable interior put us at ease--it even somehow *smelled* American inside. The service was gracious and we were impressed by a waiter who actually wrote down and repeated our order (unfortunately in most restaurants the fine craft of putting pen to paper seems to have been largely superseded by the apparently superior innovation of delivering an array of pseudo-random menu items to bemused diners). Our cocktails were a minor disappointment thanks to tonic water that was somewhat less than ideally sparkling and crisp, but fortunately things began to improve quickly from there. The tableside-prepared Caesar salad was outstanding, with a signature dressing that was aptly subtle and piquant. The tuna steak was elegantly presented with a fruity mango, red pepper and cucumber sauce that made a great offset to the somewhat strongly flavoured meat. And the piece-de-resistance, the New York Prime Strip, was aptly thick, well-hung, and nicely caramelised by the stone grilling--we detected a hint of a salty marinade which in my book can go a long way to add savour though purists may disagree. The creamed spinach with bacon was delicious though (surprisingly?) misspelled on the menu as "cremed", a fitting reminder that we were still in China after all. The chocolate fondant cake with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream made an outstanding finish. All in all it was an extremely pleasant dining experience, despite the minor sticker shock at the end. We've had some excellent steaks in Shanghai for substantially less dosh, notably at Sasha's and Des Lys, and will typically repair to those venues when we have a craving for red meat, but it's good to know that a fairly authentic American-style steakhouse is on our doorstep when we feel like splashing out for it.”

Pasta Fresca Da Salvatore “We just had a great dinner at Pasta Fresca tonight. The complementary bruschetta was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the lasagna, with a creamy bechamel sauce that was neither too heavy nor too cheesy, though it was a soft lasagna rather than a stiff and crunchy one, which happens to be fine by me. My wife liked the gnocchi in Amatriciana sauce, which was well cooked and rich, but again not terribly heavy. The portions were surprisingly generous, and with two drinks we got out for under 250RMB (admittedly without starter or dessert). Well done.”

Sasha's “Just read the City Weekend re-review last night and had to give it a try ourselves. The beef tenderloin steak with pepper sauce was every bit as delicious as we hoped, and was in fact the best steak we'd had so far in Shanghai, very tender and cooked (medium) to perfection. I had the steak fries instead of potatoes and they were superbly cut and gently fried, not the least bit greasy. If I were to quibble I might have preferred the pepper sauce on the side--and a bit more of it for chip-dipping! My wife had the caesar salad which came with a generous portion of lean chicken and long rectangular croutons in an unusually vivid presentation. She also really enjoyed her cocktail, I can't recall the name but it had a fair amount of midori melon in it and she was increasingly merry as the drink went down. The atmosphere was sophisticated without pretense and the classic burgundy and cream decor makes for an extremely relaxing dining experience. I suppose the service could have been a bit warmer but it was at least reasonably prompt. We're looking forward to coming back in the warm weather for brunch on the patio and some more of those cocktails.”

Papa's Bierstube “I would go farther and say that the witbier was the best pint of beer I've had anywhere, in years. Congratulations to them on their very successful new brewery! Oh and the food, as far as I can tell, is superb.”

Whisk Choco Café “Very servicable pasta, and extraordinary deserts, much better I think than Hof. I've tried a few of the deserts, but the chocolate upside-down cake with the contrast of warm chocolate and cold vanilla ice cream is absolutely perfect.”

Gourmet Cafe “My wife and I went to see how Gourmet Cafe handle basics like burgers and shakes. I was immediately a bit concerned when I saw the menu, as there was no option for a simple plain burger, or a plain cheese burger--the closest thing was a cheese burger with a lot of condiments such as peppers and salsa--and most burgers were topped with far more than this. My concern was due to the menu's apparent similarity to Gourmet Burger Kitchen in the UK, where the quality of the beef is continually plummeting but they seem to get away with this by burying the burgers in myriad toppings. My wife ordered a four-burger tasting platter (cheese etc., tuna, falafel and thai chicken), and I ordered the black pepper burger, medium, which seemed to be the simplest thing on offer. My wife definitely got the better deal--all of her burgers were outstanding, especially the tuna and thai chicken; even her tiny cheese burger was nicely cooked, and because it was so small it was missing the extra condiments, which in my opinion was a bonus. My burger, on the other hand, was not cooked medium at all, and was on the extra well side of well-cooked, not at all what I had ordered or hoped for. The quality of the beef (and the grilling) was therefore impossible to discern. I would have sent it back but my experience in doing so is that it usually just ends poorly, and to be fair the peppercorn crust was enjoyable. The other positive note was the chocolate milkshake, which was even better than those from Munchies--so good in fact, that we splashed out and ordered a second for dessert--along with a slice of the best NY style cheesecake we've had in years.”

Lost Heaven Yunnan Folk Cuisine “We were a bit skeptical and had no prior experience of Yunnan/Burmese cuisine, but our dinner was thoroughly enjoyable. The Hua Yao Dia stir fried beef was particularly tasty and generously doused in coriander/cilantro. We also enjoyed the aubergine (eggplant) in tomato sauce and the scallion chicken, all pleasantly spicy. The tofu-spring rolls were a bit mushy for our taste but still went down nicely with the sauce. In general the flavours were refreshingly different from Thai and Vietnamese, though we couldn't speak for their authenticity. The atmosphere and decor is in fact remarkably similar to Coconut Paradise, dark and a bit on the noisy side, with similar prices, but for us it was a pleasure to try out a new cuisine.”

Shun Feng - Shanghai “The wife and I were taken to Shun Feng by a lovely friend. Downstairs was a large, noisy banquet hall but fortunately she had reserved a private room, which would have been quiet were it not for the fact that it was too hot to keep the door closed. Still it was a pleasant enough, if not somewhat generic, atmosphere in which to enjoy a meal. The crabmeat with green vegetables was fairly typical, and the stir fried celery was well-prepared. Standouts were the pork-filled buns and the fantastically fatty but tasty pork ribs, cooked to perfection. None of us were enthralled by the smelly tofu which was a bit too salty for my taste and a bit too smelly for my wife's taste (she still shudders when she thinks of it). All in all, an interesting and probably authentic experience in Hangzhou cuisine.”

Marienbad Cafe “Quiet and cozy and good cup of coffee. Occasionally a bit smoky but we are in China after all. Not excessively popular and I hope it stays that way!”

Central Park “Brilliant coffee and a charming location. The narrow winding staircase to the second floor and rooftop terrace is quaint and unique. There are so many different nooks to settle down in it's hard to choose!”