An old favorite with a rich history. Housed in the French Concession in the former Soong family mansion, this establishment has all the bases covered. The tasteful bar, lounge and garden are consistently packed with a happy crowd of expats eager to sample the continental cuisine. “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.”