Droolworthy Dining

From giant Lego pieces, made from colourful Styrofoam, to a ginormous ball pool, the Eiffel Dreamland restaurant, in the Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental hotel, is every child’s fantasy. While you and your better half sit comfortably and catch up over a few cappuccinos, your little ones get to run around to their heart’s content. The menu is healthy and reasonably priced, with mainly western dishes and a few eastern ones. We recommend the smoked salmon panini, Sofitel garden salad, and any of the milkshakes as they were delicious. As it is just a stone’s throw away from places like Happy Valley, Sheshan mountain and the botanical gardens, we also recommend this place for a fun family getaway.

Address: 3388 Sichen Lu, Sijing Town, Songjiang District

Reservations: 021-3761-8888

Price: 150-200 RMB pp

Good for: Young kids, weekend getaways

Seve has been operating since 2012, and it’s a testament to its popularity that it is still going strong in a transient city like Shanghai. Appetisers start from 98 RMB for the Australian beef carpaccio, as well as soups, salads and various other hot and cold dishes. There’s a large selection of pizzas, all made in-house, with classics like the four-cheese pizza (128 RMB) and more unusual options like the half metre pizza (188 RMB). From the pasta selection, try the handmade Strazzapreti with sausages (110 RMB), or, if you’re feeling more indulgent, the delicious half Canadian lobster risotto dish made with scampi bisque. Apart from conventional buy one, get one free happy hour deals on select wines and cocktails, Seve offers special prices for all their wines by the bottle, so early bird diners can enjoy any of their wines at a more affordable price. For those who enjoy al fresco dining, Seve has a lovely raised patio and, like most Italian restaurants, they welcome families with children.

Address: 600 Huashan Lu (near Wulumuqi Lu)

Reservations: 021 6249 3638

Price: 200-300 RMB pp

Good for: Authentic Italian food

El Bodegon is a meat connoisseur’s dream. I say this with complete assurance as it’s not often that I take my foodie partner out for dinner and actually get a ‘this is so good’ commentary while he eats. El Bodegon’s steaks are not only perfectly cooked, juicy, tender, and well seasoned, they’re also very affordable; a 200g steak is 110 RMB and a tenderloin is 155 RMB. However, if meat isn’t your thing we highly recommend the Provoleta cheese (85 RMB) as it’s chewy, salty and satisfying, or the Pastel De Choclo (75 RMB) creamy corn pie. For date night, enjoy one of their classic pisco sour cocktails (60 RMB) out on the terrace while enjoying the pleasant, slightly cooler September air!

Address: 2F, 326 Panyu Lu

Reservations: 021-6226-0780

Price: 180 RMB pp

Good for: Meat lovers, date night, dogs welcome on the terrace

Peking Inn is a cozy, Beijing style restaurant, with a touch of Shanghainese flare, located in Jiashan market. Don’t get us wrong the food is tasty, but you undoubtedly come here mainly for the cocktails! Whether it’s the ‘Desert Storm’ (100 RMB) – a fruity explosion of lime, pineapple and delicious Qingke jiu, or the spicy gin-based cocktail ‘Lost in Xiamen’ (80 RMB) – that comes served in a traditional Chinese tea pot, all of Peking Inn’s cocktails are insanely addictive; probably down to its partnership with acclaimed mixologist Chris Xi. From the menu, we highly recommend the signature hairtail fish dish (68 RMB) served in a sweet yet savoury sauce, and the sautéed shredded pork (40 RMB), a punchy, crunchy taste sensation that pairs particularly well with a nice cold beer. Weirdly enough though, the best dish hands down had to be the restaurant’s seasoned peanuts with spinach (28 RMB) as it was an intriguing blend of sweet, salty, and sour flavours!

Address: Jiashan Market, 2nd floor, Building 37A, 259 Jiashan Lu

Reservations: 021 5418 9093

Price: 200-250 RMB pp

Good for: Date night, dining with older children/ teens (terrace is dog friendly)

Beach! Sorry, but this is actually the first thing that screams out at you when you visit this restaurant. Aside from the fact that Porcellino offers a substantial, reasonably-priced Italian menu, we cannot get over the fact that while sipping on a glass of wine, and enjoying some relief from the heat indoors, your kids can happily play in the giant sandpit located right in front of the restaurant. The other thing that took us pleasantly by surprise were the cooked to perfection, Italian style pizzas which, quite frankly, had the best-tasting crust I’ve had in a long time. Crisp in the right places, chewy in others, and perfectly seasoned, with a nice base of tomato and a good amount of cheese! For dessert, do not miss the pannacotta, which in our opinion had to be the chef’s pièce de résistance; thick, creamy, and delicately sweet, with an elegant twirl of caramel poking out the top!

Address: 753 Yuyuan Lu - restaurant located down a side alley

Reservations: 021 6155 0636

Price: 120 RMB pp

Good for: Relaxed family dining, lunch/ dinner play dates

Everything about this restaurant oozes simplicity and elegance; right down to the white, black and dark coloured décor, gorgeous open kitchen and condensed menu. As beef here is a speciality, The 1515 West Chophouse menu includes tenderloins, striploins and ribeyes from both Australian Angus and Wagyu cows that are expertly cooked and full of flavour. Other than the restaurant’s beef make sure to try the burrata cheese appetiser and the cod main. What is clear from both these dishes is that the chef pays great attention to detail.The fish was light and soft, with a delicious buttery, garlic sauce, and the burrata cheese had just the right combination of sweet, tangy and salty flavours. As huge fans of desserts, we were delighted with the 1515 West signature cheesecake which comes out billowing with dry ice and a beautiful chocolate cage laid across the top. Sweet, creamy and chocolatey, with a drissle of sharp, tangy passionfruit coulis to balance it all out.

Address: 4th floor, 1218 Yan’an Zhong Lu, Jing’an Shangri-La

Reservations: 021-2203-8889

Good for: Dinner with friends, business lunches, and special occasions.