Tag: Restaurant

人和館 / Renheguan

Looking for Old Shanghai style places, I ended up by invitation in Old Shanghai themed restaurant 人和館 / Renheguan.

Although it is located in a modern building (and not in an old house unfortunately), the owner has managed to recreate a great old Shanghai atmosphere. I went on a day when it was packed, and the whole place was bustling and Shanghainese language was all over the place… as it should be.

The restaurant is located on Zhao Jia Bang Lu, formerly the Zhaojia creek /  肇嘉浜, that used to be the separation between the French Concession and the South part of the Chinese city, called 南市. Old houses are located in the area, that was quite upscale in the 1930s so it’s a good place from a historical point of view.

Since the restaurant has 1 start Michelin, the food was excellent, well executed and delicious. This really felt like a short trip to Old Shanghai, reminding me of the now closed Xian Qiang Fang.

人和館 / Renheguan can be found at 407 Zhaojiabang Road / 肇嘉浜路407号.

Shanghailander articles are published on an irregular basis. To be notified when a new article is posted, subscribe to the newsletter using this link, or follow the Shanghailander Facebook page.

M on the Bund closure

Michelle Garnaut’s place, M on the Bund, was the original Bund’s renaissance restaurant. Open in 2002, it was then the only high level independent restaurant on the Bund. A staple of Shanghai nightlife as well as one of the most Old Shanghai evocative place in the city, the restaurant has announced in closure for 15th February 2022. With its unique style mixing modernity and old colonial atmosphere, it has been one of the top spot for Old Shanghai lovers and will be sadly missed.

Located in the former NKK Building, on Bund N5 at the Cross of Canton Road (Guangdong lu) and the Bund, M on the Bund occupies the top floor, including the small but really nice terrasse. Besides the location in the heart of Old Shanghai’s Bund, the whole decor and atmosphere feels like high class dining in Old Shanghai.

Lunch at M

Furniture, accessories and decor have been carefully curated to carry the real sense of class, sophistication and timelessness that makes great places. Staff has been trained and retained for years, creating a service level that is both very effective and nearly invisible. M’s brunch is still a favorite, along with its legendary Pavlova, but M on the Bund has been far more than a restaurant.

Michel Garnaut has been instrumental to bring culture to Shanghai, a place that was so much lacking of it. M was the main organiser and location of the now defunct Shanghai Literary Festival (See 2007 post “Quelques grammes de culture dans un monde de brutes“). The Glamour Bar (see post from 2009 “An old favorite the Glamour Bar“), was the place to present books about Old Shanghai in a timeless atmosphere. Many book reviews in this blog started with such a Saturday afternoon event or a lunch presentation at the Literary festival. My most vivid memory of those times is a presentation by the three ladies of Old Shanghai, Tess Johnston, Lynn Pan and Rena Krasno, probably around 2008. Since M on the Bund will close down in mid Feb, it’s the right to pay a last visit and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this legendary place.

Unfortunately, M on the Bund was not the only foreign place to close this winter. Famous Shanghai franchise Element Fresh, French veteran Le Café des stagiaires as well as Wine bar and terrasse favorite Kartel have already closed down in the last weeks.

SmartShanghai article on Deda Café

SmartShanghai has been around for many years. One of the best information service for all about foods, drinks, nightlife and all kind of information for those living in Shanghai. I did not know that they also had an historic section.

Long time Shanghailander Lisa Movius interviewed me as part of an article about my old favorite Dead Cafe as I wrote an article about in 2010. Thanks to Lisa for the interview. To read the article, follow this link: https://www.smartshanghai.com/articles/dining/the-story-of-100-year-old-cafe-restaurant-deda