[Shanghai] Urbn Hotel

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[Shanghai] Urbn Hotel

Urbn Hotel

Add: 183 Jiaozhou Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu 膠州路183號, 近北京西路
Tel: 5172 1300
Website: www.urbnhotels.com
Visited: Nov 2011

After lunch at Downstairs, I got a quick tour of the penthouse suite at the Urbn Hotel, a sustainable project developed from a renovated factory warehouse. The hotel’s interiors are made with 100% local sourced and recycled materials, and energy-efficient technologies and heating and cooling systems are installed throughout the establishment. Here are some snapshots, starting with the reception area:

The back wall is constructed from 25 suitcases, all collected from the Dongtai Lu antiques market. What’s the story behind each suitcase? Makes you wonder.


And the penthouse suite:

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[Shanghai] Lolo Love Vintage

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[Shanghai] Lolo Love Vintage

Lolo Love Vintage

Add: The First Door, 87 Wuyuan Lu, near Changshu Lu 五原路87弄第一个门, 近常熟路
Tel: 137 0180 6644
Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun, 1-9pm
Price: [drinks] 25 RMB
Visited: Nov 2011

Lolo Love Vintage has relocated from its original Weihai location to a lane in the French Concession. This vintage boutique/cafe is run by Lolo, who is apparently one of China’s top make-up artists and stylists. Vintage fans will love what’s in stock here: “a swathe of ’60s swimsuits, Victorian undergarments, ’20s headgear…someone’s ’80s prom dress on the wall, and rows more of ’50s teapots, pre-loved buttons and a ’40s YSL coat or three”. Read more about Lolo here.

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[Shanghai] House of Wine

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[Shanghai] House of Wine

House of Wine

Add: 7/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu 中山东一路3号7楼, 近广东路
Tel: 3366 4788
Hours: 4pm-1am (closed on Sunday)
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: depends on the bottle
Visited: Oct 2011

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

House of Wine (also known as HOW) is a rustic and cozy French wine bar located on the 7th floor of Three on the Bund (along with Jean Georges, Nougatine, New Heights, etc.) It’s a casual and intimate gathering place where you can share a few bottles of wine among friends while nibbling off a classic French snack menu. Charcuterie? Seafood platter? Beef ribs? Croque Monsieur et Madam? They’ve got ’em all.

HOW directly imports wines from French organic vineyards, ranging from Loire Valley, Bordeaux region, South West , Languedoc-Roussillon, Rhone Valley, Provence, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne. The cellar houses an extensive selection with a wide price range – starting from 55 rmb for a glass, and from 250rmb to a few thousands for a bottle.


We started with a plate of assorted cold cuts and antipasti (138 RMB).

Then, a refreshing seafood platter (388 RMB) of 6 oysters, 8 Souther Ocean shrimps, 4 Alaska King Crab legs, and 1 whole bread crab. FYI, the seafood platter gets discounted to 300 RMB every Friday.

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[Shanghai] PuLi Hotel & Spa

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[Shanghai] PuLi Hotel & Spa

PuLi Hotel & Spa

Add: 1 Changde Lu, near Yan’an Zhong Lu / 常德路1號，近延安中路
Tel: 3203 9999
Website: www.thepuli.com
Visited: Oct 2011

The PuLi Hotel & Spa, gorgeously designed with grey bricks, bamboo screens, and elegant antiques placed in seemingly haphazard ways, is one of my favorite hotels in Shanghai. It is centrally located between Nanjing West Road and Yan’An Road, yet it holds its own as a center of calm in the dizzying Shanghai cityscape. An urban resort indeed.

The sunken reception area is thoughtfully designed so that the standing receptionists are at eye-level with sitting guests. A small but important detail. Behind it, a 32-meter Long Bar offers one of Shanghai’s “longest” wine and champagne selections by the glass.

The library, very zen.


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[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano (2)

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[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano (2)

Le Creme Milano (Shanxi Lu) Add: 434 Shaanxi Nan Lu , near Yongjia Lu / 陕西南路434号, 近永嘉路 Tel: 6433 5208 Hours: [Mon-Fri] 1-11pm [Sat-Sun] 11am-11pm Website: www.lecrememilano.com Price: 25 RMB/small, 35 RMB/medium, 45 RMB/large Passing by Le Creme Milano on my way home from dinner last Sunday was a bad idea. Already stuffed beyond capacity after a lavish meal,…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano (2)” →

[Shanghai] Cha & Living 春在中國

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[Shanghai] Cha & Living 春在中國

Cha & Living 春在中國

Add: Rm 102, Building 1, 1107 Yuyuan Rd, near Jiangsu Rd / 愚园路1107号1号楼102室, 近江苏路
Tel: 5403 5268 / 3430 7266
Hours: 11am-9pm
Website: www.chunzaidesign.com
Price: [tea] 35~45 RMB [desserts] 35~45 RMB [sets] 60 RMB
Visited: Jun 2011

Cha & Living is a modern Chinese-style furniture designing company from Taiwan. Their Shanghai flagship store – filled with precious aged elm wood, thick sandalwood, bamboo, palm, lacquer – is an endeavor to integrate beautiful cultural items into everyday life. The thoughtfully composed space, a pleasure to look at from every angle, also functions as a tea house.

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[Shanghai] The Living Room at Park Hyatt

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[Shanghai] The Living Room at Park Hyatt

The Living Room at Park Hyatt

Add: 87/F, Park Hyatt Shanghai, 100 Century Avenue 世纪大道100号, 上海柏悅酒店87楼
Tel: 6888 1234
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2-6pm
Price: [afternoon tea set] 218 RMB + 15% [tea/coffee] 60~65 RMB + 15%
Website: www.parkhyattshanghai.com
Visited: May 2011

Instead of going up to the 100th floor of Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) for a view of the Bund and be tortured by the clutter and clamor of rowdy tour groups, do yourself a favor and spend the time and money on an afternoon tea set at The Living Room at Park Hyatt. This bright and airy residential style lounge, located on the 87th floor of SWFC, offers a commanding view of the city that changes as the sun sets.

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[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano

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[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano

Le Creme Milano

Add: 173 Fumin Lu, near Julu Lu / 富民路173号, 近巨鹿路路
Tel: 5403 3918
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 1-10pm [Sat-Sun] 11am-10pm
Website: www.lecrememilano.com
Price: 25 RMB/small, 35 RMB/medium, 45 RMB/large
Visited: Nov 2010

Le Creme Milano is a delightful gelato cafe on Fumin Lu serving classic favorites such as stracciatella and tiramisu as well as seasonal flavors like mango and lychee. Fresh, light, and (relatively) guilt-free. There are 12 different flavors that rotate weekly, and we tried almost everything before figuring out what our taste buds craved the most. Pick 2 flavors with a small cup (25 RMB), 3 flavors with a medium cup (35 RMB), or 4 flavors with a large cup (45 RMB).

What I learned: gelato contains less fat (around 7% versus the 20% of ice-cream) and feels softer and smoother on the tongue, though it’s actually denser than ice-cream because it contains less air as a result of the slower churning speed during production.

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[Shanghai] Awfully Chocolate

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[Shanghai] Awfully Chocolate

Awfully Chocolate Add*: 169 Wujiang Road, Jingan District, InPoint Plaza #120 / 吴江路169号四季坊商场120号 Tel: 6267 9390 Hours: 10am~10pm Website: www.awfullychocolate.com Price: [ice-cream] 25 RMB/scoop [cupcakes] 25 RMB [truffles] 73 RMB/100g Visited: Oct 2010 Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Awfully Chocolate started out in Singapore as a cake shop that sells only one thing – a dark chocolate…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Awfully Chocolate” →

[Shanghai] Le Bistro du Dr. Wine

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[Shanghai] Le Bistro du Dr. Wine

Le Bistro du Dr. Wine

Add: 177 Fumin Lu , near Julu Lu 富民路177號, 近巨鹿路
Tel: 5403-5717
Hours: 5:00pm~2:00am
Price: [wine] 38-55 RMB/glass, 118 RMB and up/bottle [food] 48-88 RMB/pizza
Visited on: Aug 2010

In Shanghai, wine bars have been sprouting up like bamboo shoots after a Spring drizzle, and Dr. Wine is one of the newer addition to the scene. The decor is simple – leather couches, soft wood, warm bricks. The owners supposedly recycled materials from the original lane house to create a retro look for the wine bar. With a nice-looking wine list and classic wine bar menu items like charcuterie and sandwiches, Dr. Wine is ready to please.

If you want to splurge at Dr. Wine, you can. Vincent Landais (one of the owners) is a sommelier who has worked for Daniel Boulud in New York and Alain Ducasse in Paris. He makes sure that you can get a 1982 Chateau Lafite at Dr. Wine as long as you are willing to pay 45,000 RMB for the bottle. Or, for those of us with a thinner wallet, there are bottles starting from 118 RMB.

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