[Shanghai] Colabo

Colabo

Add: 3/F, Wanke Plaza, 37 Shuicheng Nan Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu 水城南路37号万科广场3楼, 近延安西路
Tel: 6295 2172
Hours: 11am-11pm
Website: colabo.cn
Price: [lunch] 60~130 RMB/person [dinner] 150~250 RMB/person
Visited: Jun 2011

I can’t believe I haven’t already blogged about Colabo. This Japanese-run Italian restaurant (Gubei branch) serves one of my favorite lunch sets in Shanghai, and is my natural go-to place when I don’t have a particular restaurant in mind. It’s typically filled with Japanese families (this is Gubei, after all) and can get a bit rowdy with the kids, but overall the space is light-hearted and delightful. They don’t take reservations for lunch on weekends, so come before noon or expect to wait outside.

The lunch set at Colabo is either 60 RMB (appetizers + pizza/pasta) or 80 RMB (appetizers + pizza/past + desserts). Drinks are 15 RMB with the set, and a few specialty items (e.g. spaghetti with crab in tomato cream sauce and quattro fromage pizza) require additional RMB. In total, the price should be somewhere between 60~130 RMB, unless you order a la carte dishes from the dinner menu.

The daily changing appetizers are usually very well put together. Today’s selection consisted of duck meat pate with mustard sauce, marinated bell papers with anchovies, and broccoli calamari salad. Delicious stuff.

My favorite pasta at Colabo is spaghetti with crab in tomato cream sauce (+30 RMB), and most people would agree. Order it and you will not be disappointed.

The pizzas at Colabo are also excellent. My usual favorite is the Pizza Capricciosa (120 RMB a la carte), which is actually a combination of four different flavors. Since that’s not on the lunch set menu, we ordered quattro cheese pizza (+25 RMB), another excptional choice. The crust is thin, chewy, and loaded with nothing but cheese and cheese and cheese (and a sprinkle of parsley and pepper to taste). Eat it just as it is, or drizzle with a few drops of hot chili oil.

Desserts also change daily at Colabo and are typically quite good. Today’s dessert plate consisted of a light cheese cake and a refreshing grapefruit jelly with chunks of orange. Perfect ending.

Colabo also has branches in Xujiahui (Gateway Mall), Jianguo Lu, and Fenyang Lu. I personally frequent the Gubei branch, though many prefer the Fenyang Lu one because of its location in an old French Concession villa. Do know that each branch has its own style and the menu differs quite a bit, but the spaghetti with crab in tomato cream sauce is a classic that can be found at all locations.