A French bistro known for their excellent execution of traditional French charcuterie taught by Monsieur Maurice, a French grandpa whose family has been in the meat business for generations.
Racines
Add: 41 Guangyuan Road, near Yuqing Road / 广元路41号,近余庆路
Tel: 6448 3851
Hours: 6-11pm
Price: 350-400 RMB
Visited: Oct 2015
French bistro by Japanese chef Kenji Ishibashi, who was trained in Marseilles and Nice before working as chef at Mardi Gras and La Queue du Chiot here in Shanghai. His most recent project, Racines, has been up and running for a few months now and gathering good reviews, so I dropped by earlier this week for a try.
Racines (“roots” in French) is located on the first floor of an apartment building without apparent signage – it’s definitely not a place you’d notice if you just walk by. I suppose they don’t really want walk-ins anyway, as the place is small. There are three seats in front of the open kitchen, and the tables can accommodate about 18 people. There are only two people in the kitchen – Kenji Ishibashi and his assistant, and only one service staff.
The menu is scribbled on a blackboard (very French indeed), the list is fairly short but there are many attractive options. It took us quite a while to get anything – I guess two people in the kitchen isn’t exactly a lot – but when the dishes did arrive, they were delicious. The meal started on a good note with bread and some very good butter and chicken liver pâté.
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Onde
Add: 346 Liverpool Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010, Australia
Tel: (02) 9331 8749
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 5:30~10:15pm [Sat-Sun] 5:30~11pm
Website: www.onderestaurant.com
Price: [entrees] 17~19 AUD [mains] 20~32 AUD [desserts] 10~12 AUD
Visited on: 2012-04
It was a full house when we arrived at Onde, a small neighborhood bistro that regularly attracts a crowd with its French-influenced cuisine. Nope, they don’t take reservations, so you better come early.
The interior design is simple and sleek with a rather interestingly sculpted wall. It’s a tightly-packed space and not exactly the best spot for quiet dates (expect to rub elbows with diners at adjacent tables), but I actually quite liked the snugness of it all.
Handwritten menu.
We started with Sugar-Cured Salmon with Shaved Beetroot, Chervil and Horseradish (18 AUD).
Le Bistro de L’Ouest
Add: 287 Hunan Lu, near Wukang Lu / 湖南路287号, 近武康路
Tel: 6433 8561
Hours: 6pm~2am
Price: 200~300 RMB/person
Visited on: Jun 2012
Have you ever heard of that “small French bistro” on Hunan Lu, the one that “doesn’t even have a sign”? Well, I finally had the chance to dine there for a friend’s birthday dinner, and oh my, what a roaring good time it was.
Le Bistro de L’Ouest occupies two floors of a non-descriptive lane house on Hunan Lu. There are no signs at the door, so make sure you got the right building number and just walk right in.
The birthday girl knows the folks at Le Bistro de L’Ouest, who orchestrated a lovely family-style dinner menu for her at the cost of 200 RMB per person, wine included. Here’s everything we had, starting with the bread basket.
Saucisson.
Escargots.
Franck
Add: Ferguson Lane, 376 Wukang Lu, near Tai’an Lu / 武康路376号, 近泰安路
Tel: 158 2167 6767
Hours: 6~11pm last order (open daily)
Website: www.franck.com.cn
Price: 450~600 RMB/person
Visited on: Jun 2012
Despite all the negative reviews Franck has received (most of which targeted its service and price), I had a very charming dinner here just a few evenings ago. The prices are still up there, but the service has improved dramatically since the restaurant’s earlier days, while its ambience remained as bewitching as always with its Jazzy lounge music, exposed light bulbs, and dark wood furnishings. And the food? Fantastique.
The menu du jour, scribbled in French on two blackboards, offers a selection of hearty dishes that changes according to the availability of ingredients. Our waiter, a young Chinese man who has been working at the restaurant for 4 years, was knowledgable about the details of each dish and happy to explain.
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Chez Patrick Deli
Address: 1/F, 5 Star Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong / 香港灣仔星街5號1樓
Tel: (852) 2527 1408
Hours: 11:00am~11:00pm
Website: chezpatrick.hk
Prices: [lunch] 90~220HKD, [afternoon tea] 90HKD, [dinner] 300~380HKD
Visited on: 2011-12-24
When I stumbled upon Chez Patrick Deli, I was instantly attracted by the warm glow that flowed through its floor-to-ceiling windows. In plain view – a rustic yet modern interior, wooden furnitures, dark timber fishes, pendant lighting. I just had to go in to find out what this is about.
Star Street
A quick browse of the menu will tell you what Chez Patrick Deli is: an all day French bistro serving homey dishes. The cherry on top? It’s got a grocery counter that stocks a fine selection homemade products – perfect for lunch or dinner takeouts.
Chez Patrick Deli
Interior
Pendant lighting
As it was 3:00pm in the afternoon, I sat down for an afternoon tea set (90HKD), which includes tea or coffee plus one “douceur” of your choice – tart, cake, crepe, floating island, creme caramel, or eclair. I opted for a cup of latte, though the tea selection by Mariage Frères was also very attractive, and certainly brought back fond memories of my evening in Ghent, Belgium.
Cuivre
Add: 1502 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu 淮海中路1502号, 近乌鲁木齐路
Tel: 6437 4219
Hours: [daily] 6-10:30pm [weekend brunch] 11:30am-2:30pm
Website: www.cuivre.cn
Price: [dinner] 250~350 RMB/person [brunch] 188 RMB/set
Visited: Nov 2011
It’s hard to not notice the warm glow exuding from Cuivre’s windows if you pass by its storefront. This upscale French bistro, adorned with copper coils (very approrpiate given the name Cuivre, “copper” in French), leather chairs, woven wood/bamboo light fixtures, is a welcoming and slightly quirky place. Fill the space with Michael Wendling’s straight-forward and delicious Southern French fare, and we’ve got a winning combination.
Bikes converted into bar seating? They don’t look very comfortable.