6/F, No.5 The Bund (Enter on Guangdong Lu)
Shanghai 200002 China
www.m-restaurantgroup.com
(86 -21) 6350.9988
Undoubtedly the most well-known restaurant in Shanghai, M on the Bund has played host to a staggering list of gliteratti. To name a few: Prince Andrew, Dolce and Gabbana, Helmut Kohl, Gore Vidal, Richard Branson ...and now, me. (Surely, I'll be added to their list of notable diners any day now. ;-) )
This fun and unpretentious restaurant isn't simply about being seen or hobnobbing with the well-to-do, but takes its food seriously. M has been on Meile's top 20 restaurants in Asia list for two years, and was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world by Conde Nast Traveler.
Before dinner, I went to the M's Glamour Bar one floor down to watch the lights of Pudong come alive as the sun went down. It's a great place to sit and enjoy a martini while staring out at the modern architecture across the river. The interior of the Glamour Bar hails back to days of salons, art deco and jazz. The spaces are comfortable and the mismatched cut-crystal glasses are exquisite. Later, the space comes alive with readings, music and the unexpected. Call for a reservation to get a window table.
The restaurant is warm an inviting, a mix of contemporary and classic design - whimsical yet sophisticated. The main focus is the food, fresh ingredients with European influences. Our starters were the red, green and yellow tomato soup - a very nice blend of flavors - and eggplant served three ways (above) - rolled with red peppers; charred with tahini and mint; diced with olives, almonds and parsley - and served with thin wafers. The eggplant dish would have been well-suited as a shared appetizer for the table as it was too much for one person.
For the mains, the risotto with green, spring vegetables (above) was excellent. The risotto had a nice firm texture and the vegetables were at the peak of flavor.
The tagliatelle with zucchini, lemon zest, fresh herbs, pine nuts and parmesan (above) was strong on the lemon. My dinner companion liked that the chef was not afraid to make a flavor dominate. I tend to go for more balanced plates.For dessert, a chocolate bomb had a hard chocolate shell with an airy almost ice cream-like filling. It wasn't excellent, but good and refreshing, and plenty large enough to share.
There was a reasonable selection of wines from all over, with a good selection of wines by the glass. Service is good and friendly. Expect to spend about $50 a person before wine.
Make reservations early to get the choice tables at the windows.
