Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tipping
is never expected, w hich may be one reason why service standards
aren't quite up to international levels, but some of the pricier places, and most
hotel restaurants, add a fifteen percent
service charge
.
Fast food, cafés and breakfast
For
fast food
,
McDonald's
,
KFC
and their ilk are everywhere like a rash;
C
rather better - and certainly healthier - is the Asian fast-food noodle chain
Ajisen
(
味千拉面
;
wèi qi
n l
miàn)
; there are convenient branches at 327
Nanjing Dong Lu, 518 Huaihai Zhong Lu, and in the basement of Raffles
Mall. Every mall and shopping centre has a cluster of fast-food restaurants,
either in the basement or on the top floor. A good one is in the basement of
Raffles Mall on Fuzhou Lu.
Street food
is not as prevalent here as elsewhere
in China, but there are a few places worth trying - see the box on p.111 for
more details.
Unlike many other Chinese, the Shanghainese are famous for their sweet
tooth, a tradition that dates back to the period of the International Settlement.
They are indulged by
bakeries and pastry shops
across the city; try Nanjing
Dong Lu or the bakery at the
Westin
(see p.107).
Café
culture has really taken off in Shanghai, and every mall and shopping
street now boasts a
Starbucks
, or representatives of the better but pricier Italian
chain
Bonomi
, or the Taiwanese
Manabe
. As any tourist itinerary here involves
lots of fairly unstructured wandering around, visitors might find themselves
spending more time than they thought people watching over a cappuccino.
Finally, many visitors find the Chinese
breakfast
of glutinous rice and fried
dough sticks unpalatable; fortunately, there are plenty of places for a good
Western breakfast - best are
Wagas
(see p.115),
Zentral
(see p.114) and
Element
Fresh
(see p.114).
Places are generally open every day, but there are no standard
opening times
so we have included these in the reviews below.
People's Square
Barbarossa
芭芭露莎
bā bā lù shā
231 Nanjing Xi Lu, inside People's Park. 11am-
late.
This mellow, onion-domed Arabian
fantasy is beautifully situated by the lotus
pond in Renmin Park, and makes a great pit
The Bund and Nanjing Dong Lu
Bonomi
波诺米咖啡店
bō nuò m
kā fēi diàn
Room 226, 12 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu.
8am-10pm.
On the second floor of the
former HSBC Building, this stylish little
Italian café feels like a secret club, and has
a lovely tiled terrace too. Whisper “café” to
the doorman, head up two sets of stairs
and follow the sign. The coffee is good
though the sandwiches are pricey.
Westin Bakery
Bund Centre, 88 Henan Zhong Lu. 9am-7pm
.
Tucked at the back of the over-the-top
Westin hotel lobby (see p.107), this good-
value bakery deserves a mention for being
understated (in contrast to the hotel). Tasty
cakes, tarts and coffees are served - treat
yourself to a lychee vodka truffle (¥7).
113
Barbarossa
