Glam restaurant review - Shanghai, China

Shanghai dining and cultural trailblazer Michelle Garnaut has added a glamorous yet unpretentious stylish haven to her fold. The first to spot the potential of the city’s then dilapidated riverfront Bund as an entertainment and dining destination when opened her now iconic ‘M on the Bund’ restaurant in 1999, the Australian’s newest cocktail lounge and bar sports suitably sophisticated interiors that take their cue from the jewel-like tones of a peacock’s feathers. Minimal this is not; Shanghai-based Duncan Miller Ullmann’s design flaunts Garnaut’s trademark eclectic aesthetic with a crystal curtained entrance, deep velvet armchairs arranged in a series of cosy seating areas around low tables, a retro-style vintage bar, and strikingly contemporary artworks from Garnaut’s private collection – all set in a rich palette of blue, green and gold. The menu offers ‘shared’ plates like chili salt-crusted bean curd and black beans or ginger-glazed duck dome pie while a bespoke-design ‘Folly Trolley’ presents innovative desserts including our favourite, Pavlov’s Dog, in a glass. We were also somewhat taken with the inspired gin and tonic pick ‘n’ mix menu with cherry blossom or elder flower tonic water and dill flower ice, served in vintage etched glasses.