There is a great French restaurant hosted in a villa in the heart of the Former French Concession in Shanghai. This beautiful place is the brainchild famed French chef Nicolas Le Bec who, in 2012, decided to move shop from Lyon to Shanghai (hint: his wife is Chinese).
He took him a couple of years to turn the villa, dating back to the 20s of last century, into a multi-function dining destination that now includes a bistro, several private dining rooms and two gardens.
The visit
In my second visit in early October 2018 I was seated in the backyard garden. It is a spacious but yet intimate location. If the sun is not too hot, this is one of the best outdoor dining locations I visited in the Former French Concession.
The bread arrived still warm, in the form of two types of ciabatta bread.
I started with a rich pâté en croute, a French dish that could be defined as a meat pie. But much better than a meat pie… the meats and the spices were perfectly amalgamated under the pastry shell. While it is certainly a filling dish, I found it delicate.
Then I had one of my favorite dishes in the world, a beef tartare. I had high expectations from this beef tartare and I was not let down.
The waiter aptly mixed the beef with an egg, crushed capers and some Tabasco pepper sauce. The result was a dish of exquisite texture and taste.
Then I was served the main consisting in a lamb shank (the shank is the portion of the meat around the tibia of the animal). It came along with mashed potatoes.
This was a very compact yet meaty piece. The skin was lightly fried adding to the flavor. It was a bit dry, but the great sauce that came with it solved any issue. I found it an excellent execution of this French classic.
Unfortunately, at this point I had no room for a dessert. There were some attractive specimens on display in the bistro.
I was also happy to find on the menu Alain Milliat juices (otherwise they do not have many options for people who do not like alcohol).
The check
For these three dishes I spent 680 CNY (basically 100 USD). It is not the check of your everyday bistro… however it should be noted that most dishes were perfectly suitable for sharing between two people.
Given the quality of the food and the surrounding (with English speaking staff) I have no problem with this price point. I think Villa Le Bec is the perfect place where to taste authentic French food in Shanghai.
Pro-tip: for a memorable experience if the weather permits try to get a seat in the garden and if you have a party try to use one of their private rooms.
Where in Shanghai:
321 Xinhua Lu
Address in Chinese: 新华路321号
More information on the restaurant’s website.
They also operate a wine bar called Epicerie 62 at 62 Xinhua Lu.