Famed French chef Nicolas Le Bec moved to Shanghai with his Chinese wife and opened Bistro 321 Villa Le Bec. Then, in 2017, he doubled down and on the same street he opened a shop/cafe/wine bar called Épicerie & Caviste 62 Le Bec (the number is the street address). An epicerie is a grocery and a caviste is a wine shop in French.
The visit
Actually this place is even more. It sells fresh baked pastries and other products coming from Le Bec’s kitchen (including his famed pate).
The wine cellar is beautifully stocked and offers a comfortable space for having a glass of wine. Or two. Or three.
But I was there for the food. They have two menus. One features classic cafe dishes that are reasonably priced. The second menu includes some of Le Bec’s more elaborated dishes and they come at a premium.
From the premium menu I had the cold tomato soup with a burrata that was excellent. A very good dish for the Shanghai hot summer.
The croque monsieur came with a small salad. The bread was crisply toasted and super-filled with cheese.
My biggest discovery was this creamy chocolate mousse. I would easily devour two or three on every visit.
Also of note, they have Alain Milliat juices and nectars, that are simply the best in the world.
The check
My little brunch cost me 255 RMB (37 USD). Not cheap, but the final check was mainly influenced by the tomato soup with burrata (130 RMB). If you can resist the temptation to order from the premium menu, prices are quite reasonable.
Where in Shanghai:
62 Xinhua Lu, by Panyu Lu
In Chinese: 新华路62号, 近番禺路
Nearest metro: Jiaotong University station.
Note: they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays at lunch.