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PLACES BEGINNING WITH 'R'
rbt’s new concept outlet in Pudong undergoes a startling makeover from tacky neighborhood teahouse to a modern, minimalist establishment with one of the best views around. Facing the Bund, the small tables outside are good for an afternoon of solitude with your favorite book or a gossip session with one or two friends. The traditional-style tables and chairs inside are ideal for groups of four to six people. If you’re rolling with a large group, head down to the basement. The lower floor, good for private parties, resembles someone’s living room with comfortable couches and small wooden tables. Claiming to infuse “100% understanding of Chinese culture into each cup of tea,” rbt offers a wide range of leafy liquids. A combination of tea and chocolate comes with two delicate homemade chocolates and a personal pot of tea (¥ 55). Delicious black/green/fruit/sutra pearl teas cost ¥ 46-55; but the weak and rather expensive coffee (¥ 40) can’t compete with the neighboring Starbucks. Freshly baked bread, sandwiches, caesar salads and desserts range from ¥ 12-46.
Opened: Jan 26.
What: Shanghai’s first girl-meets-girl club located in the mainstream world of a bustling entertainment complex.
Look: The only red we saw here was the small stage nestled at the back. The rest of this rectangular-shaped club is dark and smoky, decorated with blinking LED lights and elegant chandeliers. Hidden behind two long couches, the small bar table leaves little space for people to mix and mingle, but there are plenty of seats around for you to sit down and chat. Perhaps most eye-catching is the long stage with two dance poles, positioned in the center of the club and open to anyone who thinks they can entertain with their moves.
Music: Old school Euro dance and cheesy house. Somewhere along the line of ‘Ya ya ya coco jumbo ya ya ya’.
Opened: July 13, 2007.
What: A bookstore in the Shanghai Sculpture Space selling art and design books in different languages, a concept not too common around the city.
Look: Keeping it clean and crisp, the interior is mostly white, augmented, obviously, by the books. While the space is small, the book selection seems vast, with eye-popping, curiosity-inducing covers.
Buy: It’s a designer’s paradise. Whether you want inspiration on interiors, landscapes, publishing, or photography they probably have it. The volumes start from around ¥290, with the highest priced book we saw around ¥600. The one that grabbed our attention most, after the excellent photography and graphic design section, was a book of Chinese propaganda posters (¥380).
People: Those who strolling by Shanghai Sculpture Space, and feeling inspired by the art, want to take a little piece of it home in book form, if only to adorn the coffee table.
Fans of Pasti, the cozy pasta place on Xikang Lu, should take a walk around the corner and check out friendly restaurateur Moritz Fischer’s newest venture, Red Rock. This restaurant, which looked a bit spartan on our visit, has a few shortcomings, like tables that crowd a group of four when the plates arrive, and a seemingly uselss downstairs coffee bar. But Red Rock delivers when it comes to no-frills, casual food that looks to California and Australia for inspiration (and Jamie Oliver, as Fischer is a big fan of the Naked Chef’s approach to cooking). Two things were ourstanding on our visit: the fresh baked breads that arrived in a yeasty cloud of steam straight from the oven, and a 22oz Australian T-bone, that, while expensive, could easily feed three with a few side dishes. The charcoal grill in the kitchen imparts a rich smokiness to the chops, fish and burgers, and while some creative menu items are slightly ill-conceived (like the grilled caesar salad), most things are simply satisfying.
Take a ride up the evening escalator to this crisp new venue, cradled smack in the middle of things. With its glittering red glass tile walls, crimson pool table and lipstick leather booths, the Red Room is a bar that surprised us with its combination of a cool interior and some very low drink prices. Beers and mixed drinks run from just ¥10-30, mixed shots like B52s are ¥10, and bottles jump off at ¥200-400. It’s a magic price point that can bring wild salarymen, university students and foreign exchange kids together into one vibrant, sweaty mass. A DJ setup in the corner hooks into a startling powerful sound system that was pumping out a heady mix of hip hop and party tunes to a flushed crowd at their recent opening. Look for some upcoming monthly parties that revolve around planned open bar nights on the weekend.
It may come as no surprise that Red Station is very red, and unfortunately very tacky. But with a new look and new management, it has reopened with a softer touch than its rough-edged predecessor.
The venue is bathed in warm red lighting, giving it a cozy, intimate feel. But forget about bringing a date here, unless you’re happy sat next to a bunch of dice-playing, bottle-buying businessmen that take up the tables lining the walls. The oval-shaped bar is simple and well-stocked, but our eyes were drawn to the elevated DJ booth – dramatically accented by a huge shiny electronic board behind.
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