Gpanda feel free to ask follow-up questions as you plan your trip. Also, Bob has my email. Are you coming to the LA GTG?

Paul, thanks for your report! I've been so busy, I'm just now getting around to reading it. You're going to the LA gtg? Great! I'll be there.

Another bravo! Wonderful. I plan to return to Shanghai next winter and will put Restaurant 1221 on my list! Excellent report..many thanks, Paulo!

Thanks everyone. Hope to meet some of you in LA.

Great report! Always nice to see a major city through someone else's eyes and experiences! ((y))

Nice report, Paulo. But I think you missed finding the Taikang lu "art district". The activity isn't actually 'on' Taikang Lu but down the lanes on the west(?) side of the road. I used to start at Lane 210. Look for an ad for the bar/restaurant Kommune in a City Weekend or other local magazine and cut that out to give to your taxi driver. Also, I read that the Community Center is offering tours of the area May 6 thru June 10, 2009.

Here's a link to an article posted March 27, 2009 referring to the area. The photo is from the Taikang Lu art district.
http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/modules...le&sid=1104059

Hmm. Maybe I did miss it somehow but we walked around this whole region. There are a few small restaurants and shops but it looked to me that the lanes in the area were under reconstruction. Hopefully someone who goes soon can check it out and report back.

Paulo I was just over for work last March and never visited the Taikang lu area. I did not know it existed! It would be easy to think it was just that street though. Lovely little shops and cafes are in a maze of laneways just off the main street. Some look like an alley but go in further and its really lovely. I told my husband I want to live here when I ever get to move to Shanghai for a year or two...some day I will! I never get to the lovely Chic places in Shanghai when working over there as we have lots of time conbstraints but the Whompa club i hear is great. I will try for 1 upmarket restaurant visit next time.

My new favourite place to eat in Shanghai is 789. My Chinese friend loves it and we always eat 1-2 times here when i come over. Its a chain of Hot pot restaurants where each person gets their own soup pot and you order loads to cook in your pot. Its a nice modern looking place and you place an order many types of soup like fish spicy tomato/beef etc in your hotpot and then go to a sectoon where you get a bowl and mix up dipping sauces for example; garlic, scallions, oils , Chili and terriaki sauces etc. When the plates of raw meats (thinly sliced to cook fast), shrimp & veg etc come out you take what you like and place in the pots.......Dinner for 8 was about 80 euro with drinks and we tipped. I love eating out in China as I can always afford it. I think we ate at LAN with wine in Beijing and it was about 40 euro a head whoch for what we ate was pretty great. I pay that for an OK meal in Dublin with wine.

I meant to say never visited Taikang peior to my Mrach visit!

Thank you, Paulo59, for your excellent report. I really enjoyed reading it and giving us such good details to help me plan our upcoming trip.

I'm hoping to find restaurants and bars in the French Concession area as we are staying at Old House Inn. The FC area sounds lovely!

And, I've marked the soup dumpling restaurant you recommended highly -- Din Tai Fung. I watched a couple of videos over the weekend on the Travel Channel. The soup dumplings, the pork & crab dumplings were a highlight. If they are half as good as they look on tv we'll be in for a real treat!

You mention you like wine (I do, too). Did you (or anyone else here) come across wine bars, per say that you liked or wanted to try?

DH enjoys scotch. I'm guessing the large hotel bars would have single malt scotches?? Any recommendations for him as I need to keep him happy on the trip, too. ;)

Thanks again for a very enjoyable and informative trip report.

BeachGirl: Your inn has a small bar and across the street is the nice Huashan Hotel, and there are a couple of other nice ones behind it. For simple inexpensive food, turn left from your inn, walk to the corner and try "Bifengtang", my DM goes there weekly.

I am interested in hearing your comments about the inn.

BeachGirl: Oops, I meant turn right from your inn.

I'll give it a try, Shanghainese. Thanks!

Beachgirl: Glad you enjoyed the report. Sorry but I did not notice any wine bars per se but Xintiandi has a wide variety of cafes and restaurants, many of which serve good wine so you can probably walk there from your hotel. If you have a chance go to the rooftop bar at the Meridian some night and you can get good wine or scotch and watch the amazing night lights. We stayed there so we did that several nights as a treat. Have a wonderful trip.