Building on the enduring success of its Gaoyou Lu restaurant, Lost Heaven has opened an ambitious new location near the Bund. The place is huge. It’s a four-storey temple to the tastes and traditions of Yunnan and its near neighbours, Tibet, Burma, and Thailand. 

The “Mountain Mekong” food is served on the sprawling second floor restaurant, an open space made intimate with split-level floors and table-targeted lighting. 

The complex also has a lifestyle store on the ground floor that sells handicrafts and homeware inspired by Chinese minorities. There’s tableware, bedroom linens, throw cushions and a selection of chocolates (not for throwing), which all look well made.

The third floor is home to a bar and a wonderful, expansive terrace lined with leafy bamboo. The fourth floor lounge bar looks like a fine location for private parties, with a balcony and a wooden floor that looks intensely danceable.  

All of this might sound a bit overwhelming, and it is, but there’s no need to order from every section of the architectural menu – each floor holds its own independently.

What about the food? Well, we’re waiting for the hype to die down a bit and for the restaurant to hit its stride before making an assessment. Stay tuned.

Lost Heaven on the Bund
17 Yan’an Dong Lu, near Sichuan Zhong Lu. Tel: 6330 0967