Balthazar

What: Casual French Brasserie in a great area

Why: Affordable, simple, good quality food

How much: RMB 200 per person (including a glass of wine)

Where: No. 7, Lane 155 Jianguo Lu, near Ruijin Lu. Tel: 6473 0820

If you’ve been hiding under a table with your eyes closed and ears blocked for the past six weeks, it may have escaped your notice that larger-than-life restaurateur, Eduardo Vargas, has opened three new restaurants in quick succession. This is one of them.

Located in the Tianzifang area (the back lanes of Taikang Lu), Balthazar is the perfect option for warming up over dinner after a spot of shopping or art collecting. The space, in an old house, provides intimate enclaves over three floors, including one large table that sits alone between floors which would be perfect for parties.

The atmosphere is cosy and the greetings from the staff are friendly and welcoming. The baked oysters Rockefeller (RMB 65) with spinach, bacon and hollandaise are perfect for sharing between two – the six large pieces might be a little overwhelming for one.

Adventurous diners might want to start with the escargot (RMB 45) in sizzling garlic and tarragon butter, which are delicious and soak up plenty of buttery flavour from the sauce.

Main courses start at an incredibly reasonable RMB 68 for fish and chips and the USDA prime brasserie burger, but if you’re looking to splash out, seafood fans will love the black cod bouillabaisse (RMB 140, pictured below), with mussels, prawns, scallops, fennel and saffron broth served with a crusty stick of bread to soak up the left-over juices.

The most expensive dish on the menu is the black angus steak frites (RMB 200), with grilled, dry-aged USDA angus sirloin, béarnaise, spinach and pommes frites. Each of the items are served separately and simply, allowing the steak to stand alone without muddling the flavours. Our medium-rare steak was served more rare than medium, but that’s a common occurrence in Shanghai. The frites are hands down one of the best uses of potatoes in town – they are uniformly crunchy, with just the right amount of saltiness and a fantastically natural flavour.

For dessert, try the excellent profiteroles (RMB 35), filled with ice-cream topped with steaming, rich chocolate sauce, or finish your meal by lingering over an Artisanal Cheese Board (RMB 100 to 150 depending on the number of cheeses) and a glass of wine.