Best Brunches
Brunching in Shanghai is a serious weekend pastime, the perfect way to catch up with friends and reward yourself with deliciousness.
But what brunch do you crave? This city serves it all. Free-flow Champagne with a perfect Bund view, hipster hangouts, and enough menu choices to satisfy almost every hankering – from classic eggs Benny to steamed xiajiao shrimp dumplings, and chocolate fountains galore.
Fiesta Brunch: Maya
Huevos, huevos, huevos … farm-grown free range eggs are what Maya’s weekend brunch is all about. These happy eggs come in à la carte brunch plates with a gourmet Mexican twist.
Sit back and munch on Pan de Maiz Huevos Benedictos (poached runny eggs over chorizo, served with a corn muffin and red pepper hollandaise sauce) or Huevos Con Carne (two eggs with grilled steak and chimchurri sauce). Everything on Maya’s brunch menu is an affordable RMB 50 or less, but bottomless sangria (RMB 125) or margaritas (RMB 150) can also make for a boozier Mexican feast.
Every weekend, 11am-5pm. RMB 85-100 per person (including one drink). Maya, 2F Shanghai Grand Plaza, 568 Julu Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu. Tel: 6289 8889
Guests to Impress: Le Bistrot, Le Royal Meridien
It’s the beginning to a beautiful Sunday. Le Royal Meridien’s La Vie en Rose themed brunch strikes a sleek, party-filled atmosphere – making it a perfect spot to entertain guests over a long, leisurely brunching session.
The Mumm bubbly is free flowing. Magicians try their best tricks, pretty in pink nurses serve tableside therapeutic cocktails, and DJs get things bumping. This hotel brunch also has one of the most impressive spreads in town – caviar, foie gras, fresh seafood, dim sum, an eggs Benedict station, terrace barbecue, and we must not forget its absolutely mouthwatering chocolate and dessert bar.
The little ones also have a special play area, where they can watch movies with a tub of popcorn, and grab a snack from their own mini food station.
Every Sunday, Noon-3pm. RMB 418 (+15%) with Mumm champagne, RMB 518 (+15%) with Mumm Rose Champagne. Le Royal Meridien, 789 Nanjing Dong Lu. Tel: 3318 9999 x 7007
Brunch in Style: Issimo, Jia Hotel
Like your brunching sessions with a touch of style and class? Issimo’s ‘Sundissimo’ brunch should be at the top of your list. The venue has a sexy, rustic ambience with its hip décor, classy leather seating, and open kitchen that’s complete with a wood fire oven.
On Sundays, the restaurant created by celebrity chef Salavatore Cuomo offers traditional Italian family-style dining with a four-course brunch set menu. Choose one antipasto (like pate de foie gras with red onion compete, for example), two pastas, and one main (such as breaded Milanese veal). Brunch is finished off with a selection of desserts and coffee, and for an extra RMB 138, you can make Sundissimo even more intoxicating with its free flow prosecco/mimosa/bellini deal.
Every Sunday, Noon-3pm. RMB 198. Jia Hotel, 2F, 931 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Taixing Lu. Tel: 6287 9009
Continental Brunch: Cristal
A stone’s throw away from the once thriving Wujiang Lu food street, Cristal offers a decent number of choices for each course on its weekend set menu. Its fine continental brunch menu arrives with picture-perfect presentation and includes roasted venison, Atlantic salmon and a generous Cristal Deluxe breakfast platter. You won’t regret their choco attack dessert platter either, which is rich and indulgent enough to put you in a serious, yet wonderful, chocolate coma.
We also love Cristal for all its sunshine potential – a stunning skylight overhead and a spacious outdoor terrace with views of Nanjing Xi Lu make for a gorgeous weekend afternoon.
Every weekend, 11am-3pm. RMB 168 (three courses), RMB 198 (four courses), or add RMB 188 for unlimited Pommery champagne. Cristal, 4F, 269 Wujiang Lu, near Taixing Lu. Tel: 6136 1388
Kids’ Brunch: Café Bistro, Sheraton Hongqiao Hotel
Hey Mom and Dad, don’t forget kids need VIP treatment too! Check out the Sheraton Hongqiao Hotel, where brunch features a Teddy Bear Kids Club complete with a special kids’ menu and playground facilities – including a children’s tent, colouring kit, a movie area and remote control cars, among other cool toys. Of course, there’s some fun for everyone, as parents can also indulge in free flow sparkling wine, and an abundant spread of oysters, lobster, crab and an array of Asian and continental delicacies.
Every Sunday, 11.30am-2.30pm. RMB 258 (+15%), RMB 129 (+15%) for children ages 4-11. Sheraton Hongqiao Hotel, 5 Zunyi Nan Lu. Tel: 6275 8888
Getaway Brunch: Le Meridien Sheshan
It may be a 45 minute trek from downtown Shanghai, but Le Café’s brunch at Le Meridien Sheshan is well worth the trip for those looking for a bit of R&R. Head out of the city with the help of Le Meridien’s free shuttle bus, which takes you from downtown to the hotel, then enjoy a sumptuous buffet that rivals some of Shanghai’s best downtown brunch fare.
And if your jeans are feeling a tad too snug after this gorging session, brunchers also have complimentary access to the hotel’s indoor swimming pool and gym facilities – a great way to work off some calories, or just lounge the weekend away.
Every weekend, 11.30am-2.30pm. RMB 318 (+15%) or RMB 398 (+15%) includes free flow champagne, wine and cocktails, RMB 160 for children under 12. Le Meridien Sheshan, 1288 Linyin Xin Lu, Sheshan. Tel: 5779 9999 x 7722
Pearl of Pudong: Danieli’s, St. Regis Hotel
Upscale, and deservingly so, Danieli’s serves authentic Italian fare done right. The food is top notch, and its simple and wholesome dishes are paired with free flow Moet & Chandon champers. we also like this brunch for its setting – a cosy dining room atop the St. Regis Hotel’s 39th floor where you can take in panoramic views of Pudong.
Every Sunday, 11.30am-2.30pm. RMB 438 (+15%) with champagne, or RMB 318 (+15%) food only. St. Regis Hotel, 889 Dong Fang Lu, Pudong. Tel: 5050 4567
Dim Sum: Lynn
Heavy-hitting weekend? Need a hangover cure? Unlike many of the champers brunches on this list, Lynn’s all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch may actually help you get over your hangover, instead of causing another one.
The magical combination of barbecue pork buns, fried dough, shrimp dumplings and custard-filled buns help soak up the previous night’s alcohol with all those carbs and glorious grease. It may not be the best dim sum, nor the most authentic Cantonese dining experience in town, but at RMB 88 (including tea) it’s an economical option that keeps people coming back for more.
Every weekend, 11.30am-2.30pm. RMB 88. Lynn, 99-1 Xikang Lu, near Nanjing Xi Lu. Tel: 6247 0101
Head Spinning Brunch: Epicure on 45, Radisson Hotel New World
Peep the UFO atop the Radisson Hotel, flying high just north of People’s Square. It’s Shanghai’s most famous flying saucer and also home to one of the best sky high brunch spots, the Epicure on 45. Located on the hotel’s 45th floor, 208 metres high, the restaurant has dizzying views of the city’s skyline and revolves 360 degrees in two hours.
Every Sunday, 11.30am-2.30pm. RMB 295 (+15%), or RMB 380 (+15%) including free flow sparkling wine, white or red wine, beer. RMB 110 for children under 12.
Courtyard Brunch: Kommune
Tucked away in Taikang Lu’s shikumen art district, Kommune is the place to be if a laidback, bohemian brunch is more up your alley. Its outdoor courtyard is one of Shanghai’s most coveted patios during warmer months, and a great place to laze in the sun while enjoying Kommune’s Big Daddy breakfast. For RMB 79, this well-sized BBQ breakfast platter will fill your tummy with three eggs, griddle-fried hash browns, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and toast.
Every weekend, 7am-5pm. RMB 79 (includes juice). Kommune, Building 7, 210 Taikang Lu. Tel: 6466 2416
Victorious View: Vue Restaurant, Hyatt on the Bund
This is where you savour the good life. And for a whopping RMB 588, you should definitely expect to. There’s an air of exclusivity at Vue, with its intimate ambience, attentive service and slick design that’s conceived in the style of a penthouse bachelor pad.
Sip on the best of the best – Perrier-Jouet bubbly – and enjoy gourmet food cooked at live tableside cooking stations. Although this is an all-you-can-eat affair, Vue’s selection isn’t as extensive as some of Shanghai’s other hotel brunches. But here, the emphasis is on quality, not quantity, and the freshness of this brunch’s seafood, lobster bisque, beef tartar and crepe suzettes reminded us how amazing food tastes when it hasn’t been sitting under a heating lamp for hours on end.
Looking out to the Vue’s famed 270-degree view over the Bund and Huangpu River make this brunch even more memorable. You can bet this is where we’ll be heading for our next birthday do.
Every Sunday, 11.30am-3pm. RMB 588 (+15%). Hyatt on the Bund, 30F West Tower, 199 Huangpu Lu. Tel: 6393 1234 x 6328
Family Day Out: The Stage, Westin Brunch
Known as the mac daddy of brunches, the Westin’s Stage brunch is our pick for an over-the-top family day out. There’s something for everyone at this food extravaganza. Two floors (yes, that’s right … two!) of fresh seafood, sizzling teppanyaki, handmade Italian pasta and Chinese dim sum, free flow champers, vodka and wines. Then, there’s the entertainment – a spectacle of sorts, where you can witness acrobatic feats, tango grooves and magicians, all while listening to a 12-piece string orchestra and opera performances.
Need something for the kidlets? The Stage has that covered too. An on-site nanny helps out at the Kid’s Corner, where toys, cartoons, games and food are on hand to entertain the kids in this memorable experience as well.
Every Sunday, 11.30am-2.30pm. RMB 498 (+15%), RMB 230 (+15%) for children ages 4-12. Westin Bund Center, 1F, 88 Henan Zhong Lu, near Guangdong Lu. Tel: 6335 0577
