The second Restaurant Week of 2010 has come and gone and, once again, Shanghai’s food-lovers were out in force to taste the special menus and leave their feedback on the Dining City website. After the votes were tallied, Palladio was the deserved winner of the Best Restaurant award, with a phenomenal average rating of 9.6 from Restaurant Week diners. Sir Elly’s and previous winner T8 were hot on Palladio’s heels as diner favourites and the award for Best Asian Restaurant went to Moonsha Teppanyaki.

Now, with the long, hot summer days behind us and the national holidays drawing to a close, it’s time to take a look at what lies ahead. So what’s on the menu for Shanghai this autumn? Steve over at Fields, the online grocers with a social conscience and a mission to bring fresh, seasonal (and organic where possible) produce to the city, tells us he’ll be offering plenty of pork, sausages and short ribs; perfect for thick, warming stews and casseroles. Wild game birds, such as squab, quail and pheasant will be popping up on menus all over town.

Pumpkins are also in season and not just for Halloween jack o lanterns, they’re great in risottos, curries and pies. New crops of potatoes are being harvested and autumn is the perfect growing weather for salad and delicious, crispy apples and pears.

One of our top picks for autumn dining has to be Cristal on Wujiang Lu. Not only have they got a fantastic autumn menu with dishes like pumpkin risotto with sautéed fresh seasonal mushrooms and farmer squab and French duck in tandem, a delicious sounding combination duck breast and squab leg combined with goose liver and served with a fig and apple chutney, they also have one of the best terraces in town and this is the perfect time to enjoy it.

Other top spots to enjoy some of the best of the season are Downstairs at URBN Hotel where chef Marc Beckwith works with local food suppliers and focuses on natural, honest food that still manages to be super sexy. Fresh food advocate Willy Moreno of El Willy changes his menu four times a year in order to play around with as many seasonal foods as possible – both also have some of our favourite outdoor dining areas to make the most of the al fresco season.

In other autumn dining news, we’re looking forward to the the official launch of the Grand Melia hotel’s Italian restaurant Acqua, and its Spanish offering, Albero. They’ve been open for several months with various Michelin-starred chefs at the helm who have been here for Expo. Now that the World’s Fair is coming to an end, it’s time for these two restaurants to show what they’re made of and how their mark on Shanghai’s dining scene will evolve.

Rosso Italiano up at 1933 has a new chef, Genoan Leandra Carrega. He’s put together an inspired new menu focusing on his native Ligurian cuisine, an area that is woefully under-represented in Shanghai’s Italian restaurant scene. Influenced by its location between the mountains and the sea, Ligurian cuisine features lots of fresh seafood and makes use of as many fresh and local ingredients as possible.

Amuse Bouche: We’ve discovered the best Bellini in town and it’s at Madison over on Dongping Lu. This expertly made combination of peach puree and champagne is light and refreshing and makes the perfect start (or finish) to Austin Hu’s upscale but casual, fine-dining menu.

RestauRANT: It’s amazing how even the most basic service standards can be profoundly lacking in restaurants that pitch themselves in a high-end bracket. Staff should know how to handle their silver and glassware properly; that is not grasping them firmly in your palm and covering them with fingerprints. Here’s a hint: hold wine glasses by the stem and serve cutlery from a plate or tray – House of Roosevelt and Hamilton House take note!

Web: www.diningcity.com