According to legend, Casanova owes his womanising charm and sexy swagger to the 50 oysters he ate daily for breakfast – while in the bathtub. Allegedly one of nature’s most potent aphrodisiacs, these yonic bivalves are best devoured raw. Just in time for the most romantic day of the year, the voracious appetites at TALK slurped our way through the city to discover Shanghai’s best deals on the half shell.

Kakadu

This Australian restaurant stays close to its Oceanic roots with their Oyster Tuesdays: a dozen Kiwi-imported bivalves paired with two glasses of easy drinking New Zealand Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc. Served plain with a squirt of lemon or a sweet pico de gallo, the oysters go down quickly, just like the wines. For those who like a higher alcohol to mollusk ratio, Kakadu’s oyster shooters come in three flavours: Bloody Mary, sake and tequila.

Oyster Deal: RMB 150 for a dozen oysters and two glasses of wine (Tuesdays only)

8 Jianguo Zhong Lu, near Chongqing Lu. Tel: 5468 0118

The Long Bar at The Waldorf Astoria

At the end of the longest bar in town lies a bed of ice, seaweed and delicious oysters. The Long Bar imports six varieties twice weekly, and the teensy Kumamato (known as the “Champagne of oysters”) are the perfect non-threatening bite for beginners. Oyster aficionados should request a freshly shucked, unwashed Barron for a mouthful of brine and meat. We’re purists when it comes raw oysters, but The Long Bar’s thai chili sauce was a revelation.

Oyster Deal: RMB 208 for “Opulent Table Side Potocki Vodka Martini” with three oysters

2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu. Tel: 6322 9988

Osteria

This French Concession trattoria serves up eight varieties of oysters, mainly from America’s Pacific Northwest, but Canadian, Australian and French bivalves are also on the menu. Come Tuesdays, the restaurant turns into “Oysterlia”, and two pink notes scores 14 West Coast oysters and three glasses of wine. In the name of research, we sampled all the house whites on hand, with a selection of the oysters, and found the versatile Virgins paired nicely all around.

Oyster Deal: RMB 197 for three glasses of wine and 14 West Coast Virgin oysters (Tuesdays only)

226 Jinxian Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu. Tel: 6256 8998. Web: www.osteriaspirit.com