New & Noted Restaurants

Il Nascondiglio

What: An Italian dinner party with strangers

Where: Address sent upon reservation. Email: [email protected]

Why: You’re in need of a home-cooked meal

In London, New York and Paris, pop-up restaurants in private residences have been all the rage for years. Just catching up to the times, Shanghai’s first underground eatery has launched its clandestine operations deep in the French Concession. Without the help of a degree in the culinary arts or even an oven at the moment, Fabrizio and Ting spend their weekends feeding strangers with home-cooked Venetian cuisine.

Buffeted by one of those creaking, old staircases, the tucked away lane house they found to call home (and restaurant) has been meticulously kept up, which the couple attributes to the fact the house was once owned by Chiang Kai-Shek’s family. Rumour has it Chiang proposed to Soong May Ling in the house, adding romance to the already-charming building. Fabrizio and Ting have brought their own flavour to the room, softly lighting the space with candles and outfitting it with enchanting Venetian masks.

As the guests arrive, usually pair by pair, the nervous introductions give way to toasts as the hosts pour aperitifs to break the ice. By the time the first course arrives, pleasantries reach a common ground, usually musings on the plate at hand, and conversation begins to flow between strangers. A hired musician scores the experience with lively piano music on Fridays.

Currently, Fabrizio serves either a carne or pesce menu. Squid was the fish of the day for our dinner and we ate three courses of it in addition to fresh ravioli bulging with sea bass and a sweetly sour lemon meringue tart to send us on our way.

Is it the best Italian food in town? No, but the plates are comfort food at its best, and the environment draws you in. It’s no wonder they named it Il Nascondiglio, ‘The Hideout’ in Italian; they’ve created a world you never knew existed in Shanghai.