[Shanghai] The Commune Social

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The Commune Social

Add: 511 Jiangning Road, near Kangding Road / 江宁路511号, 近康定路
Tel: 6047 7638
Hours: [lunch] Tue-Fri 12-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 12-3pm [dinner] Tue-Sat 6-10:30pm (closed on Mondays)
Price: [lunch] 178-258 RMB/set [dinner] 200-300 RMB/person
Website: www.communesocial.com
Visited: Oct 2015

Light lunch at The Commune Social, a tapas / dessert / cocktail bar by Jason Atherton. If you’ve lived in Shanghai for a while, you recognize this name – he is the chef the behind Table No. 1, one of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai years ago. His second venue in town is – again – designed by Neri & Hu, and the rustic industrial chic continues here with raw iron, reclaimed wood, unfinished concrete and exposed bricks. Lovely texture and patterns.

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There are a few distinctive spaces within The Commune Social, and the idea is to have drinks in the courtyard, some light bites at the open-kitchen Tapas Bar, then move to the Dessert Bar to see the pastry chefs at work, and finish upstairs at the Cocktail Bar. That’s a lot of movement for one meal. Since it was a nice day out, we chose the courtyard seats and were quite happy staying in one place.

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[Shanghai] Table No. 1 at The Waterhouse

Table No. 1

Address: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家園路1-3號1樓, 近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2918
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 6~10:30pm
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Price: [lunch] 178 RMB+15%/person, [dinner]300~500 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2012 (visit 1, 2)

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

I love Table No. 1 in daylight, but it is even more charming after dark. With candles lit on every table, this minimally decorated dining room becomes quite a romantic spot, and whether you are here for a date (choose a window seat) or a friendly gathering (choose a communal table), this place will not disappoint.

Our table looked into the interior courtyard, across which we could see some actions from the kitchen.

There’s also a semi-private room available for those looking for more seclusion.

I started the meal with a Dirty Lychee Martini (80 RMB), muddled lychee fruits shaken with lychee liqueur and Absolut raspberry vodka, while my friend went for TN1. Mojito (80 RMB), muddled mint leaves and lime mixed with Havana Blanco rum and topped with soda. Thumbs up to both.

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[Shanghai] Restaurant Week at Table No. 1

Table No. 1

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家園路1-3號1樓, 近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2918
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 6~10:30pm
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Price: [lunch] 178 RMB+15%/person, [dinner]300~400 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2012 (visit 1, 3)

By the time I got around to making Restaurant Week reservations, most of the places that I’d like to visit are already fully booked. I was glad to find, however, that Table No. 1 – one of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai – still had open spots. Lunch it is.

The dining room, designed by Neri & Hu, is spare, plain, rustic. It quickly filled up after I snapped this picture, but somehow the space never got too rowdy even with a full house. Bonus points for that.

The cuisine at Table No. 1 is characterized by the use of fresh, seasonal, and top quality ingredients. Take this starter for example: salmon tartare, quail egg, radish, cucumber and tea vinaigrette – clean plating, refreshing flavors.

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[Shanghai] Table No. 1

Table No. 1

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家園路1-3號1樓, 近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2918
Price: [lunch] 158 RMB+15%/person [dinner]300~400 RMB/person
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Visited: Feb 2011 (visit 2, 3)

I had an instant good feeling as soon as I stepped into The Waterhouse. It’s chic in the unusual way of broken tiles, exposed bricks, and rough edges, charming especially during the evening with elusive candle lights adorning the tables. Its contemporary European restaurant, Table No. 1, is ran by Jason Atherton, one of Gordon Ramsay’s protégés, and offers some very interesting dishes. Yes, it’s got one of those menus that have you perusing for twenty minutes before deciding what to order.

While the dinner a la carte menu is difficult to choose from because there are so many good-looking items, the lunch menu is much more succinct: 2 appetizers, 3 mains, and 2 desserts, priced at 178 RMB (+15%) for three courses.

The first appetizer, a rabbit rillette, was topped with a satisfying layer of duck fat and encircled by a beautiful mix of pickled vegetables, gelée, and toasted walnuts. Served with two pieces of bread, drizzled with olive oil and grilled to perfection.

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