(smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2007-06-29 09:56

The open design of Cafe Transat is utterly convincing: an inviting terrace smoothly joined to a bright dining room. Neighboring businesses will have to pull their socks up if they want to stay in competition for by-passers. Service is well-trained, swift and friendly-surprisingly good for a new joint. Nomen est omen: Food is basically a hodge-podge of international classics - basically everything from everywhere.

Similarly, the concept seems neither fish nor flesh: open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and in-between as well... at reasonable prices though, with breakfast at around 30rmb and lunch sets starting at 58rmb. Tried a lunch set with "potato soup" (luke-warm, but tasty, served without bread), "Very Special Croque-Monsieur" (a less than average toasted ham and cheese that is supposed to be prepared in a waffle-maker, and therefore absent of any crunch, or criss-cross pattern on the outside) with fries (nicely spiced-up) and finished with a "Mousse au Chocolat" (a hidden Maraschino Cherry makes up for its lack of fluffiness) washed down with a decent cup of coffee (included in the menu, freshly brewed and as good as coffee can taste). We will definitely pay Transat another visit, probably again at lunch - other diners seemed pretty happy with their choices.

Cafe Transat
Address: 8 Jinan Lu, in Xintiandi, near Taicang Lu
Tel: 021-5382 8370