(That's Shanghai)
Updated: 2007-12-07 10:17

Owner Richard Xavia is promoting his newest venture as a high-end French brasserie with mid-range prices. And, thanks to the work of acclaimed chef Philippe Leban, Hamilton House is more than mere hype.

From the lunch menu (RMB 90 for two courses, RMB120 for three courses), the oysters and mackerel were excellent: the delicate pickled flavor shined and there was no trace of fishiness.

Dinner mains range from RMB 85 to RMB 230 and the wine list is respectable, if not extensive. That said, some guests will find the open interior off-putting and lacking intimacy: quiet corners and private areas are virtually non-existent.

But privacy isn't the point here. Rather, with a wall of windows facing the up-and-coming Jiangxi Lu, the point here is to see and be seen.

Hamilton House
Open: 11am-1am.
Location: 137 Fuzhou Lu, by Jiangxi Lu
Tel: 021-63210586
Cost for two (excluding drinks): RMB 300