By Joaquin (smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2008-03-10 11:29

As a Spaniard living abroad for many years, I've come accustomed to "Spanish" restaurants attempting to distinguish themselves by offering gimmicky concepts and ill-conceived localizations of classics. Not only do these restaurants fail in terms of offering food that is truly Spanish, but also in offering food that is palatable and worth the price.

"el Willy," formerly know as "Diage," recently re-launched a few weeks ago to a packed house (no doubt due to its free-flow champagne and free finger foods). el Willy is a Mediterranean restaurant, but more specifically a Spanish venue. Their main specialty is their paella, a traditional Spanish dish comprised of saffron-spiced rice and a variety of meats and shellfish. el Willy offers nine types, including pigeon and "Chinese sausage" varieties. The dish is meant to be shared between two people and ranges in price from 130rmb to 180rmb.

The decor of el Willy is Diage with a slight face lift: a light, pastel color scheme, billowy silk curtains, velvet throw pillows, and earthen textures on the walls. It's a nice, relaxed atmosphere. At times it strays from Mediterranean décor into what looks like Balinese, but on the whole it's a serene and laid-back atmosphere. Some real thought went into the interiors but they didn't overdo it.

My dining guest and I started off with lightly braised lamb chops (52rmb) and then savored beautifully-presented tender king fish cured in vinaigrette (45rmb). The carefully prepared and surprisingly moist beef cheek medallions served on top of a rich creamy filled fieulle was the most of intriguing of the dishes we sampled (45rmb), but none of the others disappointed. Their star dish, the "Lobster juicy paella" (180rmb), didn't shine as brightly as the rest of the dishes, but still managed to leave a palatable impression.

If you enjoy sipping a glass of Spanish red with your meal, then you'll definitely be satisfied with the selection of Spanish wines offered.

el Willy has managed to focus its energy and ambition on its food, and the chef has clearly designed a fresh and creative menu. Although they specialize in paella, they haven't forgotten about the complimentary appetizers and soups that round out a Spanish meal.

And so, it's definitely a great place to go to if your looking for Spanish favorites, or simply curious about a tasty new experience. With one or two appetizers, a paella to split between two people, and two glasses of wine, your total bill will be in the 300rmb to 350rmb range. Not dirt cheap, but fair.

Hopefully in time, el Willy can come up with competitive lunch deals to add more flavor to the daily lunch scene on Puxi.

Pictured is the "Traditional Catalan codfish salad with a modern twist" (55rmb).

el Willy
Phone 5404 5757
Address: 20 Donghu Lu, near Huai hai Lu near Huai Hai Lu