IN BRIEF

Restaurant with a view

Located in a 2,000-square-meter transparent glass corridor 14.6 meters above the ground, the View Restaurant in the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Pavilion serves buffets featuring over 30 selected Chinese and Western dishes, as well as fresh seafood. It also provides banquets for commercial meetings and parties. The restaurant, with seating for 320, has a special VIP area, where chefs and waitresses from Shanghai Park Hotel provide great service and award-winning cuisines. A bird-eye's view of the amazing architecture of Expo pavilions and incredible skyline beyond the Huangpu River is a bonus.

Cooking in the Kitchen

Kitchen at Cooking Studio now features a class that combines a private cooking lesson with a catered meal. Classes on May 25 and May 30 will teach basic grilling and barbeque techniques, ranging from how to prepare buffalo chicken wings and pork ribs, to lamb and beef skewers. Classes cost 90 yuan per person.

Room 101, Building 75, 1295 Fuxing Road M, 021-6433-2700

French treat

With its two restaurants nestled on the tree-lined Wulumuqi Road and in the Gubei area, Caf Montmartre offers a variety of authentic French cuisine. Its focus on rich and smoothing classic dishes ranges from the simple cream of mushroom soup to the robust balance of grilled lamb chops, with business lunch set as a steal. Open for lunch and dinner with a weekend brunch at the Hongmei Road location.

Gubei branch: 3911 Hongmei Road, 021- 6261- 8089

Changle branch: 66-68 Wulumuqi Road M, 021- 5158- 9377

Hot Spanish

Opened on May 8, Spanish restaurant La Finca serves typical Spanish tapas downstairs in a pleasant environment and offers a more luxurious dining experience upstairs, with the added bonus of a large selection of wine. Restaurateur Maria Libao, who owns 17 restaurants in Spain, brings a slice of Spain to Shanghai with her dream team of chefs. The restaurant offers excellent food in a hip setting.

373 Huangpi Road S, 021-5383-2998

New groove

Loosen your tie, sit back and enjoy a relaxing night listening to the chilled-out music at the W Bar. The spacious dance floor and a live performance every Friday and Saturday night add to ambiance. The newly opened bar offers buy-one-get-one-free soft drinks, beers, and red and white wine during its happy hour from 6 pm to 9 pm through May.

First level of Garden Plaza, 2088 Yan'an Road W, 021- 6083-7567

Location, location

The Mandarin Hotel's convenient location between Putuo, Jing'an and Changning districts, has helped it tap into a new demographic of business travelers. The beautiful view of Suzhou of Shanghai's Creek is the icing on the cake.

1086 Changshou Road, 021-5256-2222

(China Daily 05/14/2010 page45)