Coquille

Coquille is located on Mengzi Lu, a mere stone throw away from the ever hip and trendy Xintiandi. Keywords here are seafood and French with a dash of Asian, all done up in a delectable and elegant way. The unforgettable dishes at Coquille will leave you raving about it.

The perfect word to describe Coquille is refined - the double-storey venue is far from pretentious, yet there is a certain gracefulness in it that is rare in Shanghai's oft conceited and overly flashy dining scene. The first thing guests see upon stepping in is a brightly lit seafood bar displaying a variety of fresh sea fare. The rest of the restaurant is characterized by French village-inspired furniture, minimalistic décor, and airy, nicely spaced out tables. Soft lighting sets the tone for their vision of an elegant space that guests can relax in, and shell motifs peek out in places, a subtle nod to their namesake.

The focus here is on traditional French fare that is kicked up a notch by modern Asian influences. They've earned a great reputation for seafood, it's all fresh and seasonal, and a great way to ease into a meal here is with a platter of oysters.