Casanova
913 Julu Lu
Tel: 021 5403 452
At the west end of Shanghai's gentrified Julu Lu hides a jewel of an Italian restaurant. Aptly named Casanova, this restaurant fights for its right to be sophisticated amidst a thinning row of hostess bars. But inside the dark wood inte-rior of Casanova, filled with white-clothed tables and deep leather banquets, is a quiet oasis and the perfect spot in the area for a business lunch done right. The set menu is an incredible value with three courses and a glass of red or white wine for RMB98. Choose from authentic offer-ings like Insalata di Rucola with fresh shrimp and shaved parmesan, Saltimbocca, and homemade apple pie for dessert. Seven set menus rotate throughout the week, but each one, designed by executive chef Fabio Camilloni and director Paolo Velini, serves up some of the truest, tastiest Italian food in Shanghai. Come for lunch, stay for grappa and бн be sure to check out the stylish Velvet Lounge on the first floor when it opens this month!

Kunlun Hotel
No. 2 Xin Yuan Nan Lu,
Chaoyang District
Tel: 010 6590 3388
The Kunlun was the first all-Chinese five-star ho-tel when it opened in Beijing in 1989, but a more recent facelift courtesy of international design whiz Bilkey Llinas has made the brown-brick lady by the Liangma River catch eyes a lot quick-er than the traffic moves outside. Long a reliable stopoff for suits with appointments in the nearby Capital Club or Lufthansa Center, the Kunlun has Shanghainese, Cantonese and Japanese dining options, but there's something about the open-ness of the Four Seasons Garden Coffee Shop just above the lobby that packs them in. It's prob-ably the sun streaming through the clockwise first-floor atrium the restaurant spans. It's open 24 hours, but the best time to sit in the sunlight and wicker chairs here is for lunch, served from 12.00 to 14.00. Among a la carte and buffet se-lections, the highlights are a dim sum assortment and a garlic creamed Mandarin fish ringed with green beans and mixed vegatables. Colombian coffee and egg tarts finish the deliberations and dining. Lunch for two at RMB250, including a 15 percent surcharge.