FIRST LOOK: The Picnic on Jianguo Xi Lu
As anyone who lives or works in the vicinity of the Jianguo Xi Lu and Wulumuqi Lu intersection knows, there has been a big gap in your morning coffee and lunch options since The Pantry shut down. The Shanghailander has been bravely trying to meet all your coffee and pastry needs, but The Picnic is a great addition to this newly happening neighborhood. We say they picked a good time what with the Capella hotel’s opening setting off a revitalization of this strip.
Coffee keeps me going until it’s acceptable to drink wine
The Picnic, owned by the same owners as Bin 74 on Fuxing Lu, is collection of concepts that all adhere to the “drink club and snackables” motto you see as you enter. In the morning you drink coffee, later in the day it’s wine and they serve the accompanying snacks at all times of day.
The cafe area right as you enter
Street-side al fresco dining
The main area is hybrid cafe and retail area, which includes outdoor seating. They set forth to celebrate the concept of a picnic as a rare opportunity in China. They provide the pieces to create your own picnic that you may either take to go or enjoy here in their soon-to-be-completed garden area. They will allow you to SIT ON THE GRASS and are dog friendly.
The red velvet latte (RMB 40) is one of the SPECIAL-ATTEs created by head barista, Butter, who worked at Fumi previously.
The drinks list contains classic coffee options ranging in price from RMB 22 for an espresso to RMB 45 for an affogato. The SPECIAL-LATTES contain no coffee and use only natural ingredients. We found the sweet potato and beet root with a bit of hazelnut flavor to make for a very nice red velvet latte.
A selection of their sandwich cubes
An assortment of wines priced RMB 100 to RMB 1000 and above
They are still working out some of the details, but you will eventually be able to choose from the sandwich cubes, mix-your-own salads and an array of sliced meats and cheese plus the wines for your picnic baskets. We tried the sandwiches and found the fillings and the buttery toast perfect for a light snack; especially the potato egg (RMB 15). It’s basically a perfectly prepared Spanish tortilla between bread which makes sense given Chef David Jiang spent some time at El Willy. The tuna melt and guacamole egg (RMB 18) are both quite nice.
Chef David’s experimental kitchen
Moving on to the next area is quite surprising. Just beyond the meat and cheese is a hidden izakaya that serves as Chef David’s experimental kitchen. The food does not adhere to a traditional Japanese izakaya menu and veers into Pan-Asian fusion. In fact, if you are lucky enough to find yourself here at happy hour, they might pass some test items around.
Stuffed eggplant is a lightly savory dish (RMB 38)
Marinated scallop on a shiso tempura leaf with avocado pepper sauce and pickled ginger (RMB 48) is an amazing bar snack
A very special take on shao mai (RMB 36) replaces the wrapper with delicate steamed cabbage
The final area is a hidden bar accessible to members (RMB 10,000 to RMB 100,000) and VIP customers. Do not let the member prices scare you, there is plenty to enjoy at non-member price points. Personally we will not be finding ourselves to be VIP anytime soon but, we look forward to seeing what else The Picnic throws at us in the future and we will definitely be back.
Address: 481 Jianguo Xi Lu
Tel: 5456 6090
Hours: Daily 7am to 2am
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