Cantina Agave and Pirata return, Dogtown to close and more

It seems that summer is already nudging its way into Shanghai... best enjoy those al fresco happy hours before that urban jungle heat settles in and outdoor hanging will only be enjoyable beside the swimming pool. Along with that, as ever there's a lot of good stuff going on in the world of food and drink.

Speaking of al fresco, it seems like a terrace table on Fumin Lu is the place to be right now. First, Cantina Agave is back with plenty of outdoor seating and 50-65RMB cocktails – score. The lunch and dinner menus are full of totally delicious sounding things like Mexican rice bowls, poblano mac and cheese and blackened fish tacos.

Just next door, Funkadeli has a new weekend brunch by chef Austin Hu (Madison Kitchen, Bonobo, Union Trading Company). The dishes don't wow, but they do the trick – especially when enjoyed on the outdoor patio and paired with free-flow of Funkadeli's fantastic Aperol spritzes.

Get way more excited about the other secret thing Chef Hu has been up to. His new retro-style American diner (called Diner) is set to open soon on the corner of Wulumuqi and Wuyuan Lus, and it promises to have all the sinful eats your hungry heart desires. See you there soon for foie gras French toast.

If you love the sound of Diner, then also keep an eye out for incoming OH.MY.BURGER!, a fast-casual joint that's going to have eight types of burgers with 'Asian twists' and three types of fries; plus cocktails, beer, juices and smoothies on the drink menu. No exact date yet, but it's set to open on Jianguo Xi Lu near Hengshan Lu sometime within the next two weeks.

Now, when it comes to dessert, new summery treat spots are emerging week by week. There's Korean brand Kiss the Tiramisu, a recent arrival on Fumin Lu that's dishing out tiramisu-style ice cream. No no, not just tiramisu flavour – these cups have a generous smear of sweet marscapone on the inside of the glass, which then gets filled with marscapone soft serve ice cream, coffee drizzle, toasted Walker's cookie crumbles and a dusting of cocoa powder. There's also strawberry and matcha with red bean flavours. Grab one at the new opening price of 28RMB.

Cosy and pet-friendly café Coffee or Tea on Xiangyang Lu has the awesome cookie ice cream sandwiches from Strictly Cookies, available in an array of combos like oatmeal raisin cookies with apple cinnamon ice cream (totally the best one); peanut butter cookie with strawberry ice cream; brownie cookie with mint ice cream and others; each 35RMB, and they're big. So damn good.

There's also chic new dessert bar and patisserie Pâte in SOHO near Xintiandi, and it is fabulous. Run there for the lemon and thyme tart, avocado cheesecake, coconut water latte and pretty much everything else on display.

And then there's very newly opened Spoooon! on Yongkang Lu, where the team is doing house-made frozen regular and Greek yogurts – the last of which is particularly delicious – loaded up with fresh fruit and dry toppings of your choice.

Still in the dessert realm, bakery and café Bread etc. has some new menu items for the season, like a smoked duck salad and a lighter, more veggie-filled take on beef bourguignon. The team will also be opening up a second location this summer over on Nanjing Xi Lu – one more place to get that awesome shakshouka.

Still more to go... over on Haifang Lu near Xikang Lu in Jingan is a new restaurant called Zeitgeist that's doing 'Bavarian classics' and draft beer from the barrel. Expect lots of sausage, schnitzel and other hearty fare. There's also word that Ling Huang's sorely missed former 'tapas kitchen and bar' Pirata is returning to Shanghai in a new spot on Dongping Lu. And if you still haven't heard, everyone's favourite fishmongers at Little Catch now have a third spot sharing the space with Alter over in Xintiandi in the space formerly home to Spread the Bagel (which is looking for a new venue).

On a final note, it's time to say peace out to Shaanxi Bei Lu walk-up bar Dogtown, which will be closing at the end of the month due to classic lease renewal issues. Bye bye, sidewalk cocktails and beer.

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