The 14 Best New Restaurants of 2017... So Far

By Betty Richardson

Here's a roundup of the best-rated restaurants, casual eateries and cafés we've reviewed this year...so far. Where you see 'book a table here' written you can – you guessed it – make a free real-time reservation with a our awesome new booking partner Baomi. Bon appétit...

Restaurants

Homeslice

One of the first restaurants to open in subterranean bar and restaurant spot Found 158, British restaurateur and chef Nat Alexander (also of the Yangjingbang pop-up series) raised the bar for pizza by the slice when he opened this fun New York subway-inspired spot.

Catering cheesy carbs to tipsy expats isn't exactly a hard sell, but what makes Homeslice special are robust and flavorsome 48-hour aged sourdough bases, and quality toppings like housemade fennel sausage, fresh ricotta, mozzarella and many more. Best of all was when they started doing delivery via Sherpas.

Standout Dish: white pizza with artichoke, sausage, gremolata and Parmesan cream (above).

Homeslice, 158 Julu Lu, by Ruijin Yi Lu 巨鹿路158号，近瑞金一路

Okaeri

Atmospheric Okaeri is a quality addition to the Jiashan Market area, serving contemporary, feel-good flavors of Taiwan in a buzzy izakaya-like setting, where drinking whisky highballs and shochu is of parallel importance to eating.

Particular favorites include the deep-fried oysters, fried chicken with calamansi and scallions, sake-steamed clams, and the signature braised 'lo mei' platter. The only downside? the menu is in handwritten in cursive Taiwan Mandarin with a Sharpie pen on brown paper – bring a Chinese-reading pal!

Standout Dish: deep-fried oysters with Thai basil (above)

Okaeri, No. B103, Jiashan Market, 259 Jiashan Lu, by Jianguo Xi Lu 嘉善路259弄，嘉善老市内B103，近建国西路

Hooked

One of the strongest restaurant openings within Found 158 (so far), Hooked is The Camel Group's love letter to three of their favorite things: craft beer, craft beer and craft beer. Just kidding – Hooked's other specialties include proper battered fish and chips with mushy peas, poke bowls and retro Brit dessert classic: deep-fried Mars Bar with vanilla ice cream.

Standout Dish: Panko battered cod with chips and mushy peas (above)

Hooked, LG-5137, 158 Julu Lu, by Ruijin Yi Lu 巨鹿路158号5137，近瑞金一路

Book a table by pressing the QR below:

Palmetto

Southern food done right – Palmetto charmed us with its affordable and delicious homey dishes, notably the chicken fried steak, cornbread with sorghum butter, hushpuppies and free-flow sweet tea. Outside, this relaxed and cheerful spot benefits from a patio terrace, and hosts the Shanghai Comedy Club open mic every Tuesday and Sunday.  

Standout Dish: buttermilk fried chicken with pickles (above)

Palmetto, Bldg A3-1, 800 Changde Lu, by Changping Lu 常德路800号秦公馆1楼A3-1号, 近昌平路

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Sober Kitchen (Sober Company)

Following the success of Speak Low, Japanese mixology maestro Shingo Gokan achieved legendary status with the opening of Sober Company, a triple threat café, cocktail bar and kitchen concept. On the first floor, guests sip aperitivo and nibble on casual brunch plates and desserts; venture up a floor and find a bustling kitchen and bar that takes style notes from New York's China town.

Sober Company was also named on the 2017 edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars, a remarkable feat for a venue just months old.

Standout Dish: foie gras mapo tofu; Ka's fried chicken

Sober Company, 99 Yangdang Lu, by Nanchang Lu 雁荡路99号, 近南昌路

Dodu

Fancy French rotisserie has been something of a recurring theme with this year's new openings, and Dodu, a pint-sized operation on Changshu Lu, has led the charge thanks to their juicy 'Label Rouge' specification chickens bred specially in Taiwan. See also the tasty housemade pâté and creamy dessert pots.

Standout Dish: roasted chicken with cauliflower cheese gratinée and pesto green beans.

Dodu, 81 Changshu Lu, by Changle Lu 常熟路81号，近长乐路

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The Chop Chop Club

Paul Pairet continued his reign as monarch of the Bund with this sophisticated grill concept inside Three on the Bund. Inspired by his childhood 'race to the dinner table,' guests must bid for their choice of either a single or whole portion of Chop Chop's large format dishes, like côte de boeuf and Dover sole. We also loved their 50 percent of booze before 7.30pm mandate; who can say no to an RMB150 bottle of wine on the Bund?

Standout Dish: grilled octopus with lemon and aoli (above); chargrilled chicken 'Americain'

The Chop Chop Club, 2/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Guangdong Lu 中山东一路外滩3号2楼, 近广东路

Bombay Bistro

This sleek Indian restaurant impressed us with their high quality curries, naan breads and delicious charred tandoori grilled meat and seafood. With chic interiors and a bar churning out decent cocktails, Bombay Bistro shows a more refined side to Indian dining suitable for impressing guests, without sacrificing traditional flavors and techniques.

Standout Dish: tandoori masala prawns (above)

Bombay Bistro, 2/F, 47 Yongfu Lu, by Fuxing Xi Lu 永福路47号2楼，近复兴西路

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Sushi Taro Ten

Having opened quietly earlier in the year, this immaculate sushi-ya is set to give Shanghai's Japanese omakase institutions a run for their money. The restaurant's original branch in Fukuoka has Michelin Star pedigree and is noted for its reserved style, which head itamae Nakanishi Hirohisa represents faithfully at the Shanghai branch. The set menu here affords plenty of top-quality marine delights, including luscious chutoro (fatty tuna belly) and uni (sea urchin) from Nagasaki.

Standout Dish: N/A (seasonal menu, chef's choice only)

Sushi Taro Ten, 466 Jianguo Xi Lu, by Yueyang Lu 建国西路466号, 近岳阳路 

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Highline

An ambitious all-day dining project by proprietors Cody Allen (Le Baron), Michael Sun (Muse Group) and John Liu (Coquille, Scarpetta), Highline found its feet when power chef duo Anna Bautista and Sean Jorgensen were brought on board to curate a menu of elevated American cuisine with a California soul. Since then they've rolled out an extremely popular brunch menu, and seen the restaurant's stunning al fresco terrace become one of the hottest tables to book during warm weather.

Standout Dish: Slow-roasted M5 wagyu prime rib; fried chicken and waffles (above, brunch service only)

Highline, 6/F, 282 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Huangpi Nan Lu 淮海中路282号6楼, 近黄陂南路

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Diner

The American comfort food trend has shown little sign of slowing this year, with renowned local chef Austin Hu's Diner being case in point. Like its elder sibling Madison Kitchen, Diner offers indulgent but casual eats that offer serious bang for comparatively little buck. Being a small space with a no-reservation policy, a wait often precedes chowing down at Diner, though for smashed patty burgers and pancakes, we'll oblige.

Standout dish: meatloaf with chicken brandy gravy and cheesy mashed potatoes (above); smashed patty wagyu cheeseburger

Diner, 145 Wuyuan Lu, by Wulumuqi Zhong Lu 五原路145号, 近乌鲁木齐中路

Cafes and Casual Eateries

Pâte

A creative blogger and chef foodie power couple are behind Pâte (French for 'dough'), an Insta-chic patisserie haven in Fuxing Soho near Xintiandi. Former digital marketing consultant and Instagram blogger Whitney Ng (@LittleLofts) handles the visuals and operational aspects of Pâte, while patissier Ting Ting Chang takes charge of elegant, Japanese-influenced sweet (and soon to be savory) bites that are baked in-store.

Standout dish: kouign-amann pastry (above back)

Pâte, Room E107,  SOHO Fuxing Plaza, 462 Hefei Lu, by Madang Lu 合肥路462号复兴SOHO广场1楼E107室, 近马当路

Ban Ban by Sproutworks

On rare days that we feel compelled to 'eat clean,' this new opening from the Sproutworks clan makes the job a game – and a tasty one at that. Start with either a grain, green (read: kale) or noodle base, choose a protein and 'style your bowl' with one of six flavoral themes and head to the free-flow topping bar afterwards. At RMB65 a throw, we say this is the one of the best ways to nutrient-load, though for extra virtue, add a bowl of on-trend bone broth.

Standout Dish: 'Soul in Seoul' bowl with chopped steak (above left)

Ban Ban by Sproutworks, 5/F, Room L5-518, iapm Mall, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Xiangyang Lu 淮海中路999路环贸iapm商场5楼518室, 近襄阳南路

Brut Cake Cafe

One part food blogger and one part chef, F&B power couple Priscilla Young and Jun Wu made their mark with Melbourne-style café and kitchen, Brut Cake Café. Opened in partnership with local furniture brand Brut Cake and local roastery MQ Coffee, the cozy space offers cheerful and good value lunch and brunch sets, and has a stepped decking out front that catches the afternoon sun.

Standout Dish: Red coconut curry grain bowl

Brut Cake Café, 698 Yuyuan Lu, by Zhenning Lu 愚园路698号, 近镇宁路

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