Organization:

Fu 1039

1930's-style restaurant in Shanghai

One of the nicer restaurants in town, and the fact that it is under-the-radar makes it that muck more appealing to spend an evening enjoying delicious food in nostalgic surroundings.

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Dining next to an opium bed - Image taken at Fu 1039, by Sara Naumann and featured in an article on about.com reviewing the restaurant.

You can't see it from the street. You first turn into a non-descript lane (no sign whatsoever) on 1039 Yuyuan lu, and walk about 100 meters before turning left into the restaurant garden. The classy 1930s house, quite beautifully illuminated, has a nice garden to be enjoyed come summer time.

The inside is where Chinese bling bling meets medieval chic. There are gorgeous, cavernous private rooms, complete with leather chairs, oversized mirrors and chandeliers; each can accommodate 10 to 20 people. There is also a big main room where you can sit with a friend or two.

Few foreigners are aware it exists, so it is mostly filled with chattering locals; although packed between 7 to 9, it is virtually empty after 9:30pm, even though it doesn't close until 11:30pm.

Food is Shanghainese style - read: oily and sweet, just the way we like it. It seems very Chinese to the Chinese, yet the sweetness of it all makes it appealing to foreign palates as well.

The menu, in English and Chinese, doesn't have pictures - but the Chef's recommendations are pretty much all a safe bet. You are guaranteed to leave stuffed like a fish and drunk like a pig for about 120 RMB each. Good times.

Source: Smart Shanghai

Contact information

  • Fu 1039
  • 1039 Yuyuan Road
  • Shanghai
  • CN