The buzz: A New Zealand restaurant that’s just slotted into the Dagu Lu dining street, near a pho joint, a couple of Indian restaurants, Beedee’s bar, and Haya’s, plus the faded glory of the former DVD empire.

The décor: Smart, contemporary, warm. A mezzanine floor holds a comfortable sofa and a couple of tables, while the ground floor dining area is all wooden floors, cozy yellow lighting, and New Zealand tunes on the stereo (i.e. Bic Runga on a loop).

The food: We’re not sure what springs to mind when you think of New Zealand food. Fush and chups on the beach? Pavlova? (Or is that just the Aussies?). What we found was a compact menu of decent, hearty food including a selection of lamb-based dishes, baked fish, and a variety of greens and signature desserts.

We went for the lamb shank with chickpeas and the lamb sausages on a bed of polenta mash with onion chutney. Both dishes were well presented and really tasty, especially the flavorsome sausages. The complimentary bread plate from the resident pastry chef was a nice touch, and we had sautéed new potatoes and parmesan asparagus for sides.

The drinks: A huge wine list that covers a whole double-sided menu card, focused on New World bottles. Reasonably priced, with very few ranging above the 300 RMB mark.

Why you’ll be back: You should definitely add this one to your Dagu Lu repertoire. It’s upscale without being a) stuffy and b) a rip-off, and the food is great. Even better, their breakfasts are buy-one-get-one-free between 9am and 11am.

More restaurants in Jing'an Shanghai