Last night Qi and I had our pre-Valentines Day dinner at Laris in Shanghai. Qi will be on a business trip next week, so we decided to have our Valentines dinner a couple of days earlier.

Laris is one of the very best restaurants in Shanghai, but also one of the most expensive ones. It is located on the 6th floor of 3 on the Bund, right below New Heights. The ambiance is modern, but very elegant. The design is stunning, but might feel a bit cold for some people, due to a heavy usage of marble. The atmosphere is very relaxed for a top restaurant, and the view over the river and the Pudong skyline are stunning (as in all restaurants on the Bund).

We started our dinner with a glass of champagne. Executive chef David Laris offered us some tasty amuses-gueules, a mousse of crab and a small glass of warm potato leek soup. My appetizer was a foie gras in three ways ( as a terrine, poached au torchon, and seared quickly in a very hot pan – I think…) with a warm brioche, that I combined with a glass of Sauternes. Qi decided to have scallops with a glass of champagne. The foie gras was excellent, and among the very best in Shanghai. Laris actually has a separate menu for foie gras, so if you are a fan you can order as much and in any style you like.

After the appetizer I had a cauliflower soup with caviar, that I combined with champagne. Also an excellent combination, something I had never had before. Qi decided just to have an appetizer and main course, so she continued to enjoy the champagne. As a main course Qi went for a half lobster with a glass of Margaret River Chardonnay, while I had a medium-rare beef tenderloin with a New-Zealand Pinot Noir. Both dishes were excellent as well, and the wines fit very well.

To finish it off I had 5 kinds of cheese (although I only got 4 – but it was so good I did not complain) with a glass of Taylor’s vintage port. Qi had a coconut mousse with fresh mango puree with a pot of earl grey tea. The coffee with handmade bonbons was a nice end of the evening. Total bill was not low (over RMB 1000 per person), but worth every RMB of it. If you want to have dinner in a luxurious ambiance in Shanghai, and want to have excellent food, this is one of the top 5 places to go. The menu has a separate section for oysters, caviar and foie gras, so if you are fan of those this is definitely a restaurant you should not miss.