Vice Shanghai is the new venture from Cantina Agave owner Raffe Ibrahamian and chef Carlos Sotomayor, both long-term veterans of the Shanghai food and beverage scene. They’ve teamed up to bring us VICE, a lounge / bistro concept that features borderless dishes that reflect chef Carlos’ Peruvian heritage combined with his extensive involvement in various projects over the past decade in Shanghai that includes one of my favourites, High Yaki.
Why Visit Vice Shanghai? Date nights, cocktails, small groups, special occasions and food lovers looking for something a little different. Our bill came to around 600 RMB for two, but we only ordered a few small plates and one cocktail each. Expect to spend more if you’re having a full meal or several drinks.
The cozy, smaller downstairs area is more for food, with views of the open kitchen, while the upstairs area is more spacious with more of a cocktail lounge vibe. I would say sit downstairs if you’re just focusing on the food in a smaller group or choose upstairs if you’re with a bigger group or just want to focus on your companions and don’t really need to watch the food being prepared.
On the menu are a variety of mostly small plates that include cold dishes like marinated salmon, yellow chicken with tahini yogurt sauce, Daikon fondant, cauliflower with Hunan larou and sunflower sesame granola.
The Daikon is poached in Dashi, coated in Mornay, maitake mushroom, beef jus and basil oil and is one of the standout, must try dishes.
Bigger plates include the lamb shoulder, Cacio e pepe gratin and the chicken and abalone claypot to name a few.
On this visit, it was just the two of us so we focused on a few small plates and some cocktails. Needless to say, everything was fantastic – full of flavour, with high quality ingredients.
For drinks, they have an extensive list of Martini options as well as other cocktails. I went for a Passion Fruit Martini (88 RMB), which came with a side of Prosecco, while my wife chose the Bakery Old Fashioned (98 RMB). Since it was a Sunday evening, we only had one drink each, but both were excellent.
Unlike many of Shanghai’s fine dining restaurants, VICE feels more relaxed than formal, making it equally suitable for drinks or a full meal.
It was fairly quiet when we visited but it was a Sunday night during a typhoon not long after their opening. I have already seen several of my more discerning / wealthy friends posting on social media, so I don’t think it will be long before getting a table will be difficult. Stop by soon while you still can!
VICE is already one of the most exciting new restaurant openings in Shanghai and comfortably earns a place on my list of recommendations.