Things to do on a lazy Sunday in Shanghai

Yesterday I spent a leisurely Sunday in Shanghai, and maybe the things I did might inspire others as well. I started off by sleeping late, always a good start of a lazy Sunday. Then we went to the new Hyatt on the Bund (199, Huangpu Lu – on the North Bund) for a very nice brunch. The hotel just opened, and the staff did not really know the word brunch yet… They initially sent us to their Chinese a la carte restaurant. However, on the second floor there is a huge lunch/brunch buffet, with a Chinese section (incl. dim sum), a Japanese section (incl. fresh sashimi) and a Western section. And of course I should not forget the dessert section (incl. pancakes and many kinds of ice cream). All excellent quality. There were not many people yet, but once the brunch buffet becomes better known you might have to make reservations. The only negative thing is that you don’t have a view from the restaurant, not sure why they did not put it on a higher floor.

After the brunch we drove over to the new lifestyle and design center in Hongkou, in the former slaughterhouse, called 1933. There was a design exhibition going on, so we could check out the whole building. Amazing architecture, a bit Gaudi style. Very un-Chinese, and worth to check it out. If you are in the design or creative industry and looking for an office, this might be a good place to go. Very special and sure to impress your clients. Several bars and restaurants will open in the building soon, among others one run by David Laris. Address: 29, Shajing Lu. Some pictures can be found here.
The last part of the afternoon we spent at Taikang Lu. This street has changed a lot over the past year or so. Not only has one side completely disappeared and is now a construction site, but also a lot more of the backstreets are converted into bars, boutique shops, art galleries and coffee shops. It’s worth to check it out and have a coffee here (for some pictures see here). This is how Xintiandi should have been, because here the houses are still real (but you also have the occasional smell of communal toilets…). And of course food and drinks are a lot cheaper here than in Xintiandi. The only problem is the parking if you come by car, because there are no official parking spaces in the area. You can park on Taikang Lu, where there is enough space, but it’s officially not allowed and most of the cars that parked there on Sunday afternoon got a parking ticket.