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We're a little late on this, but we're sad to report Shanghai has lost one of its better dining options: 239. Shanghai-Eats had the scoop last week:
Shanghai lost a star earlier this month, when Eduardo Vargas' popular 239 Restaurant on Shimen Yi Lu was forced to close its doors unexpectedly.It seems 239's landlord wanted to cash in on the sudden property value appreciation as a result of the residential complex going up next to the Four Seasons Hotel just down the street. And to help expedite the eviction process, the building suddenly began experiencing "perfectly-timed" power shortages to make life uncomfortable for both restaurant employees and diners.
The landlord angle is confirmed by a source close to the restaurant who added, "[T]hey may be opening up at another (and hopefully better) location soon." We wonder if they would keep the same name, since 239 was the street number of the now-closed location. Let's just hope the new place doesn't have the exterior of an office supply store. Rumor has it that 239 chef Brad Turley is headed to Maneo, a new place on Tongren Lu.
For those hankering for Eduardo fare, let us suggest Azul/Viva, which has long been one of our favorite Western restaurants in Shanghai. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great location (especially since we moved right around the corner). We went there last week, and can highly recommend the Strip Steak tapas (RMB 50) and the Grilled Sweet Potato (RMB 30). The wife likes the Sangria. Sherpas has their menu.
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i can't say i'm really disappointed or saddened to hear such news. i was a firm fan of the food at 239 up until my friends and i (a party of 8) had a dinner at the place. we were slapped with a 600RMB WATER bill that evening. i'm not sure if such service protocol is standard in Shanghai, but the staff neglected to inform/ask each time they opened a new bottle of water - i haven't any idea whether they were instructed by restaurant management to serve customers in such a manner. but 600RMB for 8 bottles of water is ridiculous - even Jean-Georges dares not.