Castle Oktober: Another brew house comes to Shanghai

We never really noticed the villa at 39 Taojiang Lu, directly across from O'Malley's. Perhaps because it used to be home to the Xuhui District Taxation Bureau. But the place was hard to ignore on Sunday as we left O'Malley's (it was dog adoption day) — a fresh coat of paint, grand wooden gates, lots of lights and a big sign reading "Castle Oktober." Through the open gate we could see big copper beer kettles. Our interest piqued, we went to check it out last night. We discovered it's not open for business yet, but we got to walk around their big garden and take a couple photos. The old house is beautiful and the outdoor seating area looks like it could be a great place to down a few pints when the weather gets a little warmer. Given the location, we would have to think Castle Oktober won't be cheap, however, and while we're all for "brew restaurants" (that is what their business card says), we're not really sure if Shanghai was in desperate need of more German cuisine (which is what we assume will be on the menu) — Paulaner Brauhaus on Fenyang is just a short walk away.

We called Castle Oktober today to see if we could get an opening date and the girl who answered said "maybe the end of the month." Not sure if she realizes that means within five days. We'll keep you posted if we hear anything new.

Castle Oktober, 39 Taojiang Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu. Tel: 64312668.