A new Spanish addition to Xintiandi has chosen the Spanish National Day to throw their grand opening party, and we see no better way to celebrate Día Nacional de España. Copeo bar and lounge, presented by la Finca Spanish restaurant, invites you and everyone you know to come celebrate with free-flow Sangria from 9pm to midnight (25RMB per glass after that.) They'll also have tapas to munch on and DJ Clément Pony on the decks. more ›

This photo was circulated on Weibo yesterday after five demonstrators knelt outside the Xintiandi restaurant South Beauty holding a sign reading "South Beauty lied to us." South Beauty has since issued a statement claiming the demonstrators are tea suppliers angry over the restaurant's refusal to renew their contract. more ›

Shui On Land, the Hong Kong-based company behind Xintiandi, has announced plans to double its size over the next five years to cover a total gross floor area of more than 1.2 million square meters. Also, "the extended Xintiandi area will also include a school, a theater and possibly medical facilities. The company hopes to develop the area as a 'city within a city' where demands for almost all aspects of daily lives could be met. Shui On's blueprint includes a nine-grade school and a Broadway-style theater, capable of hosting world-class performances requirement on technical support. Nearby streets will also undergo renovation programs. Dongtai Road, one of the most famous antique markets in Shanghai, will be transformed into a street of antique shops, galleries and auction houses." [Shanghai Daily] more ›

Being true chocoholics (remember our chocolate death match between Whisk and hof?), we jumped at a chance to try the newest place in town - Café Godiva. Get ready to drool! more ›

Did you know that most of the shops and restaurants that have opened in villas around the French Concession don't actually have licenses for them? According to Shanghai Daily, they are a "threat" - "making householders' lives a misery and turning the area into yet another commercial zone." Interesting - it makes you wonder which is worse: having shops refurbish old buildings in the area and disturbing residents in the process (the Tianzifang model) or kicking out everybody so that it can just be yet another purely commercial/luxury housing development (Xintiandi model). Shanghai Daily has a poll about it, though they don't quite phrase it the same way. more ›

Sometimes a particular gallery in our Flickr pool catches our attention - like this intriguing and adorable photo set from user cmar55. When asked what the toy was, and what he was doing, cmar responded: more ›

From today until Tuesday, Xintiandi will have its own version of a Thai floating market. As a prelude to the opening of the Thailand Pavilion at the Expo in less than a month, the Pavilion organizers and the Consulate General of Thailand have organized the event for visitors to “feel the authentic Thai culture.” more ›

Pavillon Costes, the uber French uber classy joint that recently hosted New York electro-act Holy Ghost! has... become something of a ghost itself. Says SmartShanghai, the place will close down and become a new Buddha Bar. Apparently, its management (who will remain the same) believes an Asia-centric theme will have better prospects than whatever it was Pavillon was going for. more ›

Malcolm Moore is the Shanghai correspondent for the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph newspaper. He has been in the city for around 18 months and now writes a new online diary of his (and the rest of the Telegraph staff's) reporting adventures here. Today he writes about the top seven pieces of juicy gossip he has yet to be able to use... until now. more ›

Feeling a bit lonely this winter? Now you can add a new addition to your life! Shanghai residents can adopt stray cats from the Botanic Gardens. Even better, they will desex them for you. Aww, how puurrfect. [Shanghai Daily] The second wave of H1N1 vaccines is now available for college students and those over 60 in Shanghai. Too bad we still don't know the long term implications. [Shanghai Daily] more ›

• Someone has taken issue with the thug guards at Xintiandi, which allegedly harassed not only a poor kuadi delivery guy who had his bike stolen, but also a group of Taiwanese kids just looking for a place to sit. [Access Asia]
• Lost Heaven just had the grand opening for their massive four-story Bund location. Urbanatomy's I Love Shanghai blog was there to check it out. [Urbanatomy]
• Shanghai has started selling World Expo-themed welfare lottery tickets, with a top prize of 300,000RMB. All profits will be donated to the earthquake-affected areas of Sichuan. [Xinhua]

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Shoka Reduxa: Back when little Shoka opened up as part of the Loft 98 trifecta early this year, most saw the restaurant as an attempt to move in on Haiku's turf. Specifically, upscale and modern sushi wrapped up in a trendy dining experience that attracts tons of business. Months later, with too many conspicuously empty tables, Shoka started offering an all-you-can-eat-and-drink special on certain days of the week to jump start business. Now, we've discovered, the special is an option on any day of the week. more ›

Just received notice that Sugar closed for renovations on Sunday, and will remain so until further notice. Here is a note from Aimee Groom, Marketing Director of Sugar:

We thank our loyal customers and partners for their ongoing support and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. more ›

On an average Saturday night, the funniest thing about Racks in Xintiandi is that they charge 98RMB+ an hour for pool when most other bars let you play for free. This weekend however a former organiser of "Chopschticks" is bringing in some hot comedy talent from NYC to amuse the suckers. more ›

With Rem Koolhaas's eagerly-awaited CCTV headquarters nearing completion in Beijing, many are considering the role of architecture in China's quest for status as a world power. Great buildings have always played a role in a regime's strength and prestige, and for the last decade China's central government has been hellbent on constructing impressive city skylines. Shanghai's own horizon has progressed at a breakneck pace, with its latest undertaking, Xintiandi II, (dubbed Xintiandi's "big sister" by Shanghai Daily), scheduled for completion within the next 7-10 years. Neville Mars, a Dutch architect in Beijing interviewed by the New Yorker, believes that the central government's approach towards architecture is dangerous:

The Chinese appear to be in control, but it is really moving too fast for anyone.

Share with us how you see Shanghai, or China! Post your photos on Flickr, tag them with "shanghaiist", and we'll select one favorite image per day. Or you can simply email your photos to photos at shanghaiist.com. more ›

We can see it now. Fast-forward to 2010. An ancient Tibetan god called Gozer arrives atop an apartment building near Xintiandi in Shanghai, where it tells the neighborhood's restaurateurs that the next thing they think of will be the form Gozer will assume to destroy their world. Despite their efforts to clear their minds, Bob Boyce imagines Haibao, the irksome mascot of the 2010 World Expo. As he explains, Haibao "just popped in there" as "something that could never possibly destroy us." Moments later a giant Haibao is seen walking towards the apartment building. And then the restaurateurs shoot at Haibao with their proton packs ... and so on and so on. more ›

Share with us how you see Shanghai, or China! Post your photos on Flickr, tag them with "shanghaiist", and we'll select one favorite image per day. Or you can simply email your photos to photos at shanghaiist.com. more ›

Having soft-opened since February 9th, Lawry's the Prime Rib is ready to put on its best face for Shanghai's beef lovers beginning with its grand opening tomorrow. Shanghaiist was able to do some preview dining and we were left with one distinct impression: this place takes its prime rib traditions very seriously. more ›