Azul has the best brunch in Shanghai. It’s a Vargas spot and offers a fantastic brunch menu – featuring your favorite American staples and also a selection of more nouveau dishes with a Latin touch. Everything on the menu sounds amazing, I’ll have to try it all on subsequent visits!
Azul offers a 2 course brunch set with a beverage + coffee/tea for $130RMB ($19USD), which is a pretty good deal since the atmosphere is nice and sleek (white linens, ooh la la), the service prompt and polite, and the food is really delicious.
One of the reasons I love the brunch at Azul so much are the complimentary freshly baked scones and muffins. It’s hard to find quality Western-style baked goods (not talkin corn-buns here) in Shanghai, so I really appreciate this.
Banana pancakes. Nice and fluffy, could use more banana flavor. Served with tons of whipped butter and a caramel sauce.
Really enjoyed this dish – smoked salmon crepes. The tiny bit of arugula on top + a squeeze of lemon juice just did it for me.
This dish is billed as a “gourmet omelette” with roasted tomatoes, asparagus, and goat cheese. It’s really more of a frittata with mozz instead of goat, and the addition of olives. It’s yummy – tastes like pizza – but definitely not what you want when you’re expecting a goat cheese omelette.
The Azul breakfast. Seems like a popular choice – wet scrambled eggs on top of a hash brown (don’t eat it, its crusty and too much garlic) accompanied by bacon and some juicy sausages. All rounded out with roasted pepper bruschetta. This plate really hits the spot when you just want a nice Sunday brunch.
Bellies full!
$$
Azul Viva
18 Dongping Lu at Wulumuqi Lu
东平路18号 近乌鲁木齐路
Shanghai
+86 6433 1172
Tags: azul viva, brunch, china, eduardo vargas, shanghai
This used to be my favorite brunch in town (aside from the totally over the top Westin 500 RMB brunch) but there’s a lot of dishes here which are misses. I don’t like the ultimate omlette at all and the steak sandwich is half oil.
There’s certainly lots of winners amongst the dishes though, the bruschetta, the gazpacho and the breads are all winners. I suppose it’s just a matter of eating your way through the menu. The 130 rmb includes a smoothie!