Mistral is a new Spanish tapas restaurant that just opened up on Fuxing Lu, in a space that used to be occupied by Marrakesh. It’s owned by the same people who make the quality cocktails at Tara 57. The whitewashed interiors are simple and elegant, and I was pleased that we had snagged a table on their lovely terrace. Unfortunately, Mistral’s only menu is written on a blackboard on the first floor in Spanish. So if you are upstairs, make sure you order your dinner before being seated to avoid that extra trip. I thought this blackboard ordering system was a notch above Franck’s on the pretentiousness scale, but after conversing with the charming and knowledgeable chef, I thought maybe this isn’t so bad. Still, Mistral could think of way to keep their “Spanish-style” menu intact without having to greatly inconvenience their diners.
After we ordered, we headed back upstairs and enjoyed the warm Shanghai evening on the terrace. Our first tapas dish came – three small balls of goat cheese, drizzled with honey and served with a bit of carmelized onion. The goat cheese was absolutely delicious – creamy, rich, robust, and perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the honey and the onions. My only complaint was that at $60RMB for a 2 person portion, they could have thrown and extra ball of cheese on the plate. How are 2 people supposed to split 3 tiny balls of cheese anyways?
We also went for the codfish with raspberry aioli. The creamy, slightly sweet and tangy raspberry sauce was a great accompaniment to the white fish. Delicious, but the 2 person order clocked in at $75RMB. Order wisely.
I absolutely love mussels, so I couldn’t resist ordering the mussels with shiitake in saffron cream ($45RMB). I had imagined that they would be in the shell, so I was a bit disappointed when the dish arrived bearing the equivalent of 2 whole mussels – chopped! Nonetheless, the mussels and shiitake were fantastic, the sauce was creamy, earthy, and flavorful.
After the three tapas came and went, I was still desperately hungry and praying that our 2 person paella ($150RMB) would be portioned a little more generously. Luckily it was. The paella arrived on our table piping hot and was studded with squid, clams, and mussels. The rice was cooked perfectly, and came with a dish of raspberry sauce on the side. The paella was fragrant and delicious, but it did have small chunks of uncooked garlic throughout, making date night a little less fun…
Mistral is a great new addition to the French Concession. Even though the meal wasn’t perfect and there were several service hiccups (the table next to us repeatedly asked for their tortilla espanola – it was delivered to our table, not theirs, ten minutes later), I think Mistral has a good thing going on. The chef is obviously talented and his kitchen is churning out near-perfect dishes. With a lowered price point (both tapas and wine) and more staff training, I think Mistral could become a neighborhood gem.
Enjoy!
Mistral
133 Fuxing Xi Lu at Yongfu Lu
复兴西路133号近永福路
+86 21 6433 4261
