"Paul Pairet's all-day Paris bistro in Xintiandi — steak frites and grilled seabass vierge from head chef Alex Shen, a relaxed counterpoint to the chef's tasting rooms."
Polux sits at No. 5 Xintiandi Beili on Lane 181 of Taicang Road, in the Xintiandi district of Shanghai's Huangpu. It anchors part of our Shanghai coverage and our French guide as the city's most characterful all-day bistro.
It is the casual room from chef Paul Pairet, of Ultraviolet and Mr & Mrs Bund, with Shanghai-born Alex Shen — a decade alongside Pairet — as head chef. The restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.
Breakfast and brunch are the cornerstones, while dinner turns to country-style French bistro cooking drawn from the Mr & Mrs Bund playbook. Crowd favourites include grilled seabass vierge, steak frites, mushroom cheese toast, the pork burger, coquillettes and French onion soup.
Some plates echo signatures from Pairet's other rooms in simpler form. Prices are mid-range for central Shanghai, and the format suits a casual meal at any hour.
The room reads as a classic Parisian bistro with an industrial edge — tile, timber and a long counter — set among the Xintiandi lanes. It is relaxed and bright by day, livelier after dark.
It works for a quick solo lunch as well as a longer dinner. Reservations are recommended for evenings and weekend brunch.
Polux suits a relaxed first date, an easy business lunch or a contented solo meal. For other Shanghai rooms, compare Mr & Mrs Bund, Franck and el Willy.
Not for diners after a formal tasting-menu occasion — for that, Pairet's Ultraviolet is the room. Polux is the relaxed, all-day bistro side.
All-day French bistro cooking in Shanghai's Xintiandi from chef Paul Pairet, with breakfast and brunch as the cornerstones. Dinner favourites include grilled seabass vierge, steak frites, mushroom cheese toast and French onion soup. It is listed in the Michelin Guide.
Polux is from Paul Pairet, of Ultraviolet and Mr & Mrs Bund. Shanghai-born Alex Shen, who spent a decade working with Pairet, is the head chef.
At No. 5 Xintiandi Beili on Lane 181 of Taicang Road, in the Xintiandi district of Huangpu, central Shanghai.
Mid-range for central Shanghai, with an all-day menu spanning breakfast, brunch and a country-style bistro dinner.
Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner and weekend brunch when the room fills.
Book ahead for dinner and weekend brunch. Find Polux at No. 5 Xintiandi Beili, Lane 181 Taicang Road, Xintiandi.
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Polux anchors part of our Shanghai guide — Paul Pairet's all-day French bistro in Xintiandi, with steak frites and grilled seabass vierge from head chef Alex Shen.
See the Shanghai guide →