Restaurant review - Yong Fu Elite

Looking at the card, this place is a little confused. The front of the card says "fongfu elite", the back says "yongfoo elite", the address shows "yongfu road". Looking at their own website, you'll be even more confused - whilst talking for ages about how beautiful the place is, there are no photos.

These third party websites are a little more useful:
http://www.wallpaper.com/travel/476
http://www.iacworldwide.com/display_club.cfm?club_id=13

It's well worth paying a visit. I went with my cousin for a lovely long meal out on their terrace. Truly beautiful surroundings, apparently with an award or a mention from Wallpaper magazine. What used to be the old old British Consulate, after 3 years of restoration, it has beautiful grounds, and almost every area/room has been converted for us as coffee/relaxation/bar/dining areas. There are practically no customers, as befits the pricing scheme (dinner on the high side of life), but you are paying for a rest from the crowds, and a truly unique atmosphere.

The property is filled with really old chinese furniture and wooden pannelling. It's most relaxing to walk around on a cool summer's night, especially the garden, where they have sheltered bench swings (if you're not afraid of mozzies).

If you're going to eat, the basic set menu goes for 588 RMB (40 pounds). It's about six or eight courses of chinese food, served western style course by course. Good ingredients, well prepared (al dente asparagus for example), but nothing really to blow your mind.

Especially at this price and given the food isn't to die for, I'm not going to come back for dinner in a hurry. It did make for a nice 3 hour chatting lunch though - a great way to catch up in relaxed surroundings. Concieveably it would also be a nice place to take a few old friends to share a bottle of wine on a pleasant evening when a pub or a fancy bar doesn't suit.

Most of it is still open to the public, with some areas reserved for members only. Eventually they want to turn it into 100% members only, presumably once they get enough custom in.

Yong Fu Elite
200 Yongfu Road, near Hunan Road, in the vicinity of huai hai middle road
+86 21 5466 2727