In light of the Al Fresco issue coming up I thought I’d mention some of the other patios I got to visit but that we didn’t have a chance to include.

Nova Bar and Restaurant has a great patio and the only one on Dagu lu. Although I havn't eaten extensively here the seafood pasta is quite good, well made coffee, very French menu, and a well stocked bar.

Baan Thai, right on Fuxing lu, has a nice patio where you can dine under a pagoda type Thai gazebo. The menu has all the Thai typicals, and although I might not agree with their tabletop efforts to support the local plastic flower industry, the venue really is nicely located with a great setting.

Effegie on Changle lu. I’d looked at the menu and dismissed it for some reason as overpriced. In fact the opposite is true and although the food may not be mind numbingly terrific, it is rather good and very good value for money, especially the set menu. The patio fronts onto the street and isn’t very large but the flowers-boxes are a nice touch, and as mentioned the menu really is worth checking out.

On Nanjing lu across from the Portman/Ritz, the Bi Feng Tang chain has a Cantonese menu, heavy on the dim sum. The little booths next to Nanjing lu are (thankfully) glassed in so you don't feel like you're dining in the middle of the street. Plus it’s a 24-hour affair, so all night al fresco.

Colours 7's patio, in the Ruijin Guesthouse, is next to that lovely manicured lawn. They have a small decent menu, grilled meats, pasta, soups, nothing Chinese in sight, and an all right drinks list. You might end up next to a chain smoker but then again you're in Shanghai, so breath deeply and pass the Double Happiness.

A Future Perfect’s enclosed courtyard, with its Chinese rock features (think Yu Yuan) and futuristic furniture would be a great place to scurry off to when the sun gets too hot. I think everyone knows this place but I still like the menu, modern and healthy feeling, bring your lap top if you want to fit in.

On the hotel front, the opulence that is the China Mansion Hotel has a superb view from their rooftop restaurant terrace. The food is surf and turf modern with no Asian twist. This would be a great place to hide out for a glass of Moet and an appetizer.

In Pudong, Binjiang One, just up from the southern bike ferry terminal has a pretty pricey seafood heavy menu but they also have a series of themed set menus. The strawberry menu is probably over by now, but there were plans for a lobster one when I popped by. It’s a bit of a shame that their patio is on the opposite side of the building from the Huangpu but it’s a nice place and is relatively quiet.

Deeper into the ‘Dong, if you’re in Jinqiao, there are quite a few restos next to the new Big Bamboo that have street side patios. I’ll be honest that I can’t remember them all but they provide an alternative to the Bamboo if you want. Or wander to the nearby rugby pitch for more choices and to see what life is like for the expats that chose to procreate and move to the suburbs, instead of honing their beer-pong skills at Huaihai Windows.

Finally let’s not forget Lapis Lazuli and their mini-patio, De la Coast on Bund south, Element Fresh in Xujiahui, Bali Laguna, …whew…

What else am I missing? There must be more….