There are two keys to Italian cuisine: good produce and simple preparation. Tivoli manages neither. As a result, they offer a huge menu of mostly bland, completely forgettable fare and a pretty good pizza. The seafood soup (RMB78) is freezer-fresh, doused in a watery tomato base, as is the pumpkin ravioli (RMB78). We couldn’t soak it up even with lashings of too-salty Parmesan. Marginally better are thin tranches of veal (RMB68) smothered in a creamy, slightly tuna-flavored sauce. Best was the pizza Tivoli (RMB98). Delightfully drenched in gorgonzola and dressed in porcini mushrooms, it packs a punch. Sourcing must be a challenge to chef Palmiro (of the Italian Pavilion)–it will take more than a huge restaurant to attract discerning diners.
Our rating: 2.5/5
DETAILS
What: Tivoli
Where: 2/F, 889 Nanjing Xi Lu 南京西路889号2楼
Tel: 6562-8555
City Weekend is the only online magazine in Shanghai to review restaurants according to a transparent process vetted by local food & beverage professionals. Check our Restaurant Review Process here.
Was this comment useful? Yes(0)
Other Posts by This Writer
Crêpes & Co: This New Restaurant Dishes Up Divine Dessert Crêpes
Nestled in a corner of Shanghai Centre, Crêpes & Co is a relaxed and friendly ...Jiu Jiu: A New All-you-can-eat Japanese Option Hits Shanghai
Jiu Jiu is a Japanese restaurant buried under a Mount Fuji of mid-upper range all-you-can-eats ...Adiva Mediterranean Cuisine: Dine Like a Sultan at this Gaudy Restaurant
Kitted out like a Sultan’s dining room, Adiva is going for bling. If you can ...M1NT’s Grant Brunsden Shares His Secrets About Keeping Things Fresh in the Kitchen
We got together with the Englishman in the M1NT kitchen to ask a few questions ...Matrёshka Restaurant & Café: Another New Russian Restaurant on the Dining Scene
Russian gastronomic progression can be marked by the fanciness of the token salad arranged on ...La Petite Jasmine: The Latest and Cutest Addition to the Petite Franchise
La Petite Jasmine is a latest addition to the Petite franchise, and like the four ...
In Shanghai, there are too many restaurants but in the end a too little quality.