Whisk Choco Cafe
1250 Huaihai Lu,
Huaihai Zhong Lu
near Huating Lu, Metro Line 1 Changshu Lu Station
淮海路1250号
近华亭路, 地铁1号线常熟路站
5404-7770
Open 7:30am-11:30pm
Price Less than Y99 per couple
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- City Weekend
says -
Set back from the street down a short alley, this lunch and dessert wi-fi cafe exudes a preference for the sinful. After polishing off a panini or pizza, flirt over gorgeous mugs of hot chocolate paired with molten chocolate cake. The Spanish hot chocolate is a favorite.
- Contributor
Description -
A lunch and dessert cafe with a preference for the sinful. After polishing off a panini or pizza, flirt over gorgeous mugs of hot chocolate paired with molten chocolate cake.
Reviews Been there? Add a review!
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Not just chocolate... I went on a week day during the day and found this tastefully decorated cafe to be a soothing respite. Although one naturally is tempted by the host of desserts (try the chocolate chip cookie), the cafe does have a fairly full menu. One other thing to mention is that it does have Wireless access.
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So this is where all the cute people come to drink coffee Seriously, the odds that a cute foreign expat will check you out as you walk in the door of the Whisk Choco Cafe is something like 7 to 1. Boys and girls on their laptops, chilling over coffee and cookies are everywhere in this cafe.
Not only are the lattes beautifully presented and with just enough milk, but the ambiance and vibe of this place really hit the mark. The feel of the place finds a nice balance between the energy of the quick and brisk on their feet waiters and the cafe's electro soundtrack, and a certain laziness and charm that is often found in European cafes.
I don't know if you'll necessarily find the next Hemingway jotting down notes about the pretty girl with long brown hair across from him, but I did manage to listen in on a conversation between BBC filmmakers talking about a peice for MTV on Maximo Park, and another time I listened in on two Lonely Planet travel writers, so who knows. Who knows.
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Poor service is not due to poor employees, but poor employers. The bottom line is that lack of service = lack of growth, lack of productivity, lack of profits. Your company’s lack of service will pay a high price in the world of your competitors. You will have to continually compensate with special promotions, additional advertising, increased hiring and give-aways to disgruntled customers. Good service is linked to happy, valued employees that provide the service. Training is a crucial tool in helping employees feel valued in the work environment. How do you use training to solve the problems mentioned above? It’s all about having a training program that is set in place and held as a priority. Don’t fall into the “training out of desperation” category and only offer training when you have to put out a fire. Remember that training can be a form of giving your employees attention and recognition. If done well, they will appreciate it and feel affirmed. Always have some type of training scheduled. It can be as infrequent as once a quarter or as frequent as once a week. You can do it in house or outsource it. Having scheduled training opportunities will prevent the development of service problems that cost you big time in the long run.
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I don't consider myself a whinger and am not one to enjoy writing negative reviews but sometimes things just gotta be said!
I used to be a regular at Whisk stopping in whenever I had a chance always raving about your cupcakes and hot chocolates that got me through a many cold winter and summer days for that matter. I've sampled nearly every food item on your menu as well but unfortunately over recent months my visits have become less and less frequent.
Food poisoning? Nope. Rude staff? Never, they've always been great. Competition? Well yes and no but that's just life.
First of all, disappointment. I find your choco café has fallen victim to the all-too-familiar Shanghai trend of good places gone bad in a slow but sure downgrade of quality...where you slowly notice either the portions a bit smaller or the cake left out a bit longer or not as good or moist as it once was. Granted, I was usually an evening patron but late hours are no excuse! When chocolate is your famed specialty, keeping your products fresh and (continuing to) use quality ingredients should be priority #1.
My second beef with Whisk: your management's attitude SUCKS and I can assure you I'm not alone with this opinion... no further elaboration needed on the dirty details. Most people tend to be more forgiving even if the product is second rate as long as the staff is friendly and they feel appreciated as a customer. You haven't been in business that long to develop such an ego. Dry chocolate cake served up with a snotty attitude? No thanks! I'd sooner spend my cash elsewhere, or better yet make my own chocolaty concoction at home along with a super moist cake mix from the local expat shop.
A shame really because you have a great concept, location and friendly staff...regardless, as the old adage goes "fish stinks from the head". But it's not too late for a rebound. Might I suggest getting your nose out of the sky and your concentration back on your product before more of your customers get "whisked" away...
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Decent food but on a little brutal on the wallet. Nice location and deco. It's a full restaurant -- I find the description makes it sound like strictly a cafe.
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I am surprised to see some bad reviews from long back. I have had a wonderful experience the few times I have visited. The desserts are just YUMMY...the chocolate stuff is truly sinful!!!
Love it!!!
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Whisk is a has-been. It used to be great but not anymore for the following reasons.
(1) No free Wi-Fi anymore. One of their employees (Eagle) told us flat out that they removed the Wi-fi because people were coming in to use the Wi-Fi and only ordering one thing. They couldn't make money off of those people.
(2) Smaller portions. Remember the big drinks you used to get? Now the portions are about half but with the same price.
(3) Minimum 25 RMB per person order. They now have a rule about how much each person needs to order. So if you order a drink, that's not good enough. We had four people that ordered till 90RMB. Captain Eagle said we needed to order to 100RMB. He wanted to know if we could order more or did we want to leave. Yes... that rude!
(4) No desserts only before 9pm. They have another invisible rule that says you must order more than desserts before 9pm. Only after 9pm can you order desserts only.
Whisk is a has-been. Join the other expats in saying "No" to whisk!
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5 stars for the quality and taste of the food and dessert 2 stars for NEVER keeping their friggin cookies in stock, so I'll make it an even 3 stars.
The food here is EXCELLENT. I know they're known for their chocolate, but let me tell you, their paninis are out of this world. My favorite is the three cheese with grilled onions. Perfect mixture of bleu cheese, mozzarella, and feta, a little sour, tangy, and mild in the mix and then topped off with grilled onions in a balsamic vinaigrette sauce. Lunch doesn't get much tastier than that.
Then, if you're feeling bold, any of the chocolate dishes are a nice end to the meal. My personal favorite is the chocolate therapy. If you came into Whisk with any troubles or problems getting you down, this slice of heaven will (if only temporarily) solve them for you. The cake is moist, flavorful, and soooo rich. It comes with a generous portion of housemade whipped cream which is just the right amount of sweetness to offset the richness of the cake and fudge. Another favorite is the Coco Cabana, chocolate fudge cake with bananas, DELICIOUS!
A little pricey, a meal and dessert (which is practically a requirement when you come here) will sent you back about 100RMB.
WORD TO THE WISE: Do not ever come to Whisk just for those heavenly chocolate chip cookies, because more often than not, they will be out of them. And don't bother calling ahead to have them set some aside for you, because after traveling across town for 45 minutes I learned that doesn't work either.
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Just does not deserve any rating at all. If you like Chocolate, and if you have any respect for the precious bean, then just don't go to Whisk, and pass the word around. Left aside all the non-sense regarding minimum payment per person (25RMB), Only-cash policy (can you believe it?) or Limited-time policy if you only order drinks (45 min max) or even the tiny portions and unfriendly attitude towards Chinese (yes, you heard me, and this is confirmed by the many posts on Dianping.com, the reference for venue searching and rating in Shanghai), yes, left aside all this, you just can't call yourself a Chocolate retreat (or something like that) if you micro-wave your signature dishes, such as the moist chocolate dessert (in French, fondant or moelleux au chocolat). I could not believe my ears when they confirmed they had microwaved this dish which usually takes 15-20 minutes to get prepared, if you want to do it right. As a normal consequence, the dish arrives steaming hot, then comes down to cold after a minute. Ridiculous and disrespectful to the long standing tradition of pastries and desserts. Outraged, I did come back a second time 2 weeks later to please my wife's craving for chocolate (though I tried to convince her not to go), and the hot chocolate + ice-cream (45 RMB, mind you) has a big scoop of ice-cream on top (with no taste) on top of a small pool of chocolate. Not worth your time or attention. The mixed philipino/chinese staff is rather friendly, but impossible to talk to a manager, a half-brained self-proclaimed Captain Eagle showed up trying to justify why a signature dish would be micro-waived, and teaching all people around this is the right way to do it... There are many other cholocate-laced venues in town to burry Whisk once and for all. Say "No" to Whisk
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Whisk used to be one of my favourite haunts in SH but not anymore. I think the place has gotten so popular that it has gotten into their head.
Made a reservation for Xmas eve and there is a minimum spending of RMB 100 per person. RMB 100 is no big deal but the fact that Whisk imposes a minimum spending just because it is Xmas eve is simply ridiculous. And they told me there is a 2 hour rule, meaning you can only stick around for 2 hours from the time you entered the restaurant. Honestly, who ever stays only 2 hours in a restaurant? It is just pure stupid and what they are doing is leaving a bad taste in the mouths of their customers - people whom have been supporting them. My past bad experiences also involves their staff almost chasing me and my friends out of the joint etc etc... and the falling standard of their so-called well-known chocolate deserts (anyone tried their upside down chocolate cake recently? anyone noticed it is no longer upside down?)
Perhaps it is time to take my and my friends' money somewhere else? Besides, there is really no lack of nice restaurants in Shanghai.
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It used to be my favorite hangout with my friends especially during the weekend. Nice and simple place with friendly and polite philipino servers. But something is really wrong with this restaurant. Last time i was there, a couple of chinese were sent out like bunch of baboons for ordering something like dessert, the manager looks like she wants to drag them and kick them out of her restaurant. Isn’t that rude? Not only that. How about some sort of like interview before you even get a table.Why not directly ask "HOW MUCH ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND HERE?... A one hour stay if you order a dessert only. A minimum charge of 25 rmb per head. The owner i think are sick! sick of GREED! If they are like this to most people, how much more to their staff. I pity those people who are working for them, doing what they are told to do just to keep their job. I want to change that thing written on the glass inside the restaurant about How do you know if you had too much coffee? Well if you had too much coffee in WHISK and did not order any food or just DESSERTS. Next time you walk in, The manager will look at you like she wanted to kill you and you will never get a chance to get a table. HAHAHA...
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Ah ah ah, it feels I was not the only one to be (politely) kicked out from Whisk after I finished my cake. I mean, I didn't finish my cake, which was way too sweet. The next time you crave chocolate, stop by Beard Papa's and buy 2 of their fondant au chocolat, warm it up in your own microwave, wash it down with a glass of milk. 20 kuais on the bill and you can stay as long as you want ! For hot chocolate, head to Città or Boonna Cafe instead.
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Whisk does not deserve even 1/2 a star. Some friends and I went there yesterday after dinner hoping to indulge in some very awesome dessert but all we got was appalling and disgusting service. We requested a table for 8 and there was one available ONLY with a minimum purchase of 500RMB. We politely explained to them that we just ate and might not be able to order that much, but everyone will try to order something. The waiter glared at us and snatched the menu from our hands and insisted that we order 500RMB or we leave! While we were deciding what to do, the waiter TOLD, not ask, but TOLD us to go outside and not stand in their way. When I asked to speak with their manager - foolishly thinking that this would do any good - the waiter said it was pointless and unnecessary. Then, they instructed us to leave if we're not going to comply to their min. purchase requirement. As we were leaving, I heard one of the employees say "why come if you can't afford 500RMB!!" Unbelievable!! Their service was absolutely revolting. I passionately discourage anyone who is considering going to such a filthy place. Unless you want to go home with a stomach full of fury, choose anywhere else. My 10mins at Whisk is among the worst times I had in Shanghai... I join all expats and am boycotting this nasty place!
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sounds like Whisk is going down hill :( I have to go and check it out. I remember it as a great little place for hot chocolate and hope it hasn't changed.... thanks for the comments, everyone.
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i went to Whisk over the weekend (just a skip away from where i live) and had a nice experience. As it was quite empty, and had the entire place to myself. Then again, i was there quite early in the day.
it's my favourite place for my insatiable chocolate fix and i'm quite sad to read so many negative posts about the place.
i hope they improve on their service (even though i've never had a bad experience - yet!) and continue to attract both old and new people because it is truly such a wonderful little spot hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Huai Hai Lu.
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I don't have super high expectations as I know service staff in China are paid bananas. But the fact that many Whisk servers don't speak Chinese--Aren't we in China? Mostly, it's the minimum spend and/or a maximum time allotment per table which really galls--of course this is management and not service staff decision. But honestly, it's a lot to have to calculate when all you want to do is have a relaxing chocolate dessert. And the bathroom? Ugghh. I stopped going long ago, although I did like the paninis and the cookies--it's not worth it when there are so many choices. In this economy, I'd rather support folks who really want and need my business.
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We go there all the time and the food is good and the Desserts great. Of course we go to the place as a restaraunt not expecting it to be starbucks or to abuse their free wireless or hog a couch.
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One of the places I have visited many times, but might stop doing so.
The quality of the food is still great, which is an enticing factor to visit over and over again. However, the dropping standards of the service staff is starting to rub off on its customers. Business is really good at the place, so that might partly the reason for the lack of attentiveness and increasing snobbish attitudes of the staff.
However that is not an excuse either. Also, the strange decisions of the management to put forward unfriendly policies such as a minimum spending and maximum time allotment per table just makes me wonder what kind of branding are they hoping for the restaurant? Intending to go really upscale?
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I'm in love with the hot chocolate with fat, homemade marshmallows. In love.
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This is the about the most talked about place in Cityweekend. I went there on a Saturday a few weeks ago. I had a delicious chocolate milk shake. My guess had a not so good bitter latte. My friend knows coffee, (she drinks coffee all the time.) We shared a decent seafood risotto and passable tuna sandwich. It was quite crowded. I didn't encounter any bad service. My overall experience was decent.
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I would like to add that once a place starts charging for a glass of water (I had ordered a sandwich too, wasn't freeloading), I stop going. So Whisk is finished for me. I'm talking to you too, Sasha's.
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i went to whisk last month, with high expectations since my friends have been telling me whisk is a great place with nice food and dessert. the ambience is great, perhaps except for the tank of fishes which i think it kinda spoil the ambience. the food is so-so. we had hot chocolate (74%), and that's soooooo sinful. gosh. chocolate therapy is a great disappointment. the cake is dry, and it just crack when i tried to take a small portion. tiramisu is deadly sinful. though the portion is big, i think it's too big that it's making people feel sick of tiramisu. overall, i think it's an overrated place. :\
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opps. forgot to rate it.
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Choco addict! Nice atmosphere (but the music is too loud for a place where you are supposed to relax and chat), and tasty Spanish Hot Chocolate and desserts...Ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon!