Azul Viva
18 Dongping Lu,
Xuhui
near Wulumuqi Lu, Metro Line 1 Changshu Lu Station
东平路18号
近乌鲁木齐路,地铁一号线常熟路站或衡山路站
6433-1172
Open 11am-11:30pm
Price Y200-Y299 per couple
Accepts International Credit Cards
- City Weekend
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The jazz lounge feel of this stylish tapas bar makes it easy to linger. Snack-sized dishes of fresh vegetables and meat comes infused with cilantro, basil, saffron, garlic and wine. The popular weekend brunch offers soulful Spanish and American favorites.
Reviews Been there? Add a review!
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cityweekend
Most Recent Reviews
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My first visit to Azul and what a birthday treat! I'll stick to the facts. The venue is nicely deocrated, stylish and modern. The staff were friendly with a genuine welcome when we arrived (not all screaming 'huan ying guang ling' in unison). On top of that, the staff speak good English and are well trained and attentive. A glass of champagne (90 RMB) was a great aperitif and we were served with bread and dips as soon as we sat down. We ordered four hot tapas, one main and one vegetable dish. First up were the mushrooms (40 RMB) which arrived steaming hot and well seasoned. Alongside these were meatballs (70 RMB) which were simply divine. A generous portion and perfectly flavoured. Potatoes and chorizo (60 RMB) were reasonable (the potatoes were a little dry) but there was plenty of sauce to compensate. The best of the hot tapas (a close run thing with the meatballs) were the sesame prawns (90 RMB). These were large, meaty and coated in a wicked, black, gooey sesame sauce, wow! Our side dish of spinach (30RMB) was also delicious and the creamy sauce complimented it perfectly. A nice change to the way the Chinese cook spinach. All of these dishes arrived together, piping hot and in large quantities. This would have been enough for 2 people without the main course. The waiting staff were on hand to remove empty dishes and fill our water glasses without being asked, which simply doesn't happen in a Chinese establishment. We finished our dishes and this gave us enough time for a small break before the main course arrived. The suckling pig (150 RMB) obviously takes a while to cook as it is roasted, but it's oh so worth waiting for. The skin was perfectly crisp and the meat inside was juicy and sweet. An excellent sweet sauce and a bed of creamy (sweet?) potato mash added to the enjoyment. We were already a little full but ate every single mouthful. A real treat, don't miss it! Dessert was definitely not going to be missed with food this good and that didn't disappoint either. The chocolate Kahlua brulee (40 RMB) was sweet and chocolatey, with a crisp top and went well with my espresso (? not sure how much it cost). The Peruvian flan (40 RMB) was utterly stunning however. My companion and I eyed each other jealously as we took it in turns to take a spoonful and swish it around in the sweet glaze until it was all gone. Heaven. Go try this dish for yourself. Overall the food, service and ambience were excellent and I would certainly recommend it to anyone. The total bill (745 RMB) is comparable to a meal of similar quality in my home country (UK) and there's no reason it should be cheaper here. High quality ingredients, good food, good service and an all round posiitve experience. The only downer was a table of Americans next to us who seemed to be competing with Chinese people as to how loud and obnoxious they can be in public. Really, Americans, turn the volume down a bit please. We don't all want to hear about your lives, we have our own to talk about.
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Went to Azul for New Years Eve 2009. Set menu and the food was good. The service was good until the end and they would not bring our dessert and we wanted to leave so had to do the stand up routine and pretend to leave and not pay to get dessert and the bill...works every time....I would go here again and want to try Brunch!
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Oops! Forgot to give them their golden star. Here you go!
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Had the sunday brunch a while back. The house was packed so we forgave the snail-paced service and the sour faces of the wait staff. When the food finally arrived, it was actually very tasty! I had almost finished the meal when I realized that my salad was moving.
Must be the wind I thought. But it was only one particular leaf. Turned it over, and was acquainted with a juicy, prickly (and probably pissed off, due to the vinaigrette) caterpillar.
Maybe Eduardo cut down on his appearances at Lounge 18 and go was his vegetables once in a while?
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Azul’s weekend set brunch pleases the eye, palette, and wallet. The delicate filling of herbed cheese properly compliments the smoked salmon laid across the crepes. The crispy potato lattice hidden underneath the “Gourmet Omelette” delights with its surprising texture and flavor. I was disappointed in my watery, icy smoothie but the dishes are thoughtfully created and well executed. Bravo Vargas!
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Went there for brunch and was disappointed. We had blueberry pancakes, eggs benny and the kahlua creme brulee. Don't think I'll go there again, unless the price is slashed to half. For the price charged, I would expect a much higher standard, especially the service.
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been there a few times. food is decnt, but wish i could say the same about the service. reserved a table by the window, but got something else, and when asking the manager for a different table, she asked if we "did" ask for it when we made the reservation. one time the waiter was in such a rush, he left my friend's entree in front of me as he picked up her plate then left. okay for brunch, as long as you have low expectation for service.
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Used to love hanging out at Azul for some tapas, sangria and yummy free bread...but after last night's dinner, I probably won't be going back. The service was horrible. There were only two waitress who never seemed to be around. Usually love starting a meal with their warm bread but it never arrived until we asked for it, by which time we were almost done with our main course. The ravioli I had for my main course was bland and had two small slivers of cheese. When I asked the waitress if i could have some extra cheese, she said they didn't have anymore...which is hard to believe seeing that there were many other dishes on the menu that included cheese. Also the tapas prices were quite expensive for that price, I could get a nice main course somewhere else.
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Dissapointing; I have visited this joint many times the past 4 years. The Carpachio Azul serves for lunch(90 kuai, 2 courses meal) these days is so shameful small, maybe 4 small slices of thinbeef... they served it without a blush on their face...no taste, icecold. An ok sandwich after that, but another 2 glasses of housewine for 40 kuai each makes this lunch deal a 170 rmb total ripp of. Why not make the drinks more accessible...
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A new Azul is being created now. Business as usual on the second floor. Come for brunch and lick your fingers. YUMMM
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Just went Azul for Saturday brunch, big portions and very delicious food at very affordable price and not to forget the good and very friendly service, never had this kind of service in shanghai before 2 thumbs up to u guys keep up the good work..
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I just want to salute the Team at Azul for a wonderful weekend brunch. Last Sunday, I hosted a farewell party of 25 people and received rave reviews -- food, price and service. Again, kudos to the chef, wait staff and management for making our party a success!
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For the second time in 4 years went to Azul to have lunch there today.
2 courses for RMB 90 or 3 courses for RMB 110.
Spinach salad was good, but a bit garlicky, whereas the main course called South of Border Chicken Risotto (or similar) was not edible at all. A gooey mixture of garlic, overcooked rice, chili and what might have been chicken.
Service acceptable, though they do not give a damn about the food they serve.
I can only judge these two dishes, but I am not tempted to come back and try the others.
May be in 4 years I give it another try.
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Went there yesterday, it was packed, but service was timely and friendly. The muffins are delicious, as was everything we tried. Blueberry muffins, the open faced omelette with goat cheese, the one minute steak and the salmon pancakes( could do with a bit more flavoring). The smoothies were smooth and tasty. All of the dishes are big enough to share with is a great plus for only 120 rmb. I will definitely go back!
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Excellent weekend brunch menus and the portions for one set is really huge enough even for 2 persons as each set come with a complimentary muffin and scone, which are absolutely delicious too!
Given the quality of the food, it's a real value-for-money deal over at Azul compared with many of the much more expensive and really smallish weekend brunches at similar establishments.
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We went there for brunch for the first time last Saturday. We've never been and the prices for both 2-courses and 3-courses caught our eyes. Really couldn't believe that the brunch would be such a bargain (compared to the RMB400 ones in hotels) so we settled for the 3-courses.
First to arrive were the scones and muffins. I wasn't so hot on the scones as have been spoilt on the proper Cornish scones in England (I'm a snob, I know). However, the muffins..... wow wow wow. They were absolutely delicious! I had the blueberry pancakes, prawn pasta and peruvian flan. Washed this down with a massive glass of freshly squeezed OJ and found more space in the stomach for a cup of tea. We walked out of Azul with a big smile on our faces (and stomachs) and will definitely return.
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No one can argue that Eduardo is not the Man in the expat restaurant world in Shanghi and his Azul Viva is a veteran of the scene. I’ve had some very decent meals here although the service is all over the place. I once brunched here with a large group and waited over an hour for certain dishes, while other dishes were forgotten. But I’ve also had attentive service on less busy days. I would appreciate Chinese-speaking servers and a Chinese menu, however Eduardo favors servers who only speak English and his menus are usually only in English—I feel this ignores a huge swath of the population. One other improvement at Azul would be a renovation of the drafty, dark, very uninviting bathroom—it’s freezing back there in the winter! Other than that, he creates a cozy and pleasant environment. I was there for a mid-week lunch last week and I enjoyed a tasty beef carpaccio starter. However, the pork in my pulled pork sandwich, while well seasoned, with a nice crisp sear, was NOT fresh. It was just on the borderline of being spoiled and I couldn’t eat it at all—I pulled it out and ate just the tasty bread and sweet potato. My friend ordered the seafood soup which had a generous amount of shrimp and veggies, but other than being spicy did not have much flavor and oddly lacked the briny, ocean fragrance that seafood usually brings to a tomato broth. I had a pleasing white sangria and an excellent though small latte. All in all, despite the food quality being uneven, it’s still a good deal and a welcoming place to lunch/brunch. It would be even better if you could count on the consistency of food quality--I'd actually become a regular.
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I went with a large party for a friend's birthday.
First thing I would mention is that for a large party, it might be better to make reservations for the upper floor. The large party seating on the first floor consists of a tatami-like room with cushions that are inclined so that you are actually leaning back away from the table. Needless to say, this made eating difficult and uncomfortable, especially if you are like me and have bad knees.
Secondly, I will say that the food is quite tasty, and would agree with the above reviewer that things tended to be on the citrus-side. Some of the dishes we ordered were the BBQ shrimp, Salmon, Sea Bass, and Lollipop Chicken. We also ordered a couple pitchers of Sangria, but I would recommend against this as the sangria tasted mostly of juice and little wine.
Third, I will compliment the service there. I was very pleased with their problem resolution. We did find a long black hair in one of the appetizers and they promptly removed the dish and gave us another portion.
Lastly, I am quite picky about restaurants and their bathrooms. This is probably the only place that I had a complaint. I thought the bathroom could have been much cleaner and smelled a lot nicer. Other western places tend to have their bathrooms kept much better.
Overall, I would say that this is a good place to have a date and splurge a bit.
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The brunch is perfect!
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I've tried this restaurant for dinner. The tapas are tasty and portions are good, cocktails are OK, but it's a bit overpriced. Go there for their fantastic brunch, to me the best in town : home made bread, scones, muffins, 2 courses (I recommend the pancakes), 1 smoothie, 1 coffee, all lip-smacking, for RMB 120 / person. You'll also appreciate the chic-but-laid-back atmosphere.
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We ate at Azul for the first time a couple of weeks ago. We had the set 2-course brunch. After the first few bites, my husband said "we're definitely coming back". It was delicious. Although, the mimosa wasn't impressive, everything else was.
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I've been going here for 5 years. Lately I've been going mostly for the brunch deal. Its definitely delicious and a good value. I've had the pancakes, salads and many of the egg dishes. There are two steak variations for brunch, but they are hit and miss. The smoothies are very nice. I usually order the mix berry smoothie. Each brunch set also comes with a muffin and scone. The desert is also great. I had the flan last visit. I go here for dinner occasionally as well. Eduardo has done a wonderful job of adjusting the menu slightly through the past 5 years. Although there seems to be a lack of staff sometimes, the service still ranks quite high. Almost forgot to mention, the sangrias are perhaps the best in Shanghai. The decor of the place has never changed and amazingly still holds its own after 5 years.
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Well that would have been nice - but certainly was not offered!!!
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You're actually supposed to get two drinks with the RMB120 brunch--the cocktail or smoothie AND a coffee drink as well.
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We visited this restaurant last weekend for brunch. My partner and I opted for the 120RMB two-course deal. This comprises of 1 drink and 2 dishes that you are able to choose from the standard menu. It also included a freshly baked savoury scone and banana muffin per person. I started with the bruschetta for an entree. It was a generous serving indeed. Presented in front of me were 5 pieces of sliced ciabatta bread generously topped with tapenade, salsa, parma ham and grated parmesan cheese. It was a superb way to begin the meal and my hopes were sky-high!. For my main, I selected the veal served with garlic fries and a watercress salad. The portion of veal was very small - and it was a bit too tough for my liking. Furthermore, I was disappointed with the frozen chips and 'watercress garnish' that I was given as opposed to a 'salad'. The sauce accompanying the veal was lovely - but there was not enough of it. As far as drinks were concerned, I loved my sangria and ended up ordering another few to immerse myself fully into the Spanish atmospehere. Service was passable - but I felt for the waiters who were under pressure due to the restaurant being so crowded. Overall, good but not brilliant. There is so much potential for this restaurant to become even better. We paid over 600RMB for our meal and walked away satisifed - but feeling as though the whole experience was very hit-and-miss.
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Delicious as always. I went back for the first time after two years and it was just as I remembered, if not, better!
From the chick peas to the braised octopus and the pitcher after pitcher of tasty sangrias... yum... I was happily full and happily buzzed. The best thing about tapas is the variety of dishes you can order and it's perfect portions for sharing!
The flavors suited my expat pals and my newly made local friends which meant I will be sure to return. On top of it all, I still can't forget the house bread - warm, doughy rounds - great for dipping or generous bites with hummus!
Now that I'm back in Shanghai, I'll definitely be a regular! Speaking of which, I'll be back this weekend :)
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(I found this review on City Weekend from 2004!) Conservative restaurant names generally seem to indicate a level of culinary and atmospheric sophistication－Viva and Azul are no exception. Stacked on a stretch of Dongping Lu, the fusion restaurant and tapas bar, respectively, are the latest projects from the Peruvian chef behind Che's original menu and Mexico Lindo.
Though the two new restaurants share some elements, such as a drink menu featuring typically tropical specialties, like sangria (Y120 per pitcher, Y50 per glass) and margaritas (Y50), and homemade bread served with some of the best side sauces in town, the decor and fare are reasonably different.
Azul is tastefully tile-laden, giving the effect of being poolside at night, and offers hot, cold, and vegetarian tapas (Y38-58 each). Their delicate shellfish ceviche, spicy calamari, and lamb with mint mojo are some of the finest little dishes this side of the Bund. The Spanish platter (Y98) features standards like olive and tomato tepanades; a very mild chorizo; and an incredibly fluffy Spanish omelet. Though the food at Azul is less spicy and salty than one may expect from tapas, it is certainly not less flavorful.
Upstairs, Viva is a bit darker, with red glass goblets, gray-blue silk tablecloths, and chunky candles. It's very romantic indeed--except for the conspicuous view into the fluorescent-lit kitchen. The fare is what we have come to expect from semi-fine dining in the city, with complicated names listing unusual ingredients, i.e. lamb steak with basil mash, hoisin-cabernet glaze, and papaya mojo (Y98).
Most of the dishes here stray to the citrus side, including salads like the Texas beef with avocado (Y58), which was really more like a Waldorf salad. Superior ingredients, like a large, fresh filet of salmon (Y88) end up smothered in fruitiness－delicious if you have a sweet tooth. But the sugar angle pays off in the dessert menu, with some remarkable creations like the milk chocolate and tea soup with lemon croûtons (Y48) and the citrus panna cotta, which comes doused in poppy seeds (Y58). The food at Viva, though exemplary in quality, is not quite revolutionary.
The details at Viva and Azul, like great service, knowledgeable wine recommendations, and attractive food presentation, top their fine menu to make this one of the more exciting restaurants to open in a long time.
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Go for a two-course weekend brunch at this cozy tapas bar and dinner won't be necessary. Azul's menu offers a diverse selection of Spanish and American-style dishes, rich in both flavor and presentation. Try the open-faced omelet or blueberry pancakes. Brunch comes with freshly baked scones and muffins, juice and some of the best coffee in Shanghai.
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an ever-reliable retreat for a fantastic weekend brunch.
© 2007 Beijing Ringier International Advertising Company. All rights reserved.
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-Second Bite-
Around town and on our website, there’s been a lot of smack talking about how Azul, one of the core restaurants founded by serial restauranteur Eduardo Vargas, has been going downhill. True or not, it appears that Vargas has heard the complaints. The service issue, for one, appears to have been worked out. When we visited Azul on a Saturday night, waitresses snapped to attention, and fresh baked bread arrived at the table while we were still mopping last batch’s crumbs from our lips.
Improvements to the menu were a bit less even. For one thing, there is still no sane justification for the markup applied. The seabass ceviche (RMB70) for example, was a martini glass full of onion, lemon juice, sea bass and sweet potato. The flavor mix was dominated by the sweet potato, which has the business advantage of being extremely cheap and filling. But we effectively spent more than 10 US dollars on a shot glass-worth of sea bass mixed in with entry-level veg. The gazpacho (RMB40) was a bit hollow, but the dash of crabmeat in the center was a nice touch. The standout was the Peruvian beef tapa (RMB65), a stew of corn, caramelized onion and rare beef in a peppery brown tomato sauce. The salmon crab ravioli (RMB90), on the other hand, was wrongful. It advertised an olive sauce, but what it looked like was a cow pie and what it tasted like was sour capers and nothing else.
Desert, however, compensated. Vargas’ flan recipe (RMB40) remains the best flan I have ever tasted (having lived in both Spain and Latin America), creamy as a soft cheese and slathered in light caramel sauce. The churros special (RMB50), long fried bread sticks dipped in a mild yet dense chocolate mousse, was also excellent.
-Pete Sweeney