Cafe Transat, on Ji'nan Road, solves that problem quite adequately. The food here is simple, but good, and offers continental dishes that can be enjoyed by all.

The cafe employs Daviv Leong, a young chef from Malaysia. The Ipoh native is just 27 and previously plied his trade at such places as the Marriott hotel in Singapore.

His fare is a mixture of European and American favorites, with even a few dishes from his home country. His specialty, however, is proper continental cafe food.

The lunch menu special is highly recommended. Diners can select from such dishes as a ham and cashew salad for 50 yuan (US$6.30) or shrimp etouffee (stew) with white rice for 60 yuan, among others. The lunch dishes come with soup and a drink. For just 10 yuan more, patrons can also try the daily dessert.

The best seller, however, is its Philly cheese steak sandwich (60 yuan). This is more than adequate at noon, with a generous serving of beef and melted cheese in a toasted bun. The eatery even employs the services of a baker who produces fresh bread every morning.

The chips that came served on the side were also of good quality, a rarity in Shanghai. Hot, fat and fried with a touch of herb, they were neither too oily nor bland.

Cafe Transat is owned by a Hong Kong lady and a Frenchman. Rena Lung, the Hong Konger, has been in Shanghai for three-and-a-half years, and runs a number of businesses abroad. She had been exporting football jerseys to Europe when she met Patrice Joanin, a football agent, and the pair decided to open their own restaurant.

"The cafe is a warm place," the mother of two said. "We always try to do what the customers want, even for items not on the menu."

The result is an ample demonstration of continental flair, in a roomy, airy and convenient location. Just a few minutes from the Xintiandi entertainment complex, the cafe is frequented by business people working in the area.

Another pull factor is the bar, offering a full array of drinks to cater to the after-work crowd. The happy hour, which runs from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, offers half-priced drinks with a good array of draft beer that is very friendly on the wallet.

From 9pm to 11pm, the cafe runs an open bar for 100 yuan.

The business is evenly spread between both food and beverage elements, which means that visitors can enjoy good food with decent drinks and vice versa. On a good day, a seat in the alfresco area is highly enjoyable with simple grub and a large mug of cold beer.

Cafe Transat recently upgraded its menu to include more seafood items. Worth trying is its soft shell crab burger for 80 yuan. The crab was fried for just the right amount of time, meaning that the taste was still evident and each mouthful won't have a diner reaching for more beer. Most pubs that serve food often have their deep fryer permanently set on "Batter to death."

During October, diners can order from the special pumpkin a la carte menu, which includes pumpkin soup, pumpkin risotto, creamy pumpkin pasta and pumpkin pie. While the menu is designed to take advantage of Halloween and it association with pumpkins, patrons who opt for all four dishes must seriously like the vegetable.

Address: 8 Ji'nan Road
Tel: 021-53828370