Magnolia is located at the top of the Mansion Hotel on Xinle Lu. We've all seen the place being renovated for ages, and finally a few months back it opened. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, which is important since the patio is the best in the French Concession area. You can see the Kwah building, the Jing-An Hilton, and the Okura Garden Hotel. The hotel itself has around 30 rooms, decorated in gaudy "upper class" fabrics and lots of small details and crown molding-type aesthetics. Apparently they're quite expensive. I couldn't help but think how I'd rather be at clean and modern JIA in HK for less. There's also a case of random objects that have nothing in common, which I encountered on the top floors. Overall though, the building is quite magnificent- especially when you enter the large, guilded iron gates. There's a double entry with a glass sunroom before the front doors, and the dark wood throughout the hotel is warm, and has the feeling of being a distinguished number of years old.

We didn't expect to have to argue for a table on a Monday night in the French concession. But we did. This was a great sign; the outdoor patio was scenic and the atmosphere inviting. Packed tables of foreigners and locals crowded around flickering candles, animatedly talking over bottles of Chianti. The stage was set for a great romantic dinner, even if it's just with friends.

Upon seating, however, our party of 4 was in essence deserted for the night. We ordered a bottle of wine, and enjoyed the proper tasting etiquette, but after our appetizer came (a very delectable roast pepper stuffed with spiced lentils and goats cheese), we were ignored for the evening.

To be fair, the food was really good. Everything was under 200 RMB (even for a quality steak), with appetizers in the vicinity of 78 RMB and under. For 2 bottles of wine, 1 appetizer, 4 main dishes, and 2 deserts we paid 450 RMB each (pretty moderate for this city in terms of "finer dining"). We enjoyed steak frites (excellent!), salmon with couscous and eggplant pickle (a tangy addition to a more delicate palate), and canolli with wild mushrooms and tomato sauce over a bed of green beans and chick peas (fresh and healthy). The only thing that was less than great was the canolli ¨C we were big fans of lots of cheese, and there was not so much.

Basically the biggest blow to recount was the 15% service charge on our bill at the end of the evening. We were all quite shocked, to be honest. Everyone's mouths dropped open, and the insinuation without need for words was: "what? We just endured horrible service, and we have to pay for it?"

The conclusion was that despite the poor service, if you want a relaxing evening with a long dinner, and you don't mind waiting around since you're having such good banter, then go to Magnolia. It's in the chic Xinle Lu district of the French Concession, has an excellent patio and comfortable seating, a decent wine list, and a succulent steak frites.

Magnolia
Address: 5/f, 82 Xinle Lu, Mansion Hotel, near Xiangyang Lu
Tel: 021-54036692