Neo-Bistro Alors Dishes Up Modern Chinese Food in Shanghai's Tianzifang (Closed)
Alors is a contemporary Chinese restaurant and wine bar located in Shanghai's Tianzifang, serving up modern Chinese plates with French wines.
The Location
The casual wine bistro is located within Tianzifang, a Shanghai tourist trap that’s hoping for a revival. It’s not a destination us residents tend to venture into, but Alors is worth a casual evening.
It’s a simple corner space; a dining room for 30 with a large communal table facing the open kitchen and a few al fresco tables. It’s also dog-friendly indoors. The vibe is chill.
The Food
The food is enjoyable, not overly fusion, and has quite a few impressive moments. First impressions are that the menu is still in its early stages of development, and some tweaks are in order. However, some dishes like the roasted pigeon and Xinjiang gnocchi are remarkable, complete, and worth every bite.
Hummus (¥58) with fried kale and cubed Sichuan sausage, served with taro crisps. Well-spiced hummus, fragrant with Sichuan pepper and chilies.
Fig Salad (¥58) with sesame oil vinegar and moringa sprouts, which is an uncommon choice for a salad. Moringa sprouts are spinachy, peanuty, and herbal; an excellent vegetable. The salad could have used more than just a couple tiny cubes of goat cheese, though.
Squid (¥78) – Perfectly cooked squid that's lightly charred and well-salted, served over a fermented green pepper and century egg sauce. Complex funky aromas with zing and spice. Not sure what the jellies were, as the sauce overpowered whatever flavors those cubed pieces held. Otherwise delicious.
Duck Confit Spring Rolls (¥68/two) – I believe that if you’re going to do sticker shock spring rolls, it better be a darn good spring roll. This tasted just FINE—flavorful with reduced citrus sauce—but certainly disappointing for ¥34 per whole spring roll.
Spicy Fried Chicken (¥68) with spicy mayo. Hard to fault! Great snack with wine.
Roasted Pigeon (¥108) – Deliciously tender pigeon with a luscious beef glaze topped mustard seeds. Absolutely fantastic and a must-order.
Xinjiang Gnocchi (¥68) – A twist on the Xinjiang dish Ge Da Mian (疙瘩面). Chewy tubes cooked to a firm finish like you would pasta, drenched in a creamy potato sauce, topped with spicy fermented bean paste and charred maitake mushrooms. Another must-order dish.
Grilled Mackerel (¥78/three) – Grilled mackerel atop tomato toast with sweet-sour wampee jam.
Black Sesame Ice Cream (¥58) with fresh strawberries, mascarpone cream, pistachios, and parmesan crisp.
In Summary
Good for date night or casual evening meal for those living in the area. An especially convenient option for dinner when you’re bringing visitors through to Tianzifang.
About Rachel Gouk
Founder & Editor, Nomfluence
Rachel Gouk is a seasoned dining journalist based in Shanghai with over a decade of experience covering food culture, restaurant developments, and the Asian culinary landscape.
