New Brasserie in Shanghai: Vesta Blackstone Garden

Sponsored by Vesta Blackstone Garden

Vesta Blackstone Garden is a new brasserie located within the thriving Blackstone Apartments complex on Fuxing Zhong Lu, Shanghai. Connected to the hotel, Vesta is undisputedly the main dining destination in the restored historic square.

Vesta Blackstone Garden & The Blackstone Apartments

Vesta Blackstone Garden serves an all-day menu of tapas, rotisserie, grill and pastas. Dishes are largely western, save for a few Asian influences.

Vesta Blackstone Garden is an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

It is the swanky new version of sister restaurant Vesta Bistro, which opened in 2017 at the Jing’an Kerry Centre. The space is beautiful—the main dining room within a greenhouse with more seating facing the bar and kitchen, along with a private room and lounge. It's also connected to the M+ Hotel.

Vesta Blackstone Garden is an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Vesta Blackstone Garden is an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex.

Vesta Blackstone Garden is so named because it is located within the block that houses the Blackstone Apartments, a century-old unit built in 1924 by American missionary James Harry Blackstone.

Vesta Blackstone Garden is an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex.

Private room & lounge

The Blackstone Apartments were recently refurbished to include a design-forward bookstore and café with restaurants, bars, and a hotel in the adjacent buildings. The "Nice To Meet You" bookstore has become quite the popular attraction since it opened in April this year. (People still live in the apartments above, by the way.)

Nice To Meet You bookstore in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex in Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Inside the bookstore

The Food at Vesta Blackstone Garden

Vesta Blackstone Garden is an all-day restaurant, therefore, the menu is quite sizeable. There is a wide selection of salads and small bites/appetizers, pastas and sandwiches, as well as mains that run the gamut from whole roasted chicken to seafood stews and steaks to share.

Food at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

There are also lunch sets, brunch dishes for the weekend, and afternoon tea.

Highlights from the all-day menu:

Sandwiches at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Duck Panini (¥70) – Shredded duck with cheese and onion grilled between sourdough. My kind of lunch.

Salad at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Arugula & Mushroom Salad (¥78)

Toasts at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Prawn Salad on Sourdough (¥78) – A generous serving of prawn salad over avocado mousse, topped with salmon roe on sourdough. I quite like this. It's light and tasty. More suited as a lunch/brunch dish.

Food at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Avocado with Garlic Shrimp (¥58) –Another dish that panders to the brunch crowd. A garlic-shrimp stuffed half avocado topped with cheese and bacon bits, baked in the oven.

Steamed Clams at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Steamed Clams (¥78) in white wine, garlic and butter - High-quality local clamsin a classic sauce. The dried chilies give it a nice kick. Very addictive, especially with a glass of wine.

Duck confit at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Duck Confit with Pearl Couscous (¥88) – Great value dish.

Scallops at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Mushrooms & Green Peas (¥98) – Perfectly seared scallops with a medley of mushrooms, green peas and leafy vegetables in a cream sauce, sprinkled over with bacon bits.

Roast chicken at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Signature Roasted Chicken (¥70/half, ¥138/whole) – This is Vesta’s infamous roasted chicken aka “beer can chicken”. is actually really good when you get over the comical upright position of the bird. It’s crispy-skinned, juicy and flavorful, and comes perched atop a sizeable portion of mushroom risotto.

Dinner at at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Australian Grain-Fed Beef Flank (¥160) - Flank steak (130g) with roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic potatoes, onsen egg, and garlic-chive sauce.

Lunch set, Pork katsu with curry at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Deep-Fried Pork Fillet with Curry Rice (¥80) - This does stand out as an odd dish the menu, but it's really good. Thick breaded cut of pork fillet with mildly sweet Japanese curry sauce and sautéed vegetables. Comes with a bowl of rice. Available as a lunch set, ¥95 with a soup or salad and coffee or tea.

Desserts at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Caramel Puff (¥58) – It's like a mini St. Honoré cake of caramel-crowned choux pastries and cream on a tart.

Desserts at Vesta Blackstone Garden, an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Home-Made Pudding (¥48) – It’s called pudding on the menu, but it’s more like a flan. Petit, doused in caramel.

For drinks, Vesta Blackstone Garden has wines from ¥58/glass, ¥268/bottle. There's also plenty of coffee and teas, and sake and plum wine.

Happy hour is from 4-7pm every Monday to Friday — buy-one-get-one Kirin Ichiban draft (¥48/glass), and sparkling, red and white wine for ¥50 a glass.

In Summary: Good Date Spot & For Brunch

It's good food, executed well. The ambiance makes it a good dinner date spot. Alternatively, you could make a day of it and check out the bookstore and have a meal at Vesta Blackstone Garden.

I haven't tried brunch yet, but my gut feeling tells me it'll be a popular spot. Brunch dishes are served on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-4pm.

Vesta Blackstone Garden is an all-day brasserie in Shanghai, located in the historic Blackstone Apartments complex.