Hamilton House 汉弥尔敦餐厅
137 Fuzhou Lu,
The Bund
near Jiangxi Zhong Lu, Metro Line 2 Nanjing Dong Lu Station Exit 3
福州路137号
近江西中路，地铁2号线南京东路3号口
6321-0586
Open 9am-10pm
Price Y300-Y399 per couple
Accepts International Credit Cards
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- City Weekend says
Serving traditional French cuisine, this restaurant has stylish Art Deco interiors adding a touch of modern class to a historic corner. Oyster naige and duck done two ways are the chef’s specialities and the creme caramel is a family recipe.
Reviews
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Had dinner here on Friday 10/28/11 TERRIBLE. Slow, non attentive service (and it wasn't crowded), bread came out after the main course, snails were cold, spaghetti sauce I swear was from a can, potatoes were wet and the lemon tart for dessert was burnt on the bottom. The food not only tasted bad -- but had no presentation.
We were a pre-fix group so this should have been simple. Never going back and telling others to avoid.
The French would be ashamed of the food served! A waste of time and money.
I just attended an event at Hamilton House and it was one of the worst service experiences I have had in a long time. The dinner for around 90 people took nearly two hours to serve (four courses) and much of this was because the staff stood around looking at their shoes. Finished plates were left in front of diners while waiters chatted with each other a few metres. In the meantime the general manager stood in the kitchen and looked out the window onto the dining room, seemingly unable to remind his staff to do their jobs.
I won't be back and I wish I had my RMB 350 back.
Celebrated my wife's birthday there at the corner window table with the view of the Bund-bound pedestrians. The previous reviewer has some truth in points, namely:
Service was friendly enough - when you got their attention. Restaurant was reasonably empty when we were dining but the wait staff were barely visible. I did arrange for a birthday cake to be brought by and that went smoothly
Food was .... well, ok. Good, but for the price, one certainly expects better.
The onion soup was what I came to try & after all the hype, I must say it's a memorable bowl!! The 10-hour simmer blends everything together wondrously, the cheese has just the right consistency and the onions are plentiful. You might close one eye at the 90 RMB price tag but you'll close them both savoring the almost Cabernet-like richness in every mouthful.
The interior is nice & spacious but I personally found the Mondrian-esque deco detracted somewhat from the so-called "old Shanghai" feel I was expecting.
So I pick & paw here & there, and 3 stars may seem harsh, but really - everything should be as good as their onion soup for you to walk away with an unbridled smile.
STAY AWAY from Hamilton House. Trust me.
Horrible, horrible, horrible service, ... no other customers ... and bad food
Am I allowed to do a review with negative stars. Giving one star feels like a dishonest lie.
Details: - went there on Sunday evening, an evening before a holiday ... the streets were full of people and traffic was very bad ... but Hamilton House was absolutely literally EMPTY - being the only two customers, we thought we'd enjoy having the place to ourselves ... WRONG - Question: "fuwuyuan (waitress), there's a lot of mosquitos in this part of the room, do you have some repellent or anti-bug device?" Answer: "let me check" and proceeds to do absolutely NOTHING - the famous french onion soup was lame - the crispy duck confit with duck liver was poor, especially the duck liver ... a watery paste! - to be fair, the bartender seemed to be competent since the espresso martini was ok
trying Hamilton House tomorrow night ... will let you know (especially if it's bad) ...
Had dinner there on New Year's eve and it was absolutely fabulous! Stylish, classy, comfy and delicious. Staff were very attentive and food was excellent! A great frame for a good start into the New Year. Big thanks to the team!
I once visited this restaurant shortly after it opened. I had written a fairly long review, but I'm not sure where it is anymore. My review was positive then, it is positive now.
Myself and a good friend went last week on an evening when it was raining. The venue was empty save for a party of 5 or six seated in the middle of the dinning room and another couple at the far end of the restaurant. This made for a bit of awkward positioning, but it wasn't a deal breaker.
I ordered the pate started while my friend had the french onion soup. Both were good. The pate was done in a style I was not accustomed to, and was a little difficult to spread over bread, and had a thicker consistency (almost chunky). However the texture was not a put off, and the taste made the dish worthwhile. My friend, a chinese was not accustomed to the richness inherent in french cuisine, but absolutely adored the french onion soup. I restrained myself to only a few spoonfuls, lest I became greedy. It was superb. The onions were almost emulsified with the soup giving it a rich, slightly sweet flavor.
For entrees my friend ordered the rack of lamb, while I opted for the duck. My friend thoroughly enjoyed the rack of lamb. The meat was tender while keeping a savory natural flavor. The sides were also very good. My duck... wow. First off, I will admit that anything duck pleases me, so I may not have it in my ability to be highly critical. But I can say that the meat was juicy and fell nicely off the bone. The meat was succulent and moist with perfectly preserved duck flavors. The fois gras was a little lacking (who doesn't want an ample supply of fois gras, honestly) and the pineapple was an odd pairing. I feel like orange or plum would have been nicer, regardless my plate was still cleaned.
We also ordered a side of the mashed potatoes. Having ordered them a year earlier and remember how good they were, I decided to include it as my one 'repeat dish.' It was as creamy in taste and almost velvety in texture.
To end the evening we had the hamilton house tarte. This dessert is one of those special dishes that specifically cause you to make return trips. Although slightly burnt at the bottom on this occasion, I would anticipate that is not the norm. It was made with peaches, and some mysterious sweet sauce, that if I had been served this at home, I would have licked the plate clean. The dessert was certainly memorable.
Overall, the standouts were the French Onion Soup, The Duck (although my friend loved their rack of lamb also), and the dessert for certain.
I would return here, and I recommend the place.
Nice place, good food and good service. Prices are very reasonable. Just a thing, the music was too loud...
I had dinner there the other night and it was very very disapointing. food had no flavour and it was just warm. Management was very cold like the weather outside. Chef left a while ago and it shows. I was recommended by a friend who eats out a lot around the world but I will tell him what I experienced. I really don't like a restaurant with that sort of attitude.
It’s rare to find a menu in Shanghai with this kind of classic French menu. Not everyone will enjoy it, but if you like to eat authentic rustic French cuisine, this is a good choice.
Basically a massive DISAPPOINTMENT.
After reading the usual very mixed batch of reviews, which is the norm for all high-end restaurants in Shanghai, I thought I should give one a chance and plumped for HH. Am actually quite upset with myself that I did! I should have known better.....
Had dinner as a group of 4 a few weeks ago and what a mistake this was. Food was completely uninspiring, especially the Kingfish slop and the Chicken. On top of this the service was poor with the whole place reeking of an attitude which is aloof and quite frankly bordering on the rude.
Shanghai seems to be one of the few places in the world where all you need to do is get a fancy venue, advertise, charge a fortune, have very mediocre food, poor service and just reap in the cash and actually survive.
Don't say you have been warned, do not make the same mistake as my friends and I did!
Went to the Hamilton house this weekend with friends for the Saturday night Burlesque event - advertised as 100 quai + a free drink and a tasting of their new menu items. When we got there, we tried to order drinks, but were told promptly that our tickets would only allow this "cocktail" concoction into a tea cup and if I wanted a drink, I should be able to pay for it - talk about service. I saw the bartenders create these "cocktails" as it was supposed to be tea infused gin, but I watched as the bartender put a shot of gin the tea pot then a can of ginger ale. Tasted like soda if you ask me. Thought maybe the food would be good since we had heard good things, but after tasting some of them, just needed some water as everything was overly salted and cold - even though the waiter just brought it out. In addition, the "burlesque" performance consisted of people dressed up in costumes and 60 second shows of "talent". After about 45 minutes of this, we couldn't take it much longer and left. I'm surprised after reading such good things about this place, that this was such a terrible experience. Would not recommend this to any of my friends.
Had dinner there on Saturday night. Not so busy as on previous visits but the same excellent cuisine.
BUT. A guest was allowed to have a DOG in the public area. Lot's of guests around us were complaining and the waiter said they were continually having complaints. "But the dog was with a friend of the owner, so there is nothing we can do". Well there is something we paying guests can do - not go there again! The whole place was like a hot-house as well and totally airless. Obviously Hamilton House is going to the dogs....
Where You Eat
Name: Clare Cheng
Profession: Lifestyle Marketing Specialist & Writer
As a world traveler, I always like to find authentic cuisine and an ambiance that reminds me of my travel experiences. I enjoy Hamilton House--the warm tuna is my favorite appetizer, the steak is great, and the service is good. It's loft-style atmosphere reminds me of my time in New York City. Having studied flamenco for one month in Seville, Spanish food has also become one of my favorite cuisines. El Willy has the most fantastic jamon, authentic tapas (such as the scallop ceviche with avocado and the crispy suckling pig) and I strongly recommend the cuttlefish and squid ink paella. Another Mediterranean restaurant, Casa 13, is among my list of favorites. Cozy with a great food and wine selection and a relaxing environment, it's a nice place to spend some time with good company.
we went to HH for Friday lunch and the cold, uninspired service provided a perfect foil for the hot weather outside. i remember having poached chicken, so bland i'm sure skinnyladieswholunch would be going for guilt-free seconds.
as i was making my way out, the lady owner came by. i was like wow - she's here to say goodbye at the door! of course, the thought bubble dissipated when i realised she was heading to the cabinet by my side to reach for something.
hamilton house's saving grace is its historical link to old shanghai - the delish art deco castle that bears Sassoon's name. Now, that's yummy!
Food was big dissapointment! Chicken was very very bland and undercooked with bits of blood on it (french?), served with 4 dirty crayfish and some spinach, and was charged 140 rmb. 8 of us, will not go back again.
Food was OK but they were out of about 4 dishes on a Saturday night and the food itself is much better at Casa 13 (which strangely enough has several of the same dishes!). The restaurant itself is beautiful and the bar is good - would be a chic place for after-work drinks. Our big disappointment was the wine list: an unimaginative, short, odd collection at ridiculously inflated prices (even given import duties) which made us feel ripped off and were pretty cheeky ... Meerlust Stellenbosch Rubicon for RMB950?! Brown Brothers Shiraz for RMB500?! Shame, it spoils the experience.
I liked the cauliflower soup. And the ambiance was nice enough. The bar also seemed like a nice place to come after work to have a few drinks!
The meal itself however was almost a total disappointment, save for the cauliflower soup. The steak was over cooked and the sides were bad! The worst part was when we were told that there were no more mashed potatoes, only to see them serve a heaping bowl to the other members of our table- and the mashed potatoes were the only thing that tasted remotely delicious!
The lounge upstairs is a nice place to finish off the meal with a coffee or a cocktail- just wish they took credit card!
We went to HH last night, the second time in the space of a week. The second time to share this gem of a place with friends. Too many restaurants in Shanghai either tries too hard to impress and offers you a menu a metre long so you're confused about what to order by the time you've finished reading. And/or it offers you a big plate with little food on it. Um, can I have the other half of my steak please? No, I want unpretentious food; something that's timeless and honest. HH fits the bill. I had the delicious seafood soup, the sea bass - (OMG!) and the flakey light pastry of the Vanilla Mille Feuille (good old vanilla slice in Aussie). Delicious! Great value for money in terms of quality, service and ambience. What more do you want?
Fabulous place! The food is extroadinary.The sauces are made with such attention and full of flavor. Just came back from Paris last week and the food at HH tastes just as good as what i had in Paris. The veal dish is a must try.
Dear Miss yk, I apologise for any inconvenience caused to you through Hamilton House not being in a position to accept Credit cards to this point. Every newly opened restaurant in China experiences the same situation that we find ourself in at the moment. We have identified this as an operational issue and have endeavoured to put processes in place to communicate to our guests the situation. As the owner I am personally on the floor for every service and am very aware of this. When Fa piao's are requested we take the guests details and are now in the process of mailing them out. Please contact me directly at the restaurant if you are in need of fa paio from your visit. Again Mike, As the owners both QianQian and I take your views very seriously and would like the opportunity to rectify the situation with you immediately. Please call me on 15921660357. Regards, Richard Xavia
management couldn't be colder than a winter night in beijing. yes, it's a frenchy place, but a smile every now and then would have made up for the prices they charge. also, it would have been nice when i called to make a reservation that they ONLY ACCEPT CASH and that they DO NOT give fapiao!! when i complained, i got a 'pooh-pooh' response. maybe it's just that i haven't been to the bund in awhile (goes with the territory?), but when you are paying a lot of money, you expect to at least feel good walking out...needless to say, i was more than embarrassed when i brought clients there and i will not be going back. it's too bad, cause the place is beautiful....
I went there once a year ago and was happy of the experience, so I did not want to believe all recent bad reviews. So last week I successfully booked a table for new year's eve dinner and show. Today, the 28th of December, they call me to say: sorry we have to cancel the reservation because your table is no more available! So what's the point in making a reservation in the first place? Stay away, this is just another clear example of their terrible service.