Cotton's 棉花
132 Anting Lu,
French Concession
near Jianguo Xi Lu
安亭路132号
近建国西路
6433-7995
www.cottons-shanghai.com
info@cottons-shanghai.com
6433-7995 (fax)
Open weekdays 11am-2am; weekend 11am-4am
Price Y100-Y199 per couple
Accepts International Credit Cards
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- City Weekend says
This beautifully converted historic villa is the perfect place to meet friends for an after-work drink. The big outdoor garden is one of the most relaxing spots in town during the summer months and the indoor fires are great for warming up during the winter. Good food makes it a place to lounge all day.
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I recently moved to Shanghai and discovered this bar. It's now my favorite in the city, and my friends and I usually go once or twice a week. There are always lots of interesting people to meet, and the food is great with huge portion sizes(coming from an American). My personal favorites are the anting kebabs and spicy fried rice.
Went there last night with a few friends and was served... THE WORST PIZZA I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. And I've eaten those microwaved cardboard slices from all days -- they are better than cottons "spicy pizza" or whatever it was called. The crust was passable, maybe even decent, but it all stumbles down the hill from there. The sauce did not belong on a pizza. Tomatos were not the main ingredient in it, it was spread thin and it tasted bland. The onions were chopped so thick, and hidden under the cheese ( which was duly bland frugaly portioned) that to eat some of the slices required biting through thick,soggy onions with every bite. And the peppers, though spread lilberally atop the pie, were just your ordinary market variety red peppers: cheap as change. They were served raw -- not fried, pickled, or prepared with the slightest taste consideration whatsoever. FYI loading a pizza up with an abundance of meats exotic veggies, and expensive cheeses can result in a delicious creation ; loading a pizza with peppers and onions that cost abou 2 mao 3 fen at the wet market does not. So by the end of the meal my plate was covered with discarded peppers and onions, and I struggled to eat the rest, but quite cleverly, I managed to trade in the a few slices for a taste of a decent blue cheese salad and an average spaghetti that my friends were having. They too said that it was THE WORST PIZZA THAT THEY HAD EVER HAD. Oh, and the service was miserable. To to say that they were barely competent would be to shower praise on the surly, dissinterested servers. Ever heard of smile and a table check? I guess that is why the place was barely a quarter full at 9:30 on a Saturday night,
Cotton: your Hunan House is excellent. I love eating spicy food and I seek it out so I was somewhat excited that there was a spicy pizza option at your bar. What a monumental dissapointment! Figure it out.
I still love the place for atmosphere. I guess this is why I am going back there. But their drink/cocktail quality for this price are unacceptable! 3 times their drinks are bad and I always forgive it because I like the place and always share good time with friends there. Mojito have no taste at all and to sum it up it is ice and water. Their cotton's martini have an undefined artificial taste and a strong water taste and wonder if they put alcohol. Their banana daiquiri have at least a good banana taste but the same I wonder if they put alcohol. Last time we had cranberry spritzer and everything was diluted and water taste... Service keep ask you to know if you want an other glass when you first glass is not even finish. So yes I do like to go there with my friends but if they want to keep us as regular clients, they better stop to save money on our drinks. A bottle of water is 2 RMB not 50 RMB.
Cotton's is a great bar for all seasons. Outdoor patio area for the summer evenings and a cosy fire place to hug in the winters. Good food and service but the only ingredient Cotton's seems to lack is a buzz about it. Nearly every time we have been there is only a handful of other customers. Hopefully with the start of warmer evenings it will attract more customers with their great patio area.
Tucked away in the French Concession, Cotton's is charmingly located in a historic villa with a lovely outdoor garden and a cozy fireplace inside. It looks like the perfect "comfort spot" for winter, and on this particular day is buzzing with people as we're all celebrating one of many Christmas parties.
We were, of course, far more interested in the food. The menu is an eclectic mix of cuisines, but we zoom in on the German-ish food. The schnitzel and fries is decent - large portion of schnitzel and thick cut fries. The chicken cordon bleu is declared "average" by my friend. I find my baked meat and cheese on toast great though. There is a proper name for this on the menu, but I forgot. It is essentially meat and cheese, and top of toast. I'm surprised the toast used is just cheap thin bread - I would've expected nice thick-cut bread at least. Fortunately, it is very tasty - I mean, anything smothered in cheese tends to be that way, right? ;)
The fries with four dips was impressive, and the dips were great, though it was a shame the fries were quite overcooked (or maybe re-cooked?). Their hot toddy, a warm mulled wine, is fantastic.. and I nurse mine with glee. However, Chris' warm whiskey mix (forgot the name) is undrinkable - like drinking warm cheap whiskey mixed with something that we couldn't quite place.
The food is average, but I suppose since it IS a bar, you're meant to go there for the drinks ;) The atmosphere is perfect for hanging out with friends, I'll give 'em that!
PHOTOS: http://beverly.livejournal.com/794326.html
I have been several times for dinner to the one on Jianguo/Anting Lu. Sitting outside is definitely preferred for ambience. They keep mosquito repellent handy for patrons which you will need this time of year! I find service friendly, quick enough, weak drinks, good portions of food. I like the butterfly rice. But Caesar salad just tasted like lettuce with Dijon mustard on it. Great place if you have a noisy group of friends.
What the hell happened to this place? I hadn't been in while, brought a couple of out of town guests for drinks. The service was nearly nonexistent. Then they had no mint for mojitos so we ordered other things, which would have been fine but the drinks were terrible, so for the second round we got gin tonics. How could you go wrong with gin and tonic, right? Well I was shocked: hands down the worst gin tonics I've had in ages; tonic was flat and the drop of gin tasted funny. Sadly not going back any time soon. Do something Cotton!
Outdoor seating perfect for spring afternoons right now. Menu was a little unimaginative but the burger and brunch set always hit the spot. Pity the seats in the patio are not comfie for extended lazing!
Cotton's garden is great, inside is cozy fake, the bar guys are bad mannered(where is good old nice&fat Jason ????) the food really sucks already for 2 years and it seems all nice waitresses leave the joint or are replaced by empty faced gals. "Mayday, mayday, we are going down....."
Check out what CW has to say about Cotton's and other classy Shanghai venues in "Developed Taste: Bars for discerning thirty-somethings"
Perfect for all seasons : a glass of chilled wine in the patio in summer, a beer by the fireplace in winter. Great for dates and large groups alike, to have a quiet evening in a warm atmosphere. I don't have anything to complain about the staff, efficient and smiling.
Go for drinks, not the food (for now). Sat on the beautiful patio opting out of my regular burger for the pork ribs. The ribs were unpalatable. Staff (typically great) was slow to replace, but after manager o.k. got the chicken sandwich. Lightning struck twice. Tried to stomach the sandwich but just could not. While the manager comped the "meal" and gave me drink coupons for the new location, sometimes free isn't free. Definite points for trying. Let me know when you replace the kitchen staff.
Where You Drink, Issue 11: Stefan Mueller
"For a great garden outdoor seating area and of course good food and drinks, I go to Cotton's. This bar is an oasis in our busy city and is simply the best place to enjoy a warm summer night. Their Sunday brunch is also a great deal and you can easily spend a whole day there, ending up with a Golden Frozen Margarita in your hand, having a chat with the friendly owner Miss Cotton herself."
Lovely outdoor patio. Fantastic steak and lamb. Nice wine selection and nice service. No complaints.
We're big fans of the outdoor patio at Cotton's--it's a chill French Concession hang out for lazy (hopefully sunny) afternoons. Once we've staked out our spot, a plate of Cotton's Special SPICY Fried Rice (YY35)--the [i]mala[i] version of the Butterfly Rice--and a nice cold beer or cocktail is enough to keep us happy. The chefs originally whipped this one up for Cotton to satisfy her craving for Hunan food and we're told she liked it so much that she decided to put it on the menu. With green and red peppers, corn, onion, pork, greens and the requisite red-hot peppers and spice to match, it's a meal unto itself. Just pour that hot peppery sauce on top (ask for another dish of it--we do) and chomp away.
I am disappointed with Cottons. Knowing that it's a great place to go for happy hour I arranged for my alumni association to meet here for our monthly happy hour. I am also aware that it can be quite busy in the summer so I called two weeks ahead to ensure that there would be enough space for me and my 15 classmates. Unfortunately when I arrived I was told that a larger private party had booked half the restaurant out and I would only be allowed to have one table. When I asked why I was not called so that I could change the location the waitress informed me that it was not her responsibility. I would recommend that those interested in arranging a group here be sure to call ahead and confirm your reservation or they may give your table away.