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The venue doubles as restaurant and a club. In the early evening the vibe is relaxed, with the noise level building later on weekend evenings. I had already enjoyed drinks there a few times, but on my last visit I dropped by with a friend to have dinner. We ordered a couple of Mojitos as we looked over the menu. While not exactly a Middle Eastern drink I still thought the mint flavor of a Mojito might tie in well with the Arabian Nights atmosphere. The drinks were quick to arrive and superb. Crushed mint, a couple of freshly squeezed lime wedges, sugar, a generous slug of rum, and ice - simply a perfect drink. Unusually for Shanghai I felt I was getting a reasonable deal for my 60 RMB.
Back to the food, the menu offers interesting main courses with plenty of variation, but appetizers are limited, and the deserts merely the usual suspects. With only three appetizers to choose from (besides salads), among which only a meatball dish looked vaguely Middle Eastern, we decided to skip the appetizers and head straight to the main courses. I was tempted by the lemon and olive chicken stew, and by the roasted lamb rack, but in the end I decided on the veal coated in almonds, served with a prune sauce and couscous. My friend went for the pan-fried cod with a lemon and tomato sauce and mashed potato.
 The cod was very fresh tasting and well-cooked, a simple dish that worked well. The mashed potato was slightly dry but still good. The veal was less of a success. The prune sauce was delicious, as was the couscous. Unfortunately though there was not enough sauce, which was a shame since the couscous could have benefited from something to mop it up with. Meanwhile, the veal itself was disappointing. The meat was cut too thinly and covered in too many almonds, creating something disconcertingly like a biscuit. Maybe this is the way the dish should be, but I would have preferred a much thicker cut of meat. I had been looking forward to veal, but instead ended up feeling like a vegan attacking a nut cutlet. Maybe the chef is one of those animal rights campaigners who oppose veal and is taking his revenge on veal eaters?
We finished our meal with a very generous serving of fruit salad with honey dressing. The fruit salad was decent, though a wider variety of fruit besides orange, watermelon, and hami melon would have improved it. The watermelon had also become overly sweet from sitting in sugar syrup for too long. Some acidic fruits to cut the sweetness would have been a welcome addition, as would some more flavoring in the syrup – perhaps some lemon zest or cinnamon?
Despite a few negatives, overall it was still a good experience. The staffs were professional and attentive. Regarding language, the mixture of foreign and local staff means that ordering in Chinese is more likely to be a problem than using English. While there were some issues with the food, the flavors were good and I plan to go back and try more of the menu. The drinks were well above average for Shanghai. Meanwhile, the décor and general atmosphere exceptional and create a perfect environment for relaxing with friends. The bill came to just over RMB 400 for two people including drinks, with mains being priced from 80 to 150 RMB. Given the elaborate décor and great location, a reasonable meal and great drinks at that price seems good value.
Barbarossa
231 Nanjing West Road, People's Park
Shanghai (next to the Art Museum)
Tel: 63180220
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Located inside People’s Park, beside the Shanghai Art Gallery towards the north end of People’s Square, Barbarossa offers a magic carpet ride, whisking you away from the surrounding chaos and providing an excellent spot for some quality relaxation. The décor is a sort of Arabian Nights mish-mash of Moroccan and Middle Eastern elements, a fantasy of white plaster floating on a small lake within the park. It is a fantasy that works.
Sitting on the open air terraced dining area beside the lake, Shanghai suddenly seems very distant. The gaudy plastic paddle boats on the lake are not quite out of the Arabian Nights, but if that bothers you there is always the tent covered bar on the second floor. 
