Casa 700: Home to One of Shanghai's Best Paellas

Recent reshuffles in the Spanish dining scene have left a gap in the mid-range bracket that Casa 700 is sizing up to fill. Xuedong Xia Wang, formerly of Mistral, has put together a bar / restaurant ensemble over on the dark side of Xintiandi offering a comprehensive menu of Spain-spanning dishes including a fistful of fine appetizers and especially good paella.

We stuck straight into a plate of Iberian ham croquettes (RMB98) as iconic Spanish sporting events played on a screen overhead. Crisp on the outside and deliciously gooey in the middle, they were enough to keep distractions at bay as the dishes started to roll in. Both a marinated dish of peppers and aubergine and a robust yet delicately fried Andalusian-style baby squid (RMB52) were wholesome yet sophisticated in a way only Spanish bar snacks can be. They’re perfect with a big bottle of the nation’s favorite, Estrella (RMB98).

Only in the pre-main lull did we lift our heads to look around. Casa 700 is a curious venue, half-bar and half-restaurant. With piercing lighting and a clumsy layout, the space feels on the verge of awkward.

Luckily the star of the show arrived to refocus us on the food. The sea and mountain paella (RMB94, for two or more diners) is a huge dish of saucy rice, Barcelona-style, and its generous portions of prawns, clams, mussels, chicken and ham all simmer in a hefty and meaty stock. Maybe your Spanish aunt can do better, but it’s on par with the best in Shanghai. Completely eclipsed was a lamb shank slow-cooked for 60 hours sous-vide (RMB208). It wasn’t the melt-in-the-mouth masterpiece we were expecting and it felt expensive as a result.

Already teeming with Spaniards, Casa 700 has the indicators of success. To us, it’s a great place to go for a beer and some tapas and or for the occasional paella feast.

OUR RATING: 4/5

DEATILS

What: Casa 700

Where: 700 Huangpi Nan Lu 黄陂南路700号,

Tel: 6386-0377