In Xujiahui Park, there is a hundred-year-old villa with a red tile roof and red walls. It stands out in the quiet shade of the park, and is affectionately called the Little Red Mansion by Shanghainese. It was once the birthplace of the national anthem, and it was also the former site of the famous EMI, where the first vinyl recorder was born, leaving behind the precious voices of famous musicians such as Zhou Xuan, Hu Die, Nie Er, and Xian Xinghai. As the fourth batch of outstanding historical buildings in Shanghai, the Little Red House has witnessed the ups and downs and changes of Shanghai.
Nowadays, when it comes to Little Red Mansion, many people will think of this Spanish restaurant La Villa Rouge opened in the villa, which has become one of the Internet celebrity restaurants in Shanghai with its century-old classical environment and authentic and affordable Spanish food.
The restaurant specializes in Spanish cuisine with a Mediterranean twist. A wide range of dishes and wines are all combined in an exquisite menu. The menu is arranged in the order of Western meals, with a choice of hot appetizers such as Spanish sausage with mushrooms, traditional Spanish garlic shrimp, pan-fried low-temperature barbecue-style beef tongue, traditional Spanish stewed tripe, eggs from Red Mansion Hot Springs, pan-fried foie gras, and pan-fried scallops with traditional Italian smoked meat. The average price is around 100 yuan, which is relatively affordable in restaurants of the same level. Among the seafood, we recommend pan-fried salmon, served with sweet beans and air-dried ham, and the meat of the fish is tender and tender. Pan-fried halibut is also good, with mushrooms and green bean truffle sauce with a unique taste. Silver cod with cuttlefish ink chips and traditional Spanish basil sauce, the black chips on top of the cod resemble a lace cap. Finally, there is a seafood platter of pan-fried flounder for two to share. Among the meats, it is worth tasting homemade roast chicken with red pepper nut sauce and seasonal vegetables, lamb chops with cinnamon pumpkin puree and red wine sauce, etc., and there are also two kinds of steaks, Angus fillet and sirloin, which are of stable quality and good value for money.
The main dish is the Spanish seafood risotto, which is bright red and translucent. The rice is made from Spanish short-grain rice, with paprika and saffron. The rice is cooked in a boiled seafood broth and steamed with white wine, which not only neutralizes the fishy smell of the seafood, but also adds a rich layer of taste. Another traditional Spanish chorizo braised pasta with meat sausage dipped in a slightly sour tomato sauce gives it a rich aroma. The arugula is slightly dry and not fresh enough, and the pasta has a crisp and hard texture.
Desserts include strawberry hazelnuts, chestnut molten salt cake, French croissant with homemade cheese sauce and tiramisu. Tiramisu is a rich flavour, with a creamy chocolate powder on top and a crisp and refreshing slice of air-dried lemon with a small piece of cream and fresh strawberries.
The Little Red House has three floors, and the first and second floors are open as restaurants. The indoor dining area on the first floor follows the partition of the original building, with several different space partitions, and the decoration and furnishings are all showing the style of old Shanghai. The outdoor open-air area on the first floor is elegantly surrounded by lush greenery, making it the perfect place for afternoon tea. The private rooms on the second floor are available from the old-fashioned carved wooden staircase at the entrance of the restaurant, and reservations are required in advance. The dining table is decorated with different kinds of flowers, and the decorative details are arranged with great care. Diners can order through the menu, or they can scan the QR code on the table to tell the waiter to place an order. Without Fine Dinng's strict order of serving, most of the waiters are smiling and responsive, and there is no additional service charge. But on the whole, the dishes produced by the restaurant are not outstanding compared to restaurants of the same level, and the environmental bonus is far higher than the food standard. However, because the price is close to the people, it is not impossible to feel the historical style of the century-old building.
