ÁTICA on Xinle Lu, Shanghai offers a Spanish festive menu in December: roast suckling pig, seafood paella, Basque cheesecake. Book a table for friends.
By Mike Norton
Cards on the table: ÁTICA is one of our favorite places in Shanghai.
We keep coming back, we send visiting friends here, and when there's an excuse to get a group together, it's one of the first places we think of.
Chef Ferran and the team give us a particularly good excuse to visit this festive season, with a generous Spanish festive menu that gives us plenty to celebrate.
The surroundings make an immediate impression. A dramatic skylight pours daylight over the dining room, where beamed ceilings lend character to a contemporary, welcoming space.
In fine weather, the terrace offers views towards the domes of the former Russian church on Xinle Lu. Surely one of the city's finest places to prolong lunch.
ÁTICA takes considerable pride in its paella. A few spoonfuls into the Paella de Marisco, we understand why.
Plump shrimp curl across the pan, surrounded by glossy mussels and open clams, while beneath them the rice retains that satisfying little bite.
It's a handsome arrangement, though its life expectancy once we pick up our spoons is decidedly short.
The real treasure lies underneath. The secret lies in the socarrat, the thin crust of toasted rice at the bottom that delivers concentrated flavor and a glorious crunch.
We scrape away with increasing dedication, chasing every last crisp patch.
The Cochinillo Asado al Estilo Segoviano, or roast suckling pig, brings some Spanish festive theatre to the table.
In Spain, there's a tradition of carving the pig with a plate to demonstrate the tenderness of the meat, then ceremoniously smashing the plate.
With that smash, it's time to test the tenderness with a fork.
The skin gives way with the delicate crack of a crème brûlée topping, revealing succulent meat beneath.
Each mouthful delivers that essential partnership of brittle skin and yielding flesh.
Two sauces from the Canary Islands accompany the pig. The green mojo verde brings a herby freshness, while the red mojo rojo has a deeper paprika tang.
We alternate between them, an activity that conveniently requires further pork. Comparisons must be thorough.
On the side, Pimientos Asados are sweet, tender folds of roasted red pepper, glistening beneath garlic slices and scattered pine nuts.
Crispy potatoes crack open to reveal fluffy centers, with aioli and piquant brava sauce settling into the rough edges.
Those fond of a festive parlor game can take a turn with the Padrón Peppers — blistered and pleasingly bitter, the peppers vary widely in heat intensity.
We approach each with curiosity. These provide the evening's sporting element — a sort of Scoville-scale Russian roulette.
The Txuleton a la Brasa, a bone-in ribeye, is equally difficult to ignore. Thick slices fan across the platter, their dark, charred edges framing rosy centers that glisten with juices.
Golden potatoes gather around the bone with blistered green peppers and glossy red ones. The sear is beautiful.
The whole platter has the generous, slightly unreasonable appeal that makes festive dining such a pleasure. We find space.
Next, some fish…
The Pargo a la Brasa al Estilo Getaria hails from the Basque country. Grilled whole over charcoal, it's served in fillets, so we can help ourselves easily.
The pearlescent flesh glistens with oil and garlic, with flecks of dried chili, pickled chili, and dollops of sweet, tangy romesco.
There's plenty to drink while all of this is going on.
ÁTICA has a full gin and tonic menu — including its own gin — and serves both red and white sangria.
Warm spiced wine and hot chocolate suit the season, particularly when we're happy to stay put a little longer.
To round things off, there's ÁTICA's 8.5-inch Whole Basque Cheesecake, one to order for the table. The interior is decadently rich and made with nutty Manchego cheese.
Unlike the imposters, this one is truly 'Basque,' with a deeply caramelized top, lending the flavor contrast that is the heart and soul of the dessert.
This is the sort of table we want to be sitting at in December. There's a buzz in the room, something to watch in the kitchen and always another plate to pass.
As we've come to expect at ÁTICA, the cooking is confident, the portions are generous and there is enough variety to keep a table happily occupied for an evening.
Book a table and gather some friends with healthy appetites and compatible views on sharing.
And if there's a dispute over the last of the socarrat, we propose a trial by pepper.
Ask the team about ÁTICA's festive packages and options when you book.
ÁTICA, 5/F, 82 Xinle Lu, by Xiangyang Bei Lu, Xuhui District
