11 of Shanghai's Most Refreshing Lemon Desserts for Summer
By Sophie Steiner
Shanghai's scorching sanfu heat is no laughing matter, but ice cream isn't the only refreshing option for keeping these dog days of summer at bay.
We're talking about the laudable, limitless, legendary, lustrous, lickable lemon; the Queen of Citrus herself, and arguably the textbook example of all things fresh, fresh, fresh. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sSo we are here to remind you to squeeze the day – because when life gives you lemons (aka back-to-back days of 40°C sweltering heat), it's the tangy quips and juicy jests that will pull you through (plus a whole lotta pool time).Pucker up, buttercup, for here are our favorite lemon treats in Shanghai right now.
Lemon Cake
Alimentari
Shanghai is home to eight Alimentari locations (with an additional eight scattered throughout the rest of the mainland), affording it its lofty status as 'an institution' in the dining scene.Serving up everyone's favorite unpretentious, fast-casual Italian food, the menu is ideal for everyday noshing.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sA staple on all Alimentari menus, the Lemon Cake (RMB40) is a lasagna-like wedge of all things lemon.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sLayers of moist, lemon-scented sponge cake are spread with zippy lemon curd, shmeared with lemon-infused vanilla cream, and ultimately topped with lemon zest-sprinkled and torched marshmallow.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sBonus: If you stop in before the end of July, Alimentari is also serving lip-puckeringly sour Amalfi-coast inspired Lemon Sorbet (RMB30), presented in a hollowed out lemon.An acidic blend of lemon sorbet and lemon rind, the resulting frozen treat is the ideal balance of cold and creamy. Scan the QR code below to see all listings for Alimentari. Lemon Sgroppino
8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana
An extension of the three Michelin Star venue (of the same name) in Hong Kong, Executive Chef Gabriele Delgrossi, along with Chef De Cuisine Nicoló Rotella, have together recreated the same lux, fine dining affair on the north Bund at two Michelin Star venue 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, the That's Shanghai 2022 Food & Drink Awards Restaurant of the Year.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sA pre-dessert offered as part of either the seven-course Tradition Menu (RMB2,280), Innovation Menu (RMB3,080) or the 4-Course Lunch Set (RMB888), the classic Sgroppino – arguably the most refreshing dessert there ever was – involves a tableside display of mashing lemon sorbet and vanilla ice cream together with grappa, homemade limoncello and Champagne.The result is a fluffy custard that is concurrently bright and lusciously whipped, speckled with shaved lemon rind. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, 6-7/F, 169 Yuanmingyuan Lu, by Beijing Dong Lu 圆明园路169号6, 7楼, 近北京东路Lemon Meringue with Basil Sorbet
Commune Social
As the brainchild of acclaimed Chef Jason Atherton, neighborhood modern tapas restaurant Commune Social makes fine dining accessible, affordable and – most importantly – fun.With an open-air patio that gets just the right amount of shade from the nearby buildings without the street noise, you can easily spend a few hours here without realizing how quickly time has passed.
In addition to a standout modern food menu, Commune Socials offers up some of the most creative desserts in Shanghai, originally designed by Pastry Chef Kim Melvin, ones that showcase both technique and flavor mastery.
Case in point, the Lemon Meringue with Basil Sorbet (RMB70) is a 'lemon snow'-dusted, hollow sphere made entirely of crisp, airly light lemon meringue encasing an herbaceous quenelle of refreshing basil sorbet and lemon cream.Guests are invited to smash the dome, ensuring a multitude of textures in every spoonful.Commune Social, 511 Jiangning Lu, by Kangding Lu 江宁路511号, 近康定路Lemon Kouign-Amann
Crave
After opening its original Xinle Lu location in the spring of 2021, Crave has maintained quite the cult following, one that has afforded it an expansion to a second outpost on Xizang Zhong Lu.In short, it's a lot of carbs and a lot of cute. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sPastry Chef Olivia Hsu takes a slightly different approach to her Lemon Kouign-Amann (RMB22) than others on this roundup.Employing a croissant-style pastry dough that is prepared 48 hours in advance but never proofed, with the resultant baked good being overtly crispy and airy. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sUsing the classic twist and fold method, everything about this kouign-amann is traditional, until you get to the stuffed center – when the sugar comes into play.Although the pastry itself is lacking that crucial syrupy, sticky bottom, the addition of mint-infused lemon curd filling has us equally satisfied.The lemon center will run through September, when it will be swapped for a winter seasonal flavor, like sesame. Crave, 218 Xinle Lu, by Donghu Lu 新乐路218号, 近东湖路Lemon Thyme Cake
Egg
As one the OG spots in Shanghai for Western brunch, Egg continues to pump out those brekkie classics, keeping it straightforward and simple to give you exactly what you crave most.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sIn addition to both sweet and savory brunch fare, Egg has a rotating selection of pastries, cakes, and cookies, plus a weekend donut release with two new flavors launched every Saturday. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sAvailable throughout the entire week, the Lemon Thyme Cake (RMB28) is a rich loaf cake made with zesty lemon peel, fresh thyme, and squeezed lemon juice.Dense yet oh-so-squishy, the cake itself is demurely sweet, balanced by a thyme-infused lemon icing.
Egg, 12 Xiangyang Bei Lu, by Changle Lu 襄阳北路12号, 近长乐路
Lemon & Lemon Tart
Mr & Mrs Bund
Mr & Mrs Bund is French, in the manner of Chef Paul Pairet: born, traveled, and globally stamped. Retro, yet contemporary, the space is unpretentious and welcoming,without sacrificing an ounce of chic.A mainstay on the Bund since opening in April 2009, this eatery serves French and international favorites, through Pairet's looking glass, coupled with family-style service.Image by Sophie Steiner/That's A must-order that has remained on the menu for nearly 15 years, the Lemon & Lemon Tart (RMB120) is a multi-day labor of love resulting in a lemon inception of a dessert.The process involves hollowing out then stuffing an entire candied lemon with in-house made lemon curd, lemon sorbet, vanilla Chantilly, and fresh citrus before re-freezing it. Presented whole, diners can slice open the lemon tableside to reveal the sunshine-hued strata inside, best enjoyed with a mouthful of crumbly biscuit served on top.Mr & Mrs Bund, 6/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Lu, by Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路外滩18号6楼, 近南京东路Lemon Curd Cake
ÔDelice
Arguably our favorite bite on ÔDelice's entire menu, the Lemon Curd Cake (RMB58) is an ultra-thick, lemon scented cake with a caramelized top.But the key is in the pressing that happens post-baking, condensing the cake in onto itself, resulting in a grainier, treacly texture, akin in mouthfeel to basbousa – a Middle Eastern semolina cake soaked in sugar syrup. Image by Sophie Steiner/That's Flanked by two dollops of homemade luscious lemon curd and topped with a melting scoop of lemon caramel-dribbled and Biscoff cookie-crumbled vanilla ice cream, this cake truly is what lemon dreams are made of. ÔDelice, 208 Xinle Lu, by Donghu Lu 新乐路208号, 近东湖路
Lemon n' Sage Curd Donut
Sloppy Gin
Arguably Shanghai's most wanghong hipster donut shop, Sloppy Gin has made quite a splash in the city's pastry scene.With a name that belongs more to a dive bar, we arrived with low expectations, and left with a sugar high… plus a few extra kilos around our midsection. Albeit on the treacly side, these donuts are ambrosial, served up in inventive flavors like Crème Brûlée (RMB26), Bounty Bar (RMB28) and Lemon n' Sage (RMB26), to name a few. Image by Sophie Steiner/That's We tried the latter, a seasonal favorite that has made the rounds and scored the top-ordered donut spot on their entire menu for two summers running. Filled to the brim with exceedingly tart homemade sage-infused lemon curd, the sour pop of lemon is flawlessly tempered by the delicate saccharinity of the pillowy, sugar-dusted donut dough, a perfect pucker-worthy pairing.Sloppy Gin, 172 Nanchang Lu, by Sinan Lu 南昌路172号, 近思南路Lemon-Tart
Stiller
Before there was the three Michelin-starred Taian Table, there was Stiller – an everyday, approachable venue, led by lauded German Chef Stefan Stiller.The original Stiller in Shanghai had a solid run from 2008-13. It was then revived in 2021 in Guangzhou. And most recently, March 2023 saw the reincarnation of the original in Shanghai, this time in the heart of Xintiandi.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sDessert is all about the light and fresh selections for the season, namely the Lemon-Tart (RMB85) – a zippy lemon pie of sorts topped with meringue and flanked by a quenelle of raspberry sorbet.Pleasantly sweet and sour, the pie's buttery crust lends necessary crunch. Stiller, Building. 22, 181 Taicang Lu, by Huangpi Lu 太仓路181弄22号, 近黄陂路Lemon Brownie
Todos Los Días
Renowned for its extensive scone display, Todos Los Días is a regularly frequented café situated on Shanxi Bei Lu.Beyond the baker's dozen of seasonally rotating scone offerings, the dessert counter also showcases an impressive spread of cakes, cookies, and assorted confectionaries, like the Lemon Brownie (RMB23). Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sMore of an incredibly stodgy lemon pound cake than a brownie, we understand the naming of the dessert only in the gooey denseness that makes this treat all the more crushable.(Hence, there's no chocolate whatsoever in this recipe; it is only a 'brownie' in texture.)Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sExpertly balanced between tart and treacly, the 'brownie' is topped with candied lemon slices for the requisite burst of freshness necessary for summer.
There's also a stellar looking Lemon Cheesecake (RMB38/slice) that we vow to return for. Todos Los Días, 549 Shanxi Bei Lu, by Xinzha Lu 陕西北路549号, 近新闸路Yellow Lemon Tart
Villa Le Bec
Nicolas Le Bec moved to Shanghai from Lyon, France in 2012, leaving behind his two Michelin star restaurant Le Bec, one Michelin star restaurant Les Loges, wine company and multiple other concepts – to return to his wife's roots in China.With 40 years of experience in the food and beverage industry across France, Japan, the USA, Mexico, Italy and Brazil, among others, he decided to open a totally new restaurant in the form of Bistro 321 Villa Le Bec on Xinhua Lu in 2014, as both the owner and chef.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sA benchmark in the French food scene, Villa Le Bec is just as beloved for its classic French fare as its desserts, with classics from Baba Au Rhum (RMB100) to Millefeuille with Vanilla Cream (RMB100), from Flourless Chocolate Cake (RMB100) to the decadent Yellow Lemon Tart (RMB100), the reason for our most recent visit. Made with yuzu for a bonus pop of citrus, the lemon tart is predominantly sweet, a layering of brittle biscuit topped with a tangy lemon curd custard, followed by a glossy lemon jelly.A crisp, Hershy Kiss-shaped lemon meringue adorns the top. Villa Le Bec, 321 Xinhua Lu, by Dingxi Lu 新华路321号, 近定西路READ MORE
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