Sir Elly's

The Verdict

Sir Elly's is not primarily a Bund-view restaurant that happens to serve food. The view is real and the room is striking, but the kitchen under Chef Charles-Benoit Lacour is doing serious work with a French-Asian menu that earns its ¥¥¥¥ price point on merit, not just postcode. If you come expecting a tourist-facing hotel dining room, you will be corrected by the food. If you come expecting two Michelin stars, temper that too: this is a Michelin Plate (2025) and an Opinionated About Dining Top 413 in Asia (2025) venue, which places it firmly in the credentialed-but-not-stratospheric tier. Book it for the combination of room, cooking quality, and wine list depth. Do not book it if you want the cheapest fine dining in Shanghai — there are better value options at the ¥¥¥ tier.

The Room

The physical setting is the first thing that will recalibrate your expectations. Sir Elly's occupies the 13th floor of The Peninsula Shanghai on the Bund, and the dining room frames the Huangpu River through floor-to-ceiling windows in a way that makes other Bund restaurants feel like they are making do. The 1920s art deco interior is not theme-park pastiche: the proportions are generous, the ceiling height lends a formality that most Shanghai hotel restaurants have traded away for casual-friendly layouts, and the seating is configured to give most tables a meaningful sightline to the water. For an explorer who wants context with their dinner, the room does a lot of work before the first course arrives. Come at dusk if you can — the shift from golden light on the river to the full neon panorama of Pudong across the water is the leading version of the Sir Elly's experience. Weekend evenings book out faster than weekday dinner slots, so a Tuesday or Wednesday reservation gives you the same room with less competition for timing.

The Kitchen and Sourcing Logic

The menu sits at the intersection of French technique and Asian sourcing, which on paper sounds like a category that Shanghai has oversupplied. In practice, Chef Lacour's approach is more disciplined than most: the French-Asian framing at Sir Elly's leans toward sourcing decisions rather than fusion theatrics. Expect European classical structure with proteins and produce that reflect the regional larder. This is relevant to the value question because it partly explains why the cuisine pricing lands at $$$ (the OAD shorthand for a typical two-course meal above ¥66+ equivalent) rather than the mid-tier. The sourcing ambition is built into the price. For the food-and-wine enthusiast who cares about where ingredients come from and how kitchen philosophy connects to what arrives on the plate, Sir Elly's gives you more to engage with than the average hotel restaurant at this address.

Wine list supports the same argument. With 420 selections and 4,010 bottles in inventory, this is a serious cellar by any Shanghai standard. The declared strengths are France, Champagne, and Bordeaux, and pricing sits at the $$$ tier on the OAD wine scale, meaning many bottles cross the ¥700+ equivalent mark. That is not a list for casual drinking, but for the guest who wants a well-selected Burgundy or a properly aged Bordeaux to match a technically precise kitchen, this is one of the better-stocked options on the Bund. Compare it to the wine programs at Taian Table, which offers a more avant-garde pairing format, or EHB for a different price-to-glass ratio. Sir Elly's suits the guest who wants to order off the list rather than surrender to a set pairing.

When to Go

Timing matters here more than at most Shanghai restaurants. The Bund view earns its keep at dusk and into the evening, so a 6:30 or 7:00 PM reservation captures both the late-afternoon light and the fully lit Pudong skyline. Weekday evenings in autumn (October and November) give you the clearest air and the most photogenic conditions over the river. Summer humidity can reduce visibility across the Huangpu. Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which means walk-in availability is plausible for weekday lunches, but do not test that assumption on a Saturday evening or during a national holiday window. The Peninsula Shanghai's concierge desk can handle reservations if you are staying in-house, otherwise book directly through the hotel.

Know Before You Go

• Cuisine: European Contemporary (French-Asian)
• Chef: Charles-Benoit Lacour
• Price tier: ¥¥¥¥ (cuisine $$$ / wine $$$)
• Awards: Michelin Plate 2025, OAD Leading Restaurants in Asia #413 (2025), La Liste 76.5pts (2025)
• Wine list: 420 selections, 4,010 bottles; strengths in France, Champagne, Bordeaux
• Location: 13th floor, The Peninsula Shanghai, 32 Zhongshan Rd (E-1), Huangpu
• Meals served: Dinner
• Booking difficulty: Easy , advance reservation recommended for weekends and peak dates
• Google rating: 4.5 (54 reviews)

How to Decide

Sir Elly's makes most sense for the guest who wants a single dinner that combines a credentialed kitchen, a deep French wine list, and one of Shanghai's better dining-room views without having to choose between them. It is the right call for a special occasion dinner where the setting needs to do as much work as the food. It is less compelling as an everyday fine-dining option at ¥¥¥¥ when the city offers strong alternatives at ¥¥¥. For a deeper look at how it sits in the broader Shanghai dining context, see our full Shanghai restaurants guide. If you are planning around a broader trip, our Shanghai hotels guide and our Shanghai bars guide cover the surrounding context. For European Contemporary at a similar standard elsewhere in Asia, Zén in Singapore is the regional benchmark worth comparing against.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Sir Elly's good for solo dining? Yes, and arguably the leading format if you want to focus on the view and the food without coordinating a group. The room has enough individual table spacing that solo diners do not feel exposed. At ¥¥¥¥, the solo spend is significant, so factor the wine list pricing into your budget if you plan to drink well.
• Can I eat at the bar at Sir Elly's? The database does not confirm a standalone bar-dining option at Sir Elly's specifically. The Peninsula Shanghai has dedicated bar facilities; contact the hotel directly to confirm counter or bar-seat availability within the restaurant.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Sir Elly's? The available data does not confirm specific tasting menu formats or pricing. Given the Michelin Plate recognition and the OAD ranking, a set menu format here is likely to give you the most structured expression of Chef Lacour's French-Asian approach. Confirm current menu options directly with the hotel before booking if format matters to your decision.
• Does Sir Elly's handle dietary restrictions? The venue database does not confirm specific dietary accommodation policies. As a Five-Star Peninsula property, kitchen flexibility is reasonable to expect, but confirm requirements at the time of booking. Contact The Peninsula Shanghai directly, as no phone or website data is in the current record.
• Is Sir Elly's good for a special occasion? Yes, and this is probably its strongest use case. The 13th-floor Bund view, the art deco room, the Michelin Plate-level kitchen, and the deep wine list combine in a way that is hard to replicate at a lower price tier in Shanghai. For a birthday, anniversary, or client dinner where the setting needs to be unambiguous, this works.
• What are alternatives to Sir Elly's in Shanghai? For a different fine-dining register at ¥¥¥¥, Fu He Hui is the city's most serious vegetarian fine-dining option. For modern European with more avant-garde ambition, Taian Table is the direct comparison. The Pine and 102 House offer different cuisine registers for comparable spend. For a step down in price without a major drop in quality, EHB is worth considering.
• Is Sir Elly's worth the price? At ¥¥¥¥ with a $$$ cuisine and wine pricing tier, this is one of Shanghai's more expensive evenings out. The value case rests on three things arriving together: the Peninsula setting and view, a kitchen with consistent OAD and Michelin recognition over multiple years (Recommended 2023, Plate 2024, Plate 2025), and a 4,000-bottle wine cellar with French depth. If any one of those three matters less to you, step down to the ¥¥¥ tier and recalibrate.
• What should I wear to Sir Elly's? No dress code is confirmed in the database, but a Five-Star Peninsula restaurant with a 1920s art deco interior and ¥¥¥¥ pricing implies smart to formal dress. Business casual at minimum; formal for special occasions. Confirm with the hotel if you have specific questions about their current policy.

Explore More in the Region

For other European Contemporary dining at a comparable level across Greater China and Asia, see Zén in Singapore and Schwarzer Adler in Hall in Tirol. For fine dining elsewhere in mainland China, Xin Rong Ji in Beijing, Xin Rong Ji in Chengdu, Ru Yuan in Hangzhou, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, Imperial Treasure in Guangzhou, and Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing each represent their city's fine-dining conversation at a level worth comparing. For Shanghai specifically, our Shanghai experiences guide and Shanghai wineries guide round out the planning picture.