Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire: The French Spirit Under the Sky of Shanghai

Capella Shanghai: A Journey Through Architectural History

Located in the Xuhui district, Capella Shanghai is set within one of the last remaining preserved shikumen complexes in the city. The hotel includes 55 villas and 40 private residences, restored in the spirit of the 1930s, when French influence met traditional Chinese architecture. The atmosphere is calm, almost residential, with cobbled alleyways, preserved façades, and discreet, refined interior work. The property also features the renowned Auriga Spa, known for its personalized treatments, as well as The Gallery, a space hosting boutiques and elegant addresses. At the heart of this ensemble is the one-Michelin-star restaurant Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire, where we came for lunch.

The Elegance of Pierre Gagnaire in Shanghai

Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire reveals a bright, contemporary setting: polished concrete walls, dark wood, and large French windows opening onto a balcony lush with greenery. The whole evokes a Parisian salon infused with the glamour of 1930s Shanghai — an understated elegance supporting a clear, essential cuisine. The wine list and tailor-made cocktails extend this vision with equal precision.

At the helm, Pierre Gagnaire signs his only concept in mainland China, awarded one Michelin star. True to his philosophy — the quality of products, the emotion of the moment, a frank reinterpretation of French tradition — the “chef of the immediate” transforms raw ingredients into compositions that are precise, direct, and sensitive. Here, the love of craft and technique unites in dishes that are simple, honest, and elegant, served in a setting suitable for any occasion.

Ramses Navarro, Heir to the Gagnaire Spirit

Arriving at Capella Shanghai at the end of 2023, Executive Chef Ramses Navarro brings a background marked by rigor and consistency. Born in Mexico, he began cooking in 2011 in Mexico City, where his talent was quickly recognized: within just two years, he became executive chef. Seeking to deepen his technique, he then moved to France, where he spent nearly ten years in renowned establishments. He first trained with Jean-Michel Bardet at La Mère Hamard, then refined his skills under major figures of French gastronomy: Nicolas Davouze (Bocuse d'Or France), Stéphane Raimbault, and finally Alain Montigny, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, at the two-Michelin-star restaurant L'Oasis.

In 2021, he earned his first Michelin star as chef at Le Moulin de l'Abbaye in Périgord, a distinction he retained for three consecutive years. Before coming to China, he joined Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, at the chef's three-Michelin-star restaurant, where he refined a culinary style based on emotion, clarity, and sincerity of taste. Today in Shanghai, Ramses Navarro oversees all the kitchens of the property — including Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire — with an approach that highlights local products, French precision, and a discreet yet assured personal sensitivity. His cuisine is recognizable by its precision, delicacy, and deep respect for ingredients.

Our Michelin-Starred Lunch

The restaurant offers several experiences, adaptable to the occasion and the moment. The Carte Blanche Menu is the most immersive option: after selecting a bottle of wine, the chef develops a six-course journey designed to reveal the wine's structure, nuances, and evolution in the glass. Nothing is fixed: the season, the freshness of ingredients, and the inspiration of the day guide the plate. At lunchtime, a three-course Lunch Menu provides a shorter but equally precise interlude — ideal for enjoying the house signature without lingering too long. Finally, the à la carte menu allows guests to shape the rhythm and harmony of the meal by selecting emblematic dishes that define the restaurant's identity.

Amuse-bouches arrive as a series of delicate bites: everything is designed to awaken the palate with subtlety, without overwhelming too soon. For mocktails, the Candied Hawthorn chosen by my husband plays on bright freshness from citrus and hawthorn, lifted by a touch of cold brew that adds elegant bitterness. The Getting Better, which I chose, is more sunny and fragrant, blending pineapple, passion fruit, and coconut, lengthened with a touch of lemon and soda for a final sparkling note.

The blue lobster tail from Brittany is expressed in a very pure composition: finely cut meat resting on a julienne of radish and citrus peel, where the crunch responds to the lobster's delicate brininess. Watermelon appears as juicy cubes and an almost snow-like granita, creating a play of temperature and texture that gives the dish immediate freshness. A clear, precise, and airy starter.

The still-warm bread, lightly crisp on the outside and soft within, naturally holds a central place in this French lunch. The butter, placed on a cold marble stone, is worked into a smooth cream, subtly salted. This duo, simple in appearance, says much about the restaurant: attention, precision, restraint.

The Shandong tomato is revealed in variations of texture and temperature. A tomato water scented with lemongrass, barely set, holds thin slices of fresh tomato and small shrimp marinated in olive oil. A roasted tomato sorbet brings balanced acidity, contrasting with the depth of a green-and-black-olive tapenade. Edible flowers and fresh herbs add a delicate vegetal dimension. A warm rosemary focaccia accompanies the dish, bringing softness and roundness to the bright freshness.

Fujian lionfish is gently cooked in butter, offering a tender, pearly texture. It is topped with a parsley crumble, adding an herbaceous touch and a slight granularity. Sauce vierge and wild herbs keep the dish in a bright and clear register, while a silky zucchini-and-potato purée and a lighter cucumber mousse create a subtle balance between softness and freshness.

For the meat course, the M5 beef tenderloin from Paysandú (Uruguay) is slowly roasted, revealing a melting texture and deep flavor. A fig paste, sweet yet tangy, gently coats the meat, bringing unexpected roundness. A lightly smoked green cabbage leaf introduces a vegetal dimension. The potato, wrapped in crisp filo pastry and finished with a fresh gremolata, adds a final lively touch. The plate rests on a play of contrasts — tender and crisp, sweet and bright, delicate and assertive — mastered with accuracy.

After a refreshing pre-dessert, the meal concludes around the strawberry, intentionally left at the heart of the experience. Fresh strawberries, a light mousse, a quenelle of ice cream, and a very pure strawberry juice tie everything together. A bright, clear, and obvious ending, where every gesture seems designed to step aside for flavor. The mignardises arrive like a final whispered sentence. These refined bites are identical at all of Pierre Gagnaire's tables. A graceful way to prolong the memory, without ever weighing it down.

My Opinion

At Capella Shanghai, Pierre Gagnaire's cuisine finds a particular resonance within the atmosphere of restored shikumen. The intimacy of the place, its almost hushed calm, provides a setting that highlights the precision and sincerity of the gastronomy. On the plates, I found the clarity and sensitivity so characteristic of Gagnaire, but carried here by the very controlled interpretation of Ramses Navarro: a cuisine that does not seek to impress, but to express rightly. This lunch at Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire was a complete, coherent, and sensitive experience. A moment where one allows oneself to be carried, savoring with both pleasure and attention.

Practical Information

Our warm thanks to Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire for the invitation to discover their establishment. Of course, I remain entirely free in my opinions in this article!