Yang Di/Shanghai Daily news

Hongmei Pedestrian Street in Minhang District has its own character instilled by people from all over the world who have brought their customs, businesses, food and style to the street.
As the night unfolds, a short walk along the street will give you a feel for this multicultural area. You will quickly find yourself in the midst of a melting-pot - throngs of people, from all over the world, turning up to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves.
Variety is the key word in this 500-meter street, where the culinary specialties of a couple dozen countries and regions cater to all palates and budgets.
Among the restaurants and bars lining the street, 19 are owned and run by foreigners and overseas Chinese.
Hongmei Pedestrian Street is growing in popularity as a leisure place especially for Hongqiao's expat community.
Since the late 1990s, Hongqiao has been a popular destination for expats to live. At present, there are about 9,000 expats among its more than 120,000 residents.

Moon River Diner

American chefs Gregory Duerfeldt, 35, and Michael Giannini, 37, brought the "family restaurant" concept to Shanghai.
"We decide to open Moon River Diner since we had found there was no such family restaurant in the city which provides the authentic American cuisine with a reasonable price," said Duerfeldt, who has been a chef for 15 years.
With the opening of Moon River Diner last September, crowds of Americans and Canadians living in the surrounding area head for the restaurant to enjoy the excellent Diner Deluxe Breakfast, served with eggs, bacon, and homemade biscuits as well as mouth-watering hamburgers and hash browns.
Milk shakes, sodas and coffee are served in glasses and mugs so large that they render the free-refill policy unnecessary.
"Our restaurant actively welcomes children - food is cooked fresh to order and there are highchairs and babychanging facilities available," said Duerfeldt.
Since a donation activity for tsunami-hit regions held at the restaurant in January, more local people know the place and come to try the food. "If food is well prepared and fresh, people will appreciate it," Duerfeldt said.
"Our next move is to open our second restaurant in the Lianyang Community, a residential area designed specially for expats in Pudong, in August, which is three times bigger than here."

Address: No. 17, Lane 3338 Hongmei Road
Opening hours: 8am-10pm
Tel: 6465-8879
Bastiaan Bakery

If you want a taste of Europe without leaving the city, Bestiaan Bakery is the place to visit.
Opened five years ago, the family-owned-and-operated bakery features 50 kinds of authentic European style breads. The most popular items are German dark breads, Belgium waffles, Sovital breads and raisin rolls.
The Dutch owner Bas Van Veenendaal, 39, has been a professional baker for 26 years and worked in many hotels and bakeries in Shanghai before.
"I use the original European recipes and imported key ingredients from Europe, Australia and the United States," he said. "We target mainly expatriates living in Hongqiao. To my surprise, people from Pudong and Hongkou District also come here to buy breads."
He said he also supplies the products to four five-star hotels, eight supermarkets, 30 restaurants, and nine international schools.

Address: No. 18, Lane 3338, Hongmei Road
Opening hours: 7:30am-10pm
Tel: 6465-8022
Fait Maison

Cafe tables lining the glass windows, the Fait Maison Patisserie is a cheerful oasis with its storefront marked with a red awning.
Fait Maison provides authentic French pastries, ranging from French style cakes and petit fours to mousses, tarts, and made-to-order desserts.
Coulomb Laurent Romain, the creative owner of Fait Maison, graduated from a French cuisine college and spent two years baking in the United Kingdom. He had spent years perfecting his recipes.
All the ingredients are imported from Europe to keep the authentic taste. Ice cream, French cheese cake and hot chocolate dominate the popular list.
What's more, Romain creates a setting where people will feel free to relax. There are many books and magazines in the shop. Most of the literature is in English.

Address: No. 19, Lane 3338, Hongmei Road
Opening hours: 8am-11pm
Tel: 6465-9339
Papa's Bierstube

Whilst some Shanghai bars might claim to be international, few appeal to German customers.
"My German friends always complained there is no good German-style bars with the right atmosphere in the city," said Iris Kaiser, the owner of Papa's Bierstube. "I decided to open a genuine rustic German pub for the city's Germany community, where they can feel at home."
Opened last May, Papa's Bierstube is always bustling with a contented German clientele while the rest of the Hongmei Pedestrian Street was dead on some weekday evenings. Kaiser said her customers come through word-of-mouth promotion.
Long, sturdy wooden tables and wooden panels on the walls create a rustic decor in this spacious pub. A pool table and dart boards add to the pub atmosphere.
Kaiser said the most remarkable foods they serve are pork chop, steak, and beef rolls. Dinner for a main course and a beer costs around 100 yuan (US$12.05).

Address: No 22, Lane 3338, Hongmei Road
Opening hours: 10:30am-12pm on weekdays, 10:30am-3:30pm at weekends
Tel: 6465-8880