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Giovanni’s restaurant at the Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang hotel gets a bold, new contemporary look, a new chef and more of the authentic, fresh taste that made their reputation. Tina Kanagaratnam sips and sups Shanghai’s newest, oldest Italian legend.

Chef Gianluca Palmieri and one of his creations.

Giovanni’s, at the Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang Hotel, was Shanghai’s first real Italian restaurant. It was Giovanni’s that broadened our definition of Italian food beyond pizza and spaghetti Bolognaise; it was Giovanni’s that was the city’s first Italian fine-dining restaurant. But lately, although the cuisine has been as good as ever, Giovanni’s was getting lost in the sea of glitzy Italian newcomers that seem to be popping up at every turn (Italian is, without a doubt, the new international cuisine darling in Shanghai). So they upped the ante with a major overhaul: a bright, contemporary new decor, a new chef from Genoa and the same old commitment to freshness, authenticity and service.
Anyone who remembers the old Giovanni’s – I described it thus in a 2002 review: “...Mediterranean-inspired interior, where warm tile floors and brick walls hung with copper pots evoke a country kitchen, albeit one fused with a stylish, old world elegance” – will be floored.
Aside from the copper pots, there is hardly anything of the old Giovanni’s left. The old world elegance has disappeared, replaced by a lively, contemporary space, where the vibrant yellow chairs hint at Tuscany sunlight and the vivid carpet patterns in the bar area evoke Pucci. The decor can best be described as eclectic – floral arrangements featuring spaghetti; abstract oils; coral ceilings; those copper pots and a wall of wine bottles, encased in a glass case. It doesn’t scream Italy – Italy is in the details (and, of course, the menu). Oddly, there are also touches of China here and there, from a fat laughing Buddha at the entrance to copies of bronze bells. A reminder, perhaps, of the long connection between Italy and China?
The renovation includes a new “library” and bar space (alas, the books are fake) with plush armchairs and sofas, wildly spotted, a comfortable space for a pre-dinner drink or an aperitif. The 56-seat restaurant itself is more spacious now, allowing for more privacy at each table, and window tables that overlook the construction cranes of Shanghai.
Chef Gianluca Palmieri is a movie star handsome (think Tony Danza) Genovese who gets agitated if there is too much spice in his food. “You can’t taste the flavors if you cover it up with chilli,” he argues.
The focus at Giovanni’s is on the cuisine of northern Italy, and the fact that he makes everything from scratch, from fresh ingredients. (“We have no cans in the kitchen,” he says proudly.)
Giovanni’s breads, produced by the Sheraton’s renowned deli, include a delicious spinach bread, breadsticks and flat breads, served with olive oil and a robust balsamic vinegar. The selection of 13 starters includes the classic “Caprese” – tomato and mozzarella salad – beef carpaccio and goose liver terrine, as well as the almost sushi-like tuna carpaccio, an almost sushi-like rendition of the dish, served on paper-thin slices of grilled zucchini with a yellow pepper-gherkin vinagrette.
The wine list offers a reasonable selection of Italian and French wines (and a smattering of other regions) with a few high-profile names like Gaja, Sassicaia and Chateau Petrus included to add some sex appeal.
The pasta and risotto dishes – “Primi Piatti” – feature dishes such as linguine with clam sauce to house-made tagliatelle with pesto and sauteed mushrooms, a classic meat lasagne and a “lasagnetta” – an open-face lasagne – crab meat and broccoli are served atop the lasagne noodle – topped with a lentil sauce, pumpkin ravioli and a saffron seafood risotto.
Mains include fish, one of Chef Luca’s specialities – seabass fillet in eggplant with sparkling wine sauce; grilled swordfish steak with lime and rosemary olive oil, and there are also grilled meats and a vegetarian selection.
The nine desserts on the menu are each made from scratch, and include Italian-restaurant classics such as tiramisu and semifreddo; this one is a hazelnut semifreddo with chocolate and ginger sauce. Other highlights include a classic chestnut- flavored zabaglioni, made with Grappa instead of the traditional Marsala wine, smothering a stack of crispy, flaky millefeuilles, Chef Luca also makes his own sorbet, and ends each meal with an offering of rich, sensuous handmade chocolate truffles and a glass of Schnapps, infused with last summer’s peaches.

Giovanni’s, 27/F, Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang Hotel, 5 Zunyi Nan Road. Lunch: 12pm-2pm, Monday-Saturday; Dinner:  6pm-10:30pm, daily Tel: 6275-8888/ext 3308