London design studio Macaulay Sinclair evokes the glamour and grit of 1920s Shanghai at Shan Shui Social, a new Chinese restaurant tucked between Victoria Station and Buckingham Palace.
The 74-cover dining room is the ‘cheeky younger sister’ of the established Shan Shui brand, swapping glitzy Gatsby tropes for a moody, back-alley bar feel that sets it apart from more traditional interpretations of Chinese dining decor.
The Victorian façade opens to an old world ambience with subtle art deco forms presented in rich colour and texture, with pops of metallics and mirrors added for intrigue. The central bar, slightly obscured from the entrance, dominates the ground floor in a clever play of mirrors. Floral motifs are woven throughout, in custom wall coverings and painted Anaglypta wallpapers. Contrast is brought in with a bespoke porcelain mosaic floor. Together, the ingredients make you want to linger longer than in traditional Chinese haunts, particularly the basement, which takes on a speakeasy feel with small booths nestled privately within niches.
The London restaurant opened in April for lunch and dinner, serving Cantonese roasts, stir-fries, clay-pot briskets and dim sum.
