Date Night: elEFANTE
In need of a date night? It’s important for couples to get that alone time and Urban Family is here to help give you some suggestions for your romantic evening out. So, call the ayi, leave the kids at home for a night and enjoy some much needed one-on-one time with your significant other.
The Place & Vibe
Nestled inside a not-so-obvious entrance on Donghu Lu is the delightful elEFANTE restaurant. From the entrance, it may not seem to be much, but it in fact is a considerable space, encompassing the main restaurant, a large outdoor area and a small sectioned-off bar.
As we walked into the restaurant past the hostess, we first saw the Dumbo Bar, where a pre-dinner cocktail can be enjoyed; however, we decided to dive right into dinner in their main interior restaurant. Although the restaurant is spacious, it still gives off an intimate feel with its dark lighting and yellow and orange hues. Brick archways cut through the center of the restaurant, sectioning off areas and creating a warm atmosphere.
After dinner, we ventured out to the patio where string lights glowed and adorned the entire space overhead for cocktails and dessert. It gave a very romantic feel and was a great space to enjoy a warm evening.
There is no need to plan a full night of different locations, as this one restaurant offers a variety of different spaces to enjoy dinner, pre and post drinks.
The Food
The menu offers a wide selection of Spanish, Mediterranean and Italian dishes. Choose from the grill, tagines, rice dishes, tapas, or even the rotisserie.
With an entire page of their menu dedicated to cheese and meat boards, we decided to start with the San Daniele charcuterie board (RMB135), which was delicious and a sizeable portion for just two people. We also tried the crispy calamari & spicy citrus salad (RMB88) (which was a bit unorthodox, but excellent) with an inventive fusion of flavors. Our favorite, though, was the crab salad (RMB98), a unique dish with a delicate creamy taste thanks to avocados and a lime-basil sorbet.
For the mains, we decided to stick with the tapas menu, going with the crab ravioli (RMB88) and the olive oil fried eggs with chorizo sausages (RMB128). The ravioli is definitely for crab lovers, with a very strong crab taste mixed with a buttery cream sauce. The eggs and chorizo were good, but somewhat overpowered by an excessive amount of shallots. However, we highly recommend the patatas bravas (RMB55), a tapas classic we couldn’t pass up. These mini potatoes were anything but standard in presentation: With a puffy potato and a spicy tomato sauce stuffed inside, all wrapped in a crispy coating, this dish was to die for – finished off with a dollop of alioli on top.
To finish we had the Caramel Milky Way (RMB68), which was heaven for a caramel lover. This was a filling dessert with scoops of vanilla ice cream in a bowl mixed with thick chocolate syrup, and a side of delectable caramel sauce – this dessert is not to be passed up!
Date Night Approved
elEFANTE is excellent for a night out on the town with your significant other. In a central location, the venue offers both an excellent restaurant interior as well as two bar options which allow for a breezy night out. Looking across the restaurant, we could only see adults – with its romantic atmosphere, this is the perfect place to escape the kids for a night.
Price: RMB230-300 per person
Recommended ages: couples & small groups
Good for: date night dinner, drinks
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