Alright, Winter Markets. They're everywhere. Like hot mulled wine, Christmas cookies, and regrets over holiday spending, they just keep coming. And this one? It's the new kid on the block, making its grand debut this year at Bicester Village Shanghai (that's pronounced "Bai-ster," for the uninitiated). Lots of ads around, but no real sense of the actual vibe for this new winter market. So... we went and checked it out for ya.

Now, before you start groaning at the idea of schlepping all the way to Pudong – across the river and several existential crises – we're going to answer the big question: Is it worth the trip?

Spoiler alert: yeah, it kinda is. And no, this isn't an ad, we went to give you the real low-down.

Here's the deal: Bicester Village is a Disney-adjacent shopping wonderland that feels like someone uprooted a slice of Orange County, plopped it down in Pudong, and gave it a slightly bougie makeover. Whether that's your vibe or not, you can't deny it's a slick setup. Upscale? Check. Designed within an inch of its life? Double check. And the kicker? Really good deals on some pretty swanky brands, especially right now, during the winter shopping frenzy.

Two Birds with One Stone

So, about this Winter Market. Sure, they've got all the usual suspects: mulled wine, Christmas-y snacks, twinkly lights, an earnest Santa Claus, Instagram bait – the whole festive enchilada. But the real selling point here? Practicality. If you've been procrastinating on your Christmas shopping or are in desperate need of gift inspo, Bicester Village is a lifesaver.

Would we recommend it? Absolutely, the mulled wines and gift shopping are great.

First off, the village features a charming promenade, cleverly named "The Croisette," a nod to historic European gathering spots like Marseille's or Monaco's – and, dare I say, even Shanghai's Bund. Set along a lake connected to Disneyland (yes, there's a ferry that drops you right at the resort), it transforms into a mini-Bund vibe at night, while during the day, you can fully appreciate the elegant modern Art Deco-inspired architecture. Around the lake, 10 stalls make up their winter market, with heavyweights like Maison Lameloise and Cellar to Table dishing out Michelin-starred delights. And unlike other winter markets, this one ups the F&B game with options like Azul and Tomatito, adding a fresh twist to the festive lineup. Also, I should mention these F&B joints are offering completely off-menu items specifically made for the market.

Santa is walking around, and frequently parks himself at a place for photo ops. Nice guy. We caught him during sunset and at night. All day shift it seems!

Out of the 142 overseas brands at Bicester Village, the lineup is stacked. The heavy hitters? The USA, France, Italy, the UK, and Germany dominate the scene, accounting for a cool 75% of the mix with 107 stores combined. It's a curated tour of global retail, no passport required.

Here's the breakdown of brand origin countries:

1. Austria 2
   
2. Belgium 1
   
3. Canada 6
   
4. Canada 1
   
5. Denmark 2
   
6. Ecuador 1
   
7. France 26
   
8. Germany 10
   
9. Hong Kong 1
   
10. Italy 23
    
11. South Korea 1
    
12. Japan 8
    
13. Monaco 1
    
14. Norway 1
    
15. South Korea 4
    
16. Spain 1
    
17. Sweden 1
    
18. Switzerland 4
    
19. UK 16
    
20. USA 32
    

We stopped at Papito pankcakes, because why not... dieting is for non-winter-market days. This booth out of all the others alwayyyys has a queue. They make the pancakes to order.

If you're feet hurt and you want a substantial meal, they have 10 sit-down dining options around the lake. Beef & Liberty for burgers, Momenti for some very nice Italian fare (their pasta's are made fresh to order), as well as a number of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean options.

This was probably our favorite treat, Cellar to Table's Swiss Raclette Cheese Bites. The raclette is breaded and deep fried rendering the insides delightfully melty, with a bit of home-made tartar sauce to give the cheese bits another dimension of tart flavor. Chef Francesco took up the helm at CTT not too long ago, and came from the insanely popular New Wave by Da Vittorio (a crying shame that place closed). Also, of all the places offering mulled wine, CTT was our fav (sprig of rosemary and cinnamon sticks really elevated their version).

One note on amenities. It's pet friendly! Bring your furry babies with you, by allll means. At either of the entrance gates, there is a concierge which, upon request can provide you with complimentary strollers.

These Smoked Salmon "Exploding" bites were also super nice. 40 yuan for a pair. The little pastry shell "bombs" at the bottom are filled with an herbed sour cream, and the salmon on top is drizzled with a bit of honey infused with black truffle. Tasty.

There's a few stalls with some nice ornament type products, though we have to say, this isn't a big focus at this particular market. However, they will have a selection of stuff that we didn't see at the other markets around town. They did their duty with efforts to differentiate their offerings.

Another thing about this Winter Market – it's surprisingly chill compared to the usual crush of holiday crowds. Even on a weekend, when around 30,000 people pass through the village between 11:30 am and 8:30 pm, the market itself feels relaxed. Most of the traffic is off hunting for deals at the boutiques, leaving the Winter Market area with a more laid-back vibe for leisurely strolling, snacking, and soaking in the festive atmosphere. This is one thing that I liked about this Winter Market. We came away with some pretty neat gifts for friends from some nice brands like German kitchenware space Zwillig,

Speaking of Shopping. 142 overseas brands... is... A LOT. You are literally spoiled for choice.

Here are some of the high-end options:

• Alexander McQueen
• APM Monaco
• Armani
• BALENCIAGA
• Coach
• Ferragamo
• Givenchy
• Gucci
• Jimmy Choo
• Lanvin
• Swarovski
• Tom Ford
• Vivienne Westwood

For mid-market options (it's not ALL about breaking the bank out here):

• adidas
• Arc'Teryx
• BOSS
• Converse
• Columbia
• DIESEL
• GUESS
• La Coste
• lululemon (although maybe this should be high-end? Their prices are outrageous without discounts)
• NAUTICA
• Polo Ralph Lauren
• Puma
• The North Face
• Samsonite
• Sketchers
• Timberland
• Uggs
• Vans

Lot's of great options for clothes, shoes, kitchenware, and there even is a Ray Ban store for some slick shades.

Oh damn. Frozen yogurt. Looks like we missed these, but our photographer got them.

Baker & Spice really made these little French treats a Shanghai object of desire. Un Canale has their versions, with christmas deco and a variety of flavors. Cripsy on the outside, soft and muushy in the center, tasty.

All of Bastard's menu items were great. Pictured above is the Hong Kong-style Peanut Butter French Toast. Butter and maple syrup make it a treat you can only eat if you're better half isn't watching your diet. The Chili crisp noodles bring some spice. And the Mala sausage bun is the market's "best bet" for your "hot dog" hankering. The bread on this leaves a bit to be desired, but the homemade sausage is good enough to overlook that. The bread isn't meant to be a star anyway.

Hakkasan, a pretty exciting name to have on the docket, didn't really have much. Two items to be exact. A Seasme Prawn Toast (45 yuan), which was good, worth getting and a Mango Pomelo Sago drink if you wanted an non-alchoholic option. Maybe next year, they could do their Beijing Duck pancakes...

Pierre Marcolini had a stall there. Sugar rush for premium chocolates and macaroons, excellent gift ideas to put under the tree, or stocking stuffers.

There were sooooo many puppers. This was a Sunday in case you were wondering.

Where most Christmas markets are standing room only, this one has plentyyyy of seating.

Nice time to go by the way is around 3pm and hang out till around 5pm. It's nice to see the transition from Shanghai's golden hour turn to twlight then evening.

If you go, just type in Bicester Village in Didi, it'll take ya where you need to go.

Market hours are WEEKENDS ONLY this month from 11:30 am-8:30pm.