The Bridge 8 Creative Industry Cluster is not usually considered a go-to spot for good food and drinks, as it mainly houses offices rented by information technology and creative industry companies.
However, Nice people restaurant has chosen this location in downtown Shanghai to offer diners a relaxing experience with ample outdoor space. It serves Western-style dishes made with local ingredients and plays light-hearted music. Customers enjoy ordering coffee in the afternoon or wine at night to unwind with friends.
Customers can sit outside the restaurant to enjoy a good meal and drinks when the weather is nice.
Owner Cherry, originally from Hong Kong, has always had a passion for coffee and wine. Nice people serves natural wines handpicked by Cherry's Parisian husband, Mathieu Le Pape, an indepedent wine dealer with over a decade of experience in China's wine industry.
Le Pape travels between China and France to source natural wines from boutique French wineries.
Mathieu Le Pape at the launch of Maddam beer from Chablis at RAC on Anfu Road, Shanghai, in December 2021.
He has a keen interest in finding natural wines from boutique wineries in France. These wines are made using biodynamic methods during both the grape-growing and post-harvest processing stages. The use of organic farming methods and avoidance of most pesticides produces a more authentic taste.
He selects wines with only natural yeast found in the vineyard to transform the sugar in the grape into alcohol.
When it comes to selecting a winery, it's more about relationships than business. The winemakers need to understand who you are, what you tell, and what your taste preference is like. The more confident you are the more likely they will work with you, Le Pape noted.
Mathieu Le Pape at a wine tasting at restaurant Cuivre on Hengshan Road in September 2021.
Mathieu Le Pape with winemaker Xavier in Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, France, in February 2020.
Le Pape and Cherry believe that choosing good food and wines is not about the place, but about the chef or winemaker behind it.
The natural wines Le Pape selects are not produced in large quantities, and their fermentation process lasts for as long as three to four months. He treats wines as living products, experimenting with aging to produce different flavors.
Mathieu Le Pape and Cherry enjoy a meal at Nice people.
At Nice people, they have a card specially designed for novice drinkers when they don't know which wine to choose. Customers can select their preference for wines, whether they want it to be more fruity, or if they wish the aftertaste to be dry or smooth.
Novice drinkers don't need to hesitate much when using the wine card at Nice people to select their preferred wine flavor.
Tips for novice drinkers to choose their wine:
- Understand your taste preference and don't hesitate to discover and experiment with new wines from different origins, grapes and styles.
- Consider the level of wine extraction when choosing a wine. Categorized as low-, medium- and high-bodied, it affects the wine's alcoholic content, taste and color.
- Take note of the barrels used to store the wine as they also affect its taste. Some wines take on the flavor of the oak barrel.
- Always remember that a good bottle of wine is just as important as a good dish when sharing and enjoying a meal with friends and loved ones.
If you go:
Opening hours: 11:30am-9:30pm, Mondays-Saturdays
Address: No. 5103, 550 Jumen Rd
局门路550号八号桥三期5103室
Some of the wines sold at Nice people
Some of the dishes available at Nice people
The interior of the restaurant