Polux Shanghai Review: Xintiandi's Best French Toast
Is the famous French toast at Polux by Paul Pairet in Xintiandi, Shanghai actually worth the hype? Read my honest review on pricing, booking, and taste.
Today, I want to share a review of a fantastic brunch spot in Xintiandi, Shanghai, that was highly recommended to me: Polux, famous for its mind-blowing French toast.
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📍 Polux by Paul Pairet Location 📍
No. 5, Lane 181, Taicang Rd, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200021
☕️ I highly recommend Polux in Xintiandi if you:
✔︎ Are looking for a chic, atmospheric brunch spot in Xintiandi, Shanghai
✔︎ Love French toast that is beautifully caramelized and crispy on the outside, yet incredibly soft and custardy on the inside
✔︎ Want to enjoy coffee and dessert in an elegant, European-style space while exploring the neighborhood
How to Book
If you use the Dianping app, tap the red circle shown in the first image above to select your date, time, and number of guests to secure a booking.
The booking process is straightforward, though navigating the Dianping app can be a bit challenging for international travelers.
If downloading the app is too much hassle, don't worry! Reservations aren't strictly mandatory. I recommend simply showing up early in the morning to beat the rush.
(Even with a reservation, you might still have to wait a little bit during peak times, which is exactly what happened to me! 🥹)
I got lucky and managed to order the French toast at 2:30 PM, but it often sells out much earlier in the day.
If French toast is your main goal, definitely plan for an early visit.
Please note that the French toast is a brunch item and is only available to order until 3:00 PM.
Inside Polux
The interior of Polux is surprisingly spacious and beautifully designed!
Rather than feeling like an over-the-top, avant-garde space, it has a classic, chic European bistro aesthetic. It feels like stepping onto the set of a romantic movie set in Paris.
Perhaps because of this vibe, I heard way more English being spoken here than Chinese.
Our server was also incredibly fluent in English, which made ordering seamless and enhanced that cozy, international bistro feel.
For our order, we got the absolute must-have: the Real French Toast.
My brother insisted on having an Iced Americano, and for some reason, I decided to change things up and ordered an Affogato!
Here is the gorgeous spread of everything we ordered! ❤️
Iced Americano
Americano
To be perfectly honest... it was just okay.
The price was 40 RMB, which is about ~$6. ✨
A very ordinary taste at an extraordinary price point...
Polux Affogato
70 RMB, which is about ~$10.
I didn't feel like having a plain Americano like my brother, but nothing else on the drink menu stood out, so I went with the Affogato.
Once again, it was a fairly standard taste at a premium price. ✨
Real French Toast
Plain French Toast: 90 RMB (about ~$13)
French Toast with Ice Cream: 110 RMB (about ~$15)
Honestly, this is the real reason everyone makes a pilgrimage to Polux, right?
Since the price difference is only about ~$2, we opted for the version with vanilla ice cream, and it was absolutely the right move!
It is a single, relatively small piece of toast. Without the ice cream, you might find yourself thinking, "I paid ~$15 for this?"
But visually, it looked absolutely stunning and glistening.
When you cut into it, the sheer thickness of the bread is incredibly appetizing. It is unlike any French toast I've ever had before—almost like a soft, warm custard cake.
While the toast is delicious on its own, eating it with a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream on top makes it 100 times better.
I highly recommend paying the extra couple of dollars to get the ice cream option.
✔︎ My Honest Verdict on Polux, Xintiandi
Now I completely understand why people rave about this French toast. It is incredibly unique, with a texture and flavor profile that sets it apart from standard cafe offerings.
That being said, considering the premium prices, I probably wouldn't make it a regular spot. However, it is absolutely worth trying at least once during your Shanghai trip.
If you decide to go, I highly recommend an "open run" right when they open. Although I managed to order at 2:30 PM, I think ours was the very last serving of the day before they declared it sold out.
It was raining on the morning of my visit, which likely slowed down the usual rush and delayed the sell-out time.
Unless you are going specifically for the French toast, you are probably better off finding a different, more affordable spot for just coffee. But if you want a truly memorable dessert experience, get there early! ❤️
