Da Vittorio SH
DV, in my opinion, is the most successful Western restaurant in mainland China, and it's not because of its occupancy rate.
After all, high-end restaurants have a cap on service capacity; even if they are fully booked every day, running two rounds a day is about the limit. The capacity is fixed, so whether you need to reserve a day in advance or a week in advance doesn't really impact the restaurant's revenue.
Moreover, in Shanghai, where so many people don't need to work, there are more than just DV restaurants that can achieve such high occupancy rates on weekdays. DV's success lies in its ability to truly cater to all scenarios.
In the past, I preferred to sit in a secluded spot at DV, where I couldn't see anyone else. This time, I deliberately chose a "social seat," with a 180-degree view of the entire hall, encompassing all 14 tables. It was a kind of high-end restaurant observation in the most literal physical sense.
Including me, 13 tables were occupied: 4 tables with solo diners (2 with professional cameras), 3 with couples, 3 with groups of girlfriends, 1 with friends, 1 with business guests, and 1 with a family. What a perfect diversity of scenarios.
Some restaurants might say that even though they are frequented by couples or potential couples, they are still fully booked every day with a good number of high-paying customers.
But that's not the point. A restaurant can be considered successful if it serves one type of customer well. However, it's closer to "an endless stream of customers" and "sustainable success" if it can attract and serve customers from multiple scenarios.
DV, although an Italian restaurant, is no longer competing in the realm of Italian cuisine or even Western cuisine but is vying for a share of the entire potential customer base's expenditure on high-end dining.
Back to the cuisine, is DV's food innovative, delicious, and stunning? Not particularly.
The kitchen has even shown signs of complacency, with certain elements being repeatedly recycled. The effort put into developing new dishes may not even exceed that of some boutique new brands' chefs.
But DV's dishes are designed to be "pleasing to the eye" and cater to the "greatest common flavor preference." There are no quirks, no jarring flavors, no flashy decorations or performances.
Simple, harmonious, without that feeling of the waiter giving a long introduction to the dish and then remembering nothing. In fact, you can skip the explanation of the dishes, because one bite tells you all you need to know about the ingredients used; the flavors are clear and definitive.
I find it annoying when dishes have too many ideas thrown into them, resulting in a chaotic mix of incompatible elements on the plate. It looks complicated but lacks harmony, and after the waiter's introduction, you can't even discern what you're actually eating. Realistically, how can you expect the majority of customers to understand your dishes?
Dishes should speak for themselves in plain language.
The sense of sophistication should be easily perceptible.
