Citic Square: 1168 Nanjing Xi Lu, LG11A,Nanjing Xi Lu,near Jiangning Lu, Metro Line 2 Nanjing Xi Lu Station
南京西路1168号,南京西路,近江宁路, 地铁2号线南京西路站
Crowds congregate at this hip joint for hearty servings of paninis, burgers, wraps, salads and desserts. It's a friendly place that features free Wi-Fi and quality food at good prices. Go during breakfast and dinner for the morning and evening specials and to avoid the lunch rush.
WAGAS IS COOL. And that's why everyone ends up trying it. I'm not a stingy person and I like to eat in cool & stylish places. But seriously, Wagas is a very smart rip-off. A small lemonade with big ice cubes swimming in the baby-style glass at approx. 30 RMB. Food price are still OK. But drinks, come on, I like good places but I don't like being taken as a fool. WAGAS is a nice Starbucks style joint , fresh F & B , minimal design, nice people. But really, price mark up is not reasonable. I've been there once, but I don't plan to come back.
On several occasions, food from Wagas has been provided to me by companies while I've been working on productions. These companies somehow believe that this is my preference for working lunches or dinners because I'm a foreigner. Back to the food...all the meals I've had were ok and acceptable. I've eaten salads, sandwiches, sides, and pastas. Nothing about the food was remarkable in any significant way that has stayed with me except the recollection of eating off the menu several times. Happily, I didn't pay. However, Wagas sure beats the 6rmb box lunches that the production companies often provide. Not sure the same 0-5 star rating system used to discuss a Bund venue here even applies to a joint like Wagas. It's only really like a take-out deli for the working stiff. You eat it and get back on the grindstone.
overpriced
I'll agree with you on the pesto chicken penne - provided it's served near my Castle at the Bingo Plaza. They've yet to get the "Penny Pinching" Memo and still serve MASSIVE portions of the above. Definitely worth the money there, but not in other branches. Also, I'm not sure if it's the "Saturday Special" reaction my stomach has to eating... food on Saturdays, but the last couple of visits have resulted in toilet-breaker poops.
Like most middle of the road restaurants on the planet, Wagas only does one or two things really well. Service is not one of them. Guests are expected to walk up to the counter and order and pay for their meal. Servers will unceremoniously deliver it and then beeline back to their service counter comfort zone never to be seen again. No table check, smile, no sight and no mind. Well, fine. If that's how you wanna roll, if you want to have six cluster@#$% momos in bandanas standing around the counter not even trying to look busy, if postmodern hospital canteen with to cool for school attitude is your concept, then I'll humble myself and still eat at your establishment -- if and only if the food is good. Unfortunately the menu is a total crapshoot. I agree with Narf and others that thebreakfast is disgraceful, just lazy insipid cooking. Do they nuke everything or what? Where is the love? However, the regular menu has some gems on it. I'm talking about the pesto chicken penne with feta. Ya, M'hm. Really nice dish. Creamy, flavorful and with a generous portion of feta and pine nuts. I have come back for that one again and again. Usually get take out or delivery though, as I could no longer be bothered with, well, see above.
Had a jumbo/mega breakfast thing this morning. It came with: Greasy spinach Oily mushrooms Greasy cheap bacon Oily fake baked beans Dry floury bread Oil Grease It was an awful abomination of a meal. Everything was swimming in grease, cheap-tasting grease. Swill oil, perchance? Waga's pasta is average and overpriced, the breakfasts are bad and would be overpriced even if they were free.
great food, not kid friendly but very nice service
The pasta tastes great and the people taking orders speak good english. It's a friendly and clean environment and I would recommend it as a place to have lunch. However, it is a bit noisy and there are limited seat in the small space. Lunch will run you about 40 to 50RMB.
wagas has good cheap sandwiches. i prefer element fresh salads and their smoothies. every now and then i spoil myself with a city deli sandwich. it's generally wagas 3-4 times a week just because i work near the wagas near the portman. sometimes i walk across the street to golden eagle where i can eat city deli. they do have the best sandwiches in shanghai. i like to order online at www.citydeli.cn. hassle free. when will everyone else allow online ordering? makes it easy for me and my colleagues. go wagas!
Visited this place for breakfast one day. The staff spoke relatively good english, and the service was pleasant. Nice, relaxing environment and the usual "laowai" pricing. I would say that it's reasonably priced for the kind of environment and food you pay for. Delightful food, I especially enjoyed the breakfast set with nice white button mushrooms and scrambled eggs with toast. Filling, and had a great start to my day. However, drinks are rather expensive.
There really isn't too much more that can be added to the Wagas discussion. Personally, I don't even look at the menu anymore. Glance at the chalkboard, pick the first thing that looks good, and enjoy. It's that simple.
This place on Wujang lu serves food for the soul. The dishes are fantastic, so are their soups. The energy is really kick back and chill....just perfect after a long day at the office. Their roasted root Wagas salad is the best I've ever had. The portions are just right. The service is friendly. Near Taixing Lu 2nd floor.
I have eaten at Wagas (Jinqiao location) several times and always had a good experience. Paninis are great and the service is always friendly and efficient.
Overpriced for what it is. Went there on a Friday night after 10 pm and they had 2 items from the menue only, kid you not! Edible, but you can have dinner for two in a "real" restaurant for 150 rmb.
Met a friend for big early breakfast, they got great cakes and pastries. On Sunday they open from 8.30 am. Bacon, eggs, coffee and muffin are superb. Reasonable price. The only complain I have is hair on food... hmmm need to give them hairnets
After the mixed reviews my boyfriend and I read about this Wagas, we were a little unsure of what to expect but went anyway because we were hankering for a western Sunday brunch. The "mega breakfast" he got was actually pretty small and he left still wanting something to eat. I got eggs with scallions and salmon on something that looked like an English muffin. I was expecting the salmon to be presented something like lox on a bagel, but instead the well-cooked salmon was broken up into shards and sort of scattered over the egg. This was fine with me; it was on the salty side anyway. This Wagas offered 14RMB lattes, cappuccinos and coffees as breakfast accompaniments, and they were good even though it took us a second to get over the, uh, "unique" presentation: our piping hot drinks were served in glass tumblers with only tourniquets fashioned from thin paper napkins to protect our hands. We were in the Citic Square area again recently and decided to stop by for a quick late afternoon lunch. I enjoyed my saucy and slightly overcooked spaghetti bolognese, which came with a hunk of baguette and a small green salad. Boyfriend got a tuna salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, which he remembered loving the previous summer at the Grand Gateway location. Unfortunately, he found it really tasteless this time and had a hard time finishing the food, partly because the tuna-to-greens ratio was unacceptably low. The decor was comfortable, pleasant and generically creative. The service, though harried at times, was friendly both times I went. I didn't get the glass of water I asked for, but then again one of the workers did sincerely (and humorously!) wish me "good luck!" when I left. The food when it's decent isn't bad for the price, though overall it is slightly expensive for what it is. I'll consider going back for lunch or dinner if I'm in the area and looking for a clean and relatively quiet place to have a simple meal.
Who wants to go to the counter to place an order - not me - it's all about service and this place does not have it! Food is not good either, there are lot better places in town who does better lunch deals and breakfast than this chain. NCB = never come back!
I've been to Wagas a couple of times. The food is just ok. It's fine for a quick meal, although maybe a bit over-priced fo what you get. I guess that's why Wagas are popping up all over town. Rather like Starbucks. What I don't understand is the CityWeekend website... There are many 3stars, 2stars and even a 1star rating of Wagas by CityWeekend users. Yet Wagas is listed on the CW website as one of the venues with the most "buzz", so it has a high ranking! According to "What is buzz", it takes into account what users like... I have seen many users rate other restaurants with more stars than Wagas, yet Wagas is listed above them on the CW site. Why??? CityWeekend has a strange website!
how does anyone like this place is beyond me... seriously. everything is overpriced and even saw a guy making lemonade with his barehands.
Used to like them, and went there at least 3 times a week. Recently notice that quality of food is going down drastically, not sure if it's because of management or just a few isolated shops? I hope things change quickly, cause I still need a place for 1/2 price breakfast. =)
Wagas has nothing special, what i mean some of the food they have on the manu is not bad, i can say just ok, but it is expensive, i think alot of foreign go there because the locations are convenient, the internet, they have some lunch, dinner deals that still a little overpriced but not that bad for shanghai western food prices
nothing special here. if you want an overpriced sandwich or pasta this is the place. but then again all sandwiches in shanghai are overpriced. this is more of a place to just be seen at for some people.
food is ...... hmmm above average, love the decoration and outdoor dining area at wagas bistro, gateway plaza! Besides, the coffee is much better than Starbucks. Keep on the good work!!
This is an average cafe with nothing special. The price there is neither expensive nor cheap. Tried their pasta and salad there which were awaful. Have never been there during lunch hour, but I would say for this kind of price, I 'd rather go somewhere hig-end for better quality food as most of resturants in town offer lunch sets for less than 50 rmb.
food is just ok for the price. if it's not because of the ambiance provided with free wifi, i don't think i'll go there. coffee is good.
this is a expensivve place for normal and tipical international food. nothing special, its ok, nothing new to talk about it. still expensive.
The sandwiches are good. Pastas and Salads are slightly above average. I like the cosy environment and the breakfast is good. Great cheese cake! I don't understand why they want everybody to line up to take orders? It is a pain to stand in line waiting, especially during lunch peak. For this reason, it is not a good place for a business lunch. The juices should be freshly squeezed instead of sitting in the counter for hours. Perhaps having set lunches would also be a good idea.
Huge salad, which I loved. It was way to big for one person - definitely something to share. Nice atmosphere - felt a bit out of place as I seemed to be the only one without an electronic device!
breakfast is also good.
A little bit too "let me check pitchfork.com on my iPhone 3G" hipster trendy for me to feel completely comfortable (the Wagas in Beijing doesn't give off that vibe for some reason. Maybe it's not having any foreign customers that does it), but it still cannot be denied that their pumpkin soup hits the spot as well as the spot could ever be hit on a rainy day.
wagas new branch on xinzha lu yanping lu has a nice ambience...nice design...nice space-and for once the staff are friendly and on the ball....probably because it doesnt cater to the city lunch crowd nr plaza 66 it isnt quite so hectic and because the staff dont get so flustered with more than 3 customers at once. their sandwiches are good- sometimes a bit greasy if you go for a wrap..sandwich express have blatantly copied their menu and actually do a better job...their pasta dinner deal is spot on tho ..salads are consistently undressed and boring- stopped after the 3rd time and my workmate says the same...too many leaves and lacking on taste...i always go to element fresh for theirs instead. i refuse to spend 20 rmb on a soft drink even though I can well afford it. it really is taking the piss i do like the cute little headscarf that the staff wear nice little funky touch
Tasty. Hearty portions. Perfect for a working lunch.
Constantly good food, free wireless, and I am in love with their Iced Chocolate drink - so delicious when you're in need of a Chocolate fix!
I went to Wagas today for the first time and I have to say it was worth the money...free! But really, the prices seemed fair and my huge cup of hot chocolate came with two big pink marshmellows. How can I say anything bad about a place that would do that?
I don't always enjoy eating meat, as I used to be a vegetarian. A little tricky given my line of work. However I do like to go sans meat from time to time and the falafel wrap at Wagas is a winner. It's nicely spiced and stuffed with Wagas' tabouleh, fresh tomato and a few other veggies rolled up in a nice wrap. Give it a shot if you're looking for something a little lighter.
relaxing environment, good food and prices are fair. and it's not pretentious. need I say more.