2009 Australia-China Connections-Jewel of the Bund

Credited as being the catalyst for the rejuvenation of the strip of colonial art-deco former banks and custom houses known as the Bund, when she opened M on the Bund in the former Nissin Shipping Building in 1999, Michelle Garnaut’s M Restaurant Group has become synonymous with glamour, decadence and high-end culture. Since opening M on the Bund, a string of luxury fashion houses, top restaurants and classy European rooftop bars have all followed suit, helping to restore the Bund to its former glory as the city’s once booming financial district. Michelle is no stranger to the region – M on the Bund’s predecessor, M on the Fringe in Hong Kong will celebrate its 20th anniversary this November. Looking ahead, Michelle hopes to open a Beijing location looking onto the Qianmen gate by the end of the year. While business has been down significantly in lieu of the financial crisis, Michelle has seen business pick up and remains optimistic about the outlook. “All in all we’re fine, I think the reality is that we’re all adjusting to a new economic outlook for the higher-end hospitality industry, but good decisions need to be made at difficult times and solid businesses get by – that’s my mantra,” Michelle says. Not surprisingly, M on the Bund has earned itself a spot on the Australian business circuit with some of Australia’s top travelling executives making it their Shanghai regular for entertaining VIPs, securing deals or for a good old fashioned slice of Pavlova to celebrate a successful acquisition. Most recently, M hosted a gala dinner for the Shanghai summit with an opening address from Bob Hawke. M’s famous lamb remains the restaurant’s sell out dish.