In late 2021, M on the Bund announced it would be closing its doors after twenty-three years. The restaurant led the fine-dining renaissance in Shanghai, with flare, daring simplicity and personal touch. Along the way, it grew a community of diners and artists, reinvigorated a neighbourhood, and defying the odds to outlive its competitors and imitators. In a city defined by change and rapid reinvention, it had become an institution.

Over the course of two months, from the closure announcement to the final day, we follow the team behind M on the Bund as they navigate the highs and lows of a restaurant in its final days, uncovering the memories, legacy and community it leaves in its wake.

Featuring never-before-seen archive, exclusive behind-the scenes access, and as-it-happens moments beautifully captured in 4K, M on the Bund is a delectable journey through two decades of a groundbreaking restaurant, and the city it helped to reshape.

At the heart of the story is Michelle Garnaut, a woman Melbourne who defied sexism and snobbery to become a towering figure of the restaurant world. Straight-talking and driven, she broke down barriers of gender, class and expectation to create a high-end experience that welcomed everyone; a restaurant where celebrities and world leaders had sat table to table with families and friends, under the cross-river glow of the downtown skyline.

Through revealing new interviews with key players, staff and guests - including famous faces like Amy Tan, Christopher Doyle and Jin Xing - we craft an emotionally resonant story of how M on the Bund became more than just a restaurant, and how its journey reflects the story of Shanghai at the beginning of the new millennium.