Like a well-cut suit discovered hanging in the back of a wardrobe, Tiānjīn’s newly spruced up Italian Style District aims to dress up the city as a cosmopolitan and elegant destination. It’s more for domestic visitors, who come here to dine at Italian and French restaurants and daydream they are in Europe. While it’s an attractive quadrant for exploration, prices are stratospheric and the blatant commercial bent reduces its charm.
