Chinese restaurants in Shànghǎi
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A
Lost Heaven
Enlighten your tastebuds with the Dai and Miao folk cuisine from China’s remote and ethnically infused southwest. Ease into a Yunnan chicken salad with chilli and sesame, Yunnan vegetable cakes or the Dai tribe chicken with seven spices. Book ahead.
reviewed
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B
Yīn
A throwback to the 1930s, Yīn emanates soft, jazzy decadence with its hardwood flooring, antique hanging screens, qípáo-clad waitresses and Ella Fitzgerald on the stereo. But they're as much visionaries as they are traditionalists. The kitchen has adopted older cooking techniques - back from the days before MSG - and prepares standout regional dishes from across China, including the superbly named 'squid lost in a sandstorm'. English menu.
Not a place to miss, it's in a lane inside the Jinjiang Hotel compound and behind South Maoming Rd.
reviewed
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C
Méilóngzhèn Jiǔjiā
Shànghǎi has a host of famous local restaurants, none more so than this fantastic old building, which has been churning out food since the 1930s. The rooms once housed the Shanghai Communist Party headquarters, but are now bedecked in woodcarvings, huge palace lamps and photos of foreign dignitaries. The menu mixes Sìchuān and Shanghainese tastes and ranges from the pricey (crab with tofu, Y120) to the more reasonable, such as the fish slices with tangerine peel (Y45).
reviewed
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D
Bellagio Café
Nope, not another pizza place – this Bellagio has nothing to do with Lake Como (or Las Vegas). It’s actually a trendy Taiwanese restaurant popular with the 20-something crowd, where identically coiffed waitresses (sometimes confusing customers) are dressed to match the black-and-white decor. Taiwanese specialities on offer include three-cup chicken (Y46) and pineapple fried rice (Y39), but when the mercury rises it’s the shaved-ice desserts and smoothies (from Y26) that bring in the crowds.
reviewed
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Bellagio Café
Nope, not another pizza place – this Bellagio has nothing to do with Lake Como (or Las Vegas). It’s actually a trendy Taiwanese restaurant popular with the 20-something crowd, where identically coiffed waitresses (sometimes confusing customers) are dressed to match the black-and-white decor. Taiwanese specialities on offer include three-cup chicken (Y46) and pineapple fried rice (Y39), but when the mercury rises it’s the shaved-ice desserts and smoothies (from Y26) that bring in the crowds.
reviewed
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Bellagio Café
Nope, not another pizza place – this Bellagio has nothing to do with Lake Como (or Las Vegas). It’s actually a trendy Taiwanese restaurant popular with the 20-something crowd, where identically coiffed waitresses (sometimes confusing customers) are dressed to match the black-and-white decor. Taiwanese specialities on offer include three-cup chicken (Y46) and pineapple fried rice (Y39), but when the mercury rises it’s the shaved-ice desserts and smoothies (from Y26) that bring in the crowds.
reviewed
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E
Yang's Kitchen
For solid, reasonably priced Chinese food in a pleasant setting, Yang's is a good choice, even if the dishes lack a little character. The níngmēngmì jiānruǎnjī(lemon chicken) is decent though, as is chicken with asparagus. It's down a small lane just off Hengshan Rd and next door to Le Garcon Chinoise; there's a sign pointing the way on Hengshan Rd. Arrive early enough and you might catch the wait staff limbering up for the night with hula hoops.
reviewed
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F
Green Willow Village Restaurant
This stalwart offers a wide range of Chuanyang cuisine - a mix of Sìchuān and Yángzhōu flavours - along with some 'medicinal' dishes (food designed to cure certain ailments, according to Chinese belief) at prices ranging from cheap to very expensive. Regulars recommend the crispy duck (xiāngsū yā). If you're feeling hungry there's always the whole pig head in brown sauce. There's an English menu but the translations are erratic.
reviewed
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G
People 6
Number 6 is more of a dining option than its sibling People 7, with café-style window seating or upstairs dining with a bird's-eye view down on to the bar. But the menu is a similar mix of reasonably priced Asian fusion cuisine. The tables and moody low lighting make it a good place for an intimate dinner. There's a nice bamboo-lined approach down a winding path, before you reach the Star Trek-like door.
reviewed
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H
Gongdelin
With keen Buddhist leanings, this is one of Shanghai’s superior spots for a vegetarian banquet. Realistic mock-meat is on the menu, so half the experience is experimenting. Gnaw on a deep-fried sparrow, chomp the charcoal grilled lamb with spice power or the spicy-yet-sweet sautéd shred meat with chilli sauce, and wonder why you ever bothered with real meat.
reviewed
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I
Xindalu
Offering the city’s premier roast duck experience, this upscale hotel restaurant pulls out all the stops, importing necessary ingredients direct from the capital in order to make your Peking duck as authentic as possible. It also serves up fine Zhejiang cuisine, such as beggar’s chicken (order in advance). Reserve.
reviewed
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Dongbeiren
It's lost a shot of vim, but this busy eatery still assures a fun night out. The convivial Northeastern lasses are still on the ball and for those missing north China, their pǔtōnghuà (Mandarin) is a delicious treat. Dishes actually resemble their idealised photo menu counterparts, so that's a first.
reviewed
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J
Shanghai Grandmother
This packed home-style eatery is within easy striking distance of the Bund and perfect for a casual lunch or dinner. You can’t go wrong with the classics here: the fried tomato and egg, Grandmother’s braised pork and three-cup chicken will ease you into Shanghai dining.
reviewed
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K
Green Wave Gallery
Tour groups flock to this traditional building, partly because of its location overlooking the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse and partly because the décor and views fit the quintessential image of old China. The food's not bad, but it is overpriced.
reviewed
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L
Yī Jiā Yī
One of the most affordable French Concession eateries, Yī Jiā Yī is a round-the-clock diner that covers all the bases – noodles (from Y12), dumplings (six for Y8) and popular standards like kung pao chicken.
reviewed
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M
Tiandi
Sultry jazz standards set the tone at this new Bund 6 restaurant, which boasts an enticing, if unlikely, Beijing–Cantonese culinary pairing. Duck breast with mango and sweet-and-sour prawns are among the highlights. Reserve a table.
reviewed
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N
Dongbei Ren
It’s lost a shot of vim, but this busy eatery still assures a fun night out. Hearty home cooking from northeast China (cumin lamb, stir-fried potato and eggplant, dumplings) and convivial waitresses in pigtails keep the crowds happy.
reviewed
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O
Vegetarian Life Style
For light and healthy organic vegetarian Chinese food, with zero meat and precious little oil, this welcoming place has excellent fare. The health-conscious, ecofriendly mentality extends all the way to the toothpicks, made of cornflour. There's another branch in the French Concession.
reviewed
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P
Food Court Live
This basement food court serves the hordes headed up to Jinmao's top-floor viewing platform. Chinese fast-food stalls specialise in claypot dishes, Hainan chicken, Cantonese barbecue, wok and noodle dishes, as well as set meals.
reviewed
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Q
Songyuelou
Shanghai’s oldest vegie restaurant (dating back to 1910), this place offers a far more authentic dining experience than most of the tourist-saturated restaurants in the area. English menus upstairs.
reviewed
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R
Yù Fashion Garden
True, eating in a mall isn't quite the same as braving the crowds at the Yùyuán Bazaar – and if you're up for it, by all means give it a try – but if you'd prefer to dine in more-relaxed surrounds, there are a few good choices here, notably Din Tai Fung (2nd floor), whose tender dumplings knock the stuffing out of the overrated ones at the bazaar.
reviewed
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S
Hóngyī Plaza
Not all malls are created equal: the Hóngyī effortlessly slices and dices the competition with its star-studded restaurant line-up, and the whole shebang is a mere stone's throw from the waterfront. Top picks here are South Memory (6th floor), which specialises in spicy Hunanese drypots (a kind of personal miniwok); Dolar Hotpot (5th floor), whose delicious sauce bar makes it popular even outside of winter; Charme (4th floor), a Taiwanese restaurant with try-it-to-believe-it shaved-ice desserts; Wagas (ground floor), Shànghǎi's own wi-fi cafe chain; and Ajisen (basement), king of Japanese ramen.
reviewed
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T
Southern Barbarian
Fine, MSG-free Yunnan cuisine served in a laid-back (though somewhat noisy) atmosphere. Unusual dishes include the stewed beef and mint casserole, ‘grandmother’s mashed potatoes’ and the addictive chicken wings. Booking a table is recommended.
reviewed
