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Dōngběi Rén
Dōngběi Rén, literally 'northeastern people', are known for their blunt, friendly ways and their fondness for hearty portions of meat and potatoes. Exuberant waitresses spontaneously break into folk songs while serving an outstanding assortmen of dumplings as well as spare ribs, endless beef, chicken and pork dishes and plenty of greens and veggies. Prices are very reasonable. English menu. There are five other branches around town.
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Dōnghǎi Kāfēiguǎn
A place with cheap food within reach of the Bund! If you're trekking up and down East Nanjing Rd on a budget, the Dōnghǎi is a real lifesaver. Downstairs serves decent coffee (and beer), while the set meals include soup, one main dish and rice. There are also Chinese pastries.
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Element Fresh
Perennially popular, Element Fresh hits the spot with pasta dishes, healthy salads and hefty sandwiches. Its recently expanded dinner menu features such tasty options as sesame-crusted tuna steak and grilled red curry grouper, while vegetarians may well faint with excitement at the roasted eggplant on walnut bread with mozzarella and olives. There are imaginative smoothies, fresh juices, coffee and after-work cocktails. It's nonsmoking inside.
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Fēngyù Shēngjiān
Don't let the Stalinist service and orange plastic seats put you off at this nondescript canteen. It turns out some of the best shrimp and pork shēngjiān (fried dumplings) in town for a bargain around Y2 , as well as xiǎolóngbāo and a range of cheap noodle dishes.
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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.
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Gōngdélín
Shanghai's second-oldest vegetarian restaurant (opened in 1922), Gōngdélín never fails to perplex Western vegetarians - nearly everything on the menu is prepared to resemble meat! Don't worry though, the beef with shacha sauce and the sesame chicken rolls are actually made of tofu, no matter how convincing they look. You can dine very cheaply here, or splash out on the big set menu. English menu.
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Grape Restaurant
One of the most enduring private Chinese restaurants from the 1980s, the reliable Grape still packs in the crowds at its bright premises beside the old Russian Orthodox church. Try the delicious yóutiáo chǎoniúròu (dough sticks with beef) or any of the crab dishes - you won't find them cheaper anywhere else. English menu.
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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.
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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.
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Guyi Hunan Restaurant
Shanghai's foodies divide into those who back this Hunanese place to the hilt and those prefering the more laidback charms of Dī Shuǐ Dòng. There's a more comprehensive menu here, including great gānguō (hotpots) featuring your choice of beef, chicken, crab or frog, and they do stay open until for those who like to breakfast on chillies. The dishes are very hot here, so take it easy. Reserve or be prepared to queue. English menu.
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Indian Kitchen
One of Shanghai's growing number of Indian restaurants, this is a popular place, especially with expat Brits yearning for a taste of their national cuisine. All the classics are on the menu, from kormas to vindaloos, and they deliver, too. Nevertheless, true curry fiends will find it a little tame. The set lunch, which isn't available at weekends, is a good deal. There's another branch in Hóngqiáo (6261 0377; House 8, No 3911 Hongmei Rd).
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Itoya
Itoya is a popular chain offering solid lunch specials and other set meals - from grilled eel to sushi and sukiyaki - all served with salad, miso soup, pickles and snacks. Wherever there are Japanese offices, you can be sure there's an Itoya branch nearby, such as in the Kerry Centre and the Maxdo Centre.
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Jade On 36
Foie gras lollipops, strawberry-cola spaghetti, a lemon tart that's a hollowed-out lemon with a sorbet-like filling - the food here is as extraordinary as the ornate setting (courtesy of Adam Tihany, the world's leading restaurant designer) and views. Chef Paul Pairet specialises in a striking mix of Asian and European cuisine, with textures and tastes different from anything you'll have eaten before. Reserve.
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Jean Georges
Somewhere between Gotham City and new Shanghai is Jean-George Vongerichten's dimly lit, wood-floored, copper-appliquéd temple to gastronomy. The French-born Manhattan chef knows how to skim the cream off the city's expanding economy, no doubt about that, but you get the culinary adventures you pay for. Palate-pleasers include black cod with sesame seeds and citrus, a foie gras brule and an excellent soft shell crab.
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Jíshì Jiǔlóu
This is Shanghainese home cooking at its best: crab dumplings, Grandma's braised pork and plenty of fish, eel and jellyfish. Start with the wine-preserved shrimps or the carp cream soup. Main dishes range from the cheap (chicken and celery in black pepper), to the more expensive, like the yellow fish in brown sauce or the crab with ginger and onion. It's easy to miss this place; the sign outside says 'Jesse's', rather than Jíshì. English menu.
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Kabb
For those times when the desire to chew becomes overpowering, this smart American grill hits the spot, delivering authentic American-portioned comfort food at midrange prices. There's a good selection of main-course salads, burgers and wraps. The outdoor café-style seating is particularly popular for a slower-paced Sunday brunch, when the menu stretches to French toast with bananas, walnut syrup and eggs Benedict - all with unlimited coffee.
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Kathleen's 5
Kathleen's 5 is all about location: it's set on the roof of the gorgeous Shanghai Art Museum in a glass-encased dining area, providing leafy views of the park during the day, Renmin Sq's blinking towers by night. The contemporary American food, tenderloin steak and pan-fried turbot are less inspiring than the setting, but the set lunch is a decent deal. The separate bar is a popular, if pricey spot. Try for a seat on the outside terrace.
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Lan Na Thai
Upstairs from Face, the sensuous woodcarvings, cobalt-blue walls and small terrace make this one of the most stylish restaurants in town. It's a favourite for high-flyers who can afford the great Thai salads (try the lemongrass shrimp salad), green curries and subtle desserts, such as crunchy water chestnut in dough in chilled coconut milk with jackfruit. Eat here in mid-April for a special Song Kran festival menu. Reserve.
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Làokè Lè
In Shanghainese, the name of this friendly and clean noodle stop translates as 'upper middle class'. That's stretching the truth, but they do offer a selection of good and cheap noodle dishes, as well as solid smoothies (from around Y16 ). It's a convenient place for lunch if you're touring the area. Picture menu.
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Le Garcon Chinoise
This lovely old wood-panelled villa down a winding lane off Hengshan Lu is one of Shanghai's most romantic venues. There are actually two restaurants: on the 1st floor the Spanish chef turns out simple, classic tapas, while on the second it's Vietnamese dishes. Try the superb Hanoi fish in tumeric and marinated with fresh herbs comes with glass noodles, the sour fish soup or the chicken with lemongrass. There are non-smoking sections. Reserve.
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Lei Garden Restaurant
This is one of the more authentic dim sum places in town: a large, bustling restaurant good for lunch if you're on the shopping trail. The steamed shrimp dumplings are great, as are the pork ones, and they get through an awful lot of congee here, but there's a wide range of dishes to choose from. English menu.
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Lost Heaven
On a quiet street in Shanghai's most desirable neighbourhood, Lost Heaven has maintained the title of most fashionable expat eatery longer than many restaurants before it. The food, a Western take on the cuisine of southwest China, is delicately flavoured and well-presented, although purists will argue some dishes, like the Dali chicken with green pepper and onion, aren't spicy enough. The Yunnan vegetable cakes make a fantastic starter. Reserve.
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Lùlù Jiǔjiā
Lùlù is fancy Shanghainese without the overbearing attitude - it's more popular with families and the ladies-who-lunch crowd than urban hipsters - and the prices are surprisingly reasonable. With over 20 aquariums on display, you'd be foolish not to try at least one of the braised seafood specialities, though steer clear of the fish heads. English menu. Reserve.
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Lynn
Another one of the growing number of restaurants pushing the boundaries between Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine, Lynn offers consistently good, cleverly presented dishes at reasonable prices in plush but unfussy surroundings. There's a dim sum menu as well as more traditional Shanghainese dishes. The deep-fried spare ribs with honey and garlic are excellent. An all-you-can-eat brunch menu, for Y128 , includes a glass of wine. English menu.
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M on the Bund
There was a time, back at the turn of the 21st century, when M was Shanghai's only gourmet restaurant. That's no longer true, but its intimate Art Deco dining room is still a fine place to eat, while the 7th-floor terrace offers fantastic Bund views. The menu is less radical and original than at some of the other high-end Bund restaurants, but the chefs know their stuff and the atmosphere is pleasant. Finish off with drinks in the Glamour Bar.
