Must-see restaurants in Shanghai

  • Bǎoluó Jiǔlóu

    French Concession

    Gather up some friends to join the boisterous crowds at this expanded, highly popular Fumin Rd venue. It's a great place to get a feel for Shanghai’s…

  • Poke Poke

    Shanghai

    Nab one of only six stools here to enjoy express bowls of Hawaiian-style goodness. Choose from raw tuna, scallops, salmon and prawn, accompanied by…

  • L.A. Pho

    French Concession

    This is one of the better places to eat pho in Shanghai. Standouts are the raw beef pho in a piping-hot broth, the grilled pork banh mi and the whole…

  • Bread Etc

    French Concession

    Modern French-style bakery selling all manners of tasty baked sweet and savoury goods, which are laid out on the counter. More substantial snacks include…

  • URBN Restaurant

    Shanghai

    Inside the eco-chic Urbn, this fashionable, laid-back restaurant is a good spot for a relaxed meal. Expect quality items such as beef tacos, New England…

  • Wagas

    Shanghai

    Excellent sandwiches and cakes, and you can hang out here for hours with your tablet and no one will shoo you away. Need we say more? Wagas is the best…

  • Pomelo Thai

    Shanghai

    Reasonably priced Thai inside the Shanghai Centre, serving a good pork krapow (spicy minced pork with Thai basil and egg with rice). The full-sized tom…

  • Tock's Montreal Deli

    The Bund & People's Square

    Tock's serves Montreal-style smoked meat, which is gorgeously tender. Each sandwich comes with homemade fries, coleslaw and a pickle. For the whole canard…

  • Element Fresh

    Shanghai

    A good choice for breakfast (granola, smoked salmon and egg bagel, breakfast burritos etc), plus salads, Asian plates, sandwiches, grilled meats and…

  • Baker & Spice

    Shanghai

    Popular artisanal cafe at the Shanghai Centre with wooden tables and a tempting array of fresh pastries, bread, salads and sandwiches – don’t miss the…

  • Spicy Joint

    The Bund & People's Square

    This branch of one of Shanghai’s best Sichuanese restaurants can see excruciatingly long waits at peak times; you’ll need a Chinese mobile number to…

  • Jade Buddha Temple Vegetarian Restaurant

    Shanghai

    Pull up a seat alongside the monks, nuns and lay worshippers for a vegetarian feast at this Buddhist banquet hall. On the menu are dumplings, noodles,…

  • Lei Garden

    Shanghai

    On the 3rd floor of the IFC Mall, Lei Garden is a classy affair serving good-quality Cantonese; it's perfect for a lunch break during a shopping spree. Be…

  • Mex & Co

    Shanghai

    Solid build-it-yourself burrito counter, stuffing tortillas with organic ingredients. Choose rice, beans and your protein of choice, or go veggie. Then…

  • Hunter Gatherer

    Shanghai

    Funky casual spot with coloured crates for lampshades. It serves big, farm-fresh bowls like miso salmon with lemon cashew sauce or braised beef curry with…

  • Saigon Mama

    Shanghai

    Awesome place for a slurpy bowl of pho, with superb broth. The booths, exposed hanging lights and retro food labels make for a fun setting for a meal or…

  • Vesh Coffee

    Shanghai

    This spacious cafe is a neighbourhood sweet spot, with all-day breakfast and good coffee. Enjoy meals on the sofas or the large terrace that overlooks…

  • Element Fresh

    Shanghai Old City

    Handy Old City outpost of the health-conscious chain dedicated to pick-me-up breakfasts, crisp salads, sandwiches, and feel-good juices and smoothies.

  • Baker & Spice

    Shanghai

    Small branch in the IFC Mall with baked pastries, bagels, salad bowls and weekend brunch. Good coffee too.

  • Pho Real

    French Concession

    Sit at the wooden counter or grab a table at this handy branch of the Vietnamese pho restaurant. Takes reservations.

  • Wagas

    Shanghai

    Branch of the casual local cafe with a Scandi-esque aesthetic. It specialises in salads, sandwiches, pasta and smoothies.

  • Wǔ Fāng Zhāi

    The Bund & People's Square

    An old favourite along Yunnan Rd's food street with five-fragrance dim sum.

  • Wúyuè Rénjiā

    Shanghai Old City

    Right next to KFC north of the Yuyuan Gardens, this upstairs place doesn’t look particularly appealing but it serves typical Old City fare and it’s a well…

  • 1767 Cocoon

    Shanghai

    This place gets our vote for Shanghai's most bonkers dining experience. Cocoon 1769 looks like a regular mall restaurant, but dishes are served up in the…

  • More Than Eat

    French Concession

    The outlets at this eating and shopping complex range from a little Japanese place named Most (sushi, noodles and rice dishes) to Pichet, which serves…

  • Godly

    Shanghai

    Shanghai's second-oldest vegetarian restaurant (opened in 1922), Godly never fails to perplex Western vegetarians – almost everything on the menu is…

  • Tsui Wah

    Shanghai

    There's a handful of branches of this cheerful Hong Kong chain around the city, and it's always a reliable place for a meal. Cantonese favourites,…

  • Tsui Wah

    French Concession

    This branch of the Hong Kong chain features an enormous dining room and quick Cantonese dishes. Order beef curry, pork fried rice, fishball noodles or…

  • Hooked

    French Concession

    Decorated like a beach house, with light blue–and-white tones and high tables, Hooked is a stop for fish fans. Order up everything from seafood tapas and…

  • Bali Bistro

    Shanghai

    Head upstairs to enjoy authentic Indonesian food in a futuristic circular building decorated with batik wall hangings. The menu covers classics such as…

  • Sōngyuèlóu

    Shanghai Old City

    Dating to 1910, this place has cheap eats, such as wontons (馄饨汤; húntún tāng; ¥10) and veggie options, including tofu masquerading as meat (black-pepper…

  • South Memory

    The Bund & People's Square

    This popular Hunan place is a chopstick’s throw from the waterfront with a range of spicy drypots (served in a personal mini wok), including favourites…

  • Shook!

    The Bund & People's Square

    Like most of its Bund-side brethren, Malaysian Shook! sports a trendy design and fabulous views, particularly from its rooftop terrace. There are some…

  • Le Petit Jardin

    Shanghai

    Kitted out with retro accoutrements, this lone clapboard house on the river is decorated with bits and bobs, from a rocking horse and vintage piano to…

  • Charme

    The Bund & People's Square

    This rip-roarin’ Canto-style cafe unashamedly darts all over the culinary map from fiery Sichuanese and Hong Kong curries to Cantonese seafood, Italian…

  • Poke Poke

    French Concession

    Nothing says aloha quite like a poke bowl. Come here for fresh, heaping bowls of raw fish, rice and toppings. Flavours include the Sichuan Samurai (with…

  • Element Fresh

    French Concession

    This sleek branch of the health-conscious pit stop is a cool choice, with an inviting bar area and a largely faultless menu of big salads, cleansing…

  • Vegetarian Lifestyle

    Shanghai

    The folks at this tastefully decorated restaurant are maximising meat-free goodness with organic vegetarian fare fashioned for the masses. There are loads…

  • Element Fresh Vintage

    French Concession

    Popular for its fresh salads and well-executed international mains (from steaks and fish to jambalaya), Element Fresh has been around in this location for…

  • Beef & Liberty

    Shanghai

    Beef & Liberty came to be after a surprising lack of decent burger joints in Shanghai. More burger places have emerged, but Beef & Liberty is still packed…

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