Must-see restaurants in Shanghai

  • U
    Top Choice
    Ultraviolet

    You’ve probably paired food and wine before, but what about coupling an illuminated apple-wasabi communion wafer with purple candles and a specially…

  • C
    Top Choice
    Commune Social

    From UK celebrity chef Jason Atherton, this natty Neri & Hu–designed restaurant blends a stylish yet relaxed vibe with sensational tasting dishes,…

  • Top Choice
    Yunnan Road Food Street

    Yunnan Rd has great speciality restaurants and is the spot for an authentic meal after museum-hopping at People’s Square. Find Shaanxi dumplings and…

  • Top Choice
    M on the Bund

    M exudes a timelessness and level of sophistication that eclipses the razzle-dazzle of many other upmarket Shanghai restaurants. The menu ain't radical,…

  • D
    Top Choice
    Dī Shuǐ Dòng

    Until the beer arrives, the faint breeze from the spreading of the blue-and-white tablecloth by your waiter may be the last cooling sensation you…

  • B
    Top Choice
    Brut Eatery

    An extremely popular casual cafe with half a dozen tables, plus steps with cushions and mini side tables out the front. Diners queue and then sit shoulder…

  • H
    Top Choice
    Hǎi Dǐ Lāo

    This Sichuanese hotpot restaurant is all about service, and the assault begins the minute you walk in the door. Pre-dining options include shoeshines,…

  • Y
    Top Choice
    Yang’s Fry Dumplings

    The city’s most famous place for sesame-seed-and-spring-onion-coated shēngjiān (生煎, fried dumplings) has queues that can stretch to the horizon as eager…

  • S
    Top Choice
    Sichuan Citizen

    The subdued evening lighting and welcoming service concoct a warm and homey atmosphere at this popular outpost of Sichuan cuisine. The extensive photo…

  • X
    Top Choice
    Xīndàlù

    Although definitive Běijīng kǎoyā (Peking duck) really needs to be flamed up within quacking distance of the Forbidden City, Shanghai’s best roast-duck…

  • S
    Top Choice
    Sproutworks

    A smart cafeteria where you're served food at the counter and clear and stack your own plate when you've finished. Unlike school lunches, however, the…

  • T
    Top Choice
    The Barn by Green & Safe

    Part deli, part Whole Foods–style grocery, plus pizzeria, grill, bakery and brunch...the hugely popular Barn has it all. Its motto is 'eat your way around…

  • H
    Top Choice
    Hóng Làjiāo Xiāngcàiguǎn

    There's no shortage of decent Hunan restaurants in Shanghai, but you won't find much better than this one. Wooden benches and an exposed-brick effect make…

  • Y
    Top Choice
    Yershari

    Yershari offers a slightly smarter version of the typically raucous Xinjiang dining experience, but this place is still no-frills and plenty of fun with…

  • X
    Top Choice
    Xibo

    Trust Shanghai to serve up a stylish Xinjiang restaurant – you're unlikely to find a place like this in China's wild northwest. It's a little pricey, but…

  • F
    Top Choice
    Fu 1039

    Set in a three-storey 1913 villa, Fu attains an old-fashioned charm. Foodies who appreciate sophisticated surroundings and Shanghainese food on par with…

  • Y
    Top Choice
    Yúxìn Chuāncài

    Among Shanghai’s best Sichuan restaurants, Yúxìn is a dab hand in the art of blistering chillies and numbing peppercorns. Menu all-stars include the …

  • L
    Top Choice
    Lost Heaven

    Lost Heaven might not have the views that keep its rivals in business, but why go to the same old western restaurants when you can get sophisticated Bai,…

  • G
    Top Choice
    Green & Safe

    Expat favourite Green & Safe is the closest thing you’ll get to Whole Foods in Shanghai. There's open-plan dining and an inviting loft-style restaurant…

  • S
    Top Choice
    Shintori

    The industrial-chic interior here resembles a set from a Peter Greenaway film, from the eye-catching open kitchen to the sleek staff running around like…