Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Shanghai actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Shanghai actually eats.
Rui Fu Yuan on Maoming South Road in Shanghai has served home-style Shanghainese cooking since 1994, drawing local regulars for its hongshao rou pork belly.
OrderYellow croaker wonton soup and the red-braised pork belly.
TipThe yellow croaker soup with pork wontons can run out; reserve it with your table or arrive early.
Sichuan Citizen on Wukang Road in Shanghai serves amply spiced Sichuan classics and cocktails in a bamboo-clad room, from the team behind Citizen Cafe.
OrderPepper beef, a stone pot dish and the twice-fried eggplant.
TipThe two-storey restaurant handles groups well; at busy times it can take a while to flag down a server.
Legend Taste on Kangding Road in Shanghai is a no-frills Yunnan restaurant serving southern minority dishes like black chicken salad from a covered terrace.
OrderBlack chicken salad with lemon chili and the wild vegetable pancake.
TipThe terrace out front is the more relaxed seat; the dining room inside is cozy and can feel tight.
Nepali Kitchen on Julu Road in Shanghai has served dal bhat, curries and momos from a three-storey lane house since 2001, run by native Nepalese owners.
OrderDal bhat set and the fried cheese balls.
TipAsk for the raised floor seating with cushions; the ground floor of the lane house is a cafe and bar.
Pasha Turkish Restaurant on Nanchang Road in Shanghai has served halal kebabs and mezze from a lane house with rooftop seating since it moved there in 2018.
OrderCharcoal grilled kebabs and the roasted bone marrow meze.
TipAsk for rooftop seating in mild weather; the menu runs from cold and hot meze to kebabs, koftas and steaks.
Masala Art on Dagu Road in Shanghai is a long-standing North Indian dining room for butter chicken, tandoori dishes, biryani and fresh-baked naan.
OrderButter chicken, a tandoori chicken dish and the garlic naan.
TipCome with a group; the tandoori platters and curries are built for sharing across the table.
Di Shui Dong on Maoming South Road in Shanghai is a loud, busy Hunan restaurant whose cumin-cooked spare ribs keep weekend queues forming at this branch.
OrderCumin spare ribs, shredded pig ears with chilli and the steamed jiaozi.
TipExpect a wait on weekends even at this bigger second location, and a buzzing, loud room once you are seated.
Jianguo 328 on West Jianguo Road in Shanghai cooks MSG-free Benbang classics, drawing crowds for its dried-shrimp scallion oil noodles and pork belly.
OrderScallion oil noodles and the red-braised pork belly.
TipReserve ahead and aim for off-peak hours; the noodles pair well with the crispy pork chop.
Shanghai Old Restaurant by Yuyuan Garden, founded in 1875, guards Shanghai heritage cooking techniques and steams its eight-treasure duck for eight hours.
OrderEight-treasure duck and the red-braised pork belly.
TipThe eight-treasure duck is steamed overnight and served the next day, so reserve it a day ahead.
Hao Sheng on Guangyuan Road in Shanghai serves home-style Shanghainese cooking with no fixed menu, letting the chef choose dishes by what is fresh that day.
OrderSauteed river shrimp and the blanched pork liver.
TipCall ahead; the kitchen manages its own bookings and does not take walk-ins reliably.
Mi Thai on Anfu Road in Shanghai holds a Bib Gourmand for traditional Thai classics from a Thai chef, served across two rooms on a cafe-lined Xuhui street.
OrderTom yum seafood soup and the yellow curry seafood.
TipThe set lunch is good value; at any hour look for the deep-fried shrimp patty and the seafood yellow curry.
Mao Long on Jinxian Road in Shanghai has served no-frills Shanghainese home cooking since 1989, run out of a five-table room by a mother and her daughter.
OrderThe braised pork the family is proudest of, plus whatever seafood came in that morning.
TipIt seats about 20 across five tables, so a short wait for a table is normal at peak hours.
Easeful Cuisine on South Shaanxi Road in Shanghai earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its Zhejiang cooking, served from a second-floor dining room.
OrderThe boneless smoked cod fried to order and the charred brown sugar walnut rice cake.
TipBeyond the main dining room there are six private areas, useful for a group; the seafood comes mostly from Zhejiang.
Smokin' Hog on Wuding Road in Shanghai smokes Texas-style brisket and ribs, a project a husband-and-wife team grew from pop-ups into a brick-and-mortar.
OrderThe Texas-style brisket and the smoked pork ribs.
TipThe brisket smokes low for 16 to 18 hours and a 9 kg raw cut cooks down to about 3 kg, so order it first.
Garlic Barbecue on Jianguo East Road in Shanghai smokes beef brisket over lychee wood for 18 hours, then closes for the day once the meat is gone.
OrderBeef brisket carved to order and the smoked beef short ribs.
TipShow up early on a weekday; the brisket and ribs can sell out by early afternoon.
Lao Zheng Xing on Fuzhou Road in Shanghai has held a Michelin star for nine straight years, serving clay-pot yanduxian with bamboo shoots and pork.
OrderYanduxian, the clay-pot spring soup of salted pork, fresh pork belly and bamboo shoots.
TipFounded in 1862 and at this address since 1997, it now fills several floors; try the yellow croaker in wine lees sauce too.
Ren He Guan on Zhaojiabang Road in Shanghai, here since 2014, holds one Michelin star for hong shao rou and crab dishes from a brand over 200 years old.
OrderHong shao rou, red-braised pork belly cut into neat cubes with a braised egg.
TipDim yellow lights, 1930s memorabilia and singers in qipao set the room; book ahead or expect to wait.
Deda Western Restaurant on West Nanjing Road in Shanghai opened in 1897 in Hongkou and here in 2007, serving the Haipai pork chop, borscht and potato salad.
OrderFried pork chop with Worcestershire-style sauce, borscht, and potato salad, Deda's old three.
TipMost diners are Shanghainese regulars there for nostalgia; the room by the Nanjing Road window doubles as a coffee house with a cake shop.
5 hours
Join a private team challenge in central Shanghai with a local lunch. Solve clues, complete missions, and explore the city with a private vehicle hotel pickup and drop-off.
Private tour · 4.5 hours
Experience the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty with a royal banquet in Shanghai. Savor a delicious meal while being entertained by traditional music and dance.
Private tour · 8 hours
Maximize your time with the private tour, blending the ancient town of Zhujiajiao and Shanghai's highlights. Explore Zhujiajiao on a boat and visit Shanghai's top site...